Facilities

Beckers, Ronald ; van der Voordt, Theo ; Dewulf, Geert

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-02-2013-0013

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the spatial implications of new learning theories and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of the literature, a theoretical framework has been developed that visualises the spatial implications of developments in higher education. To further explore spatial configurations that support changes in education, a comparative floor plan analysis was carried out at four Dutch institutes of higher education. Findings – The findings show that the traditional classroom space is progressively being replaced by a variety of learning settings to support contemporary learning activities. Practical implications – The research findings contribute to a better understanding of the alignment of learning space to the evolving needs that come from new ways of learning, supported by advanced ICT, and can be used to support space planning in higher education. Originality/value – This paper builds upon findings from different disciplines: Facilities Management and Corporate Real Estate Management (suitability of floor plans) and Theory of Education (the pedagogical approaches and pedagogical assumptions those floor plans convey).

Kojo, Inka Vuokko Ilona ; Nenonen, Suvi

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-05-2013-0043

Purpose – This research aims to aggregate and categorise distinct places for multi-locational work from the 1960s until today. Based on an understanding of the user needs connected to these locations, the paper aims to identify the service concepts and workplace design solutions by which these needs can be met. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review is based on academic journal papers, reports and books related to the topic. Findings – The paper categorises the main multi-locational workplace locations, namely, organisational offices, home offices, mobile workplaces and flexible offices. The user needs in these locations vary from concept to concept, and therefore, the service offers are distinct. Based on the results, the service provision of organisational offices and flexible offices should focus on providing users with the chance for socialisation using collaborative space solutions and community management policies. In the cases of home offices and mobile workplaces, service provision should instead emphasise ensuring functionalities such as efficient virtual connectivity and accessibility. Additionally, more concept-specific user needs are identified. Research limitations/implications – The paper offers an overview of and framework for future research and concept development. The limitations of cultural differences could have been investigated more. Practical implications – The results provide insight into the purposes of facilities management and workplace design when developing service concepts for multi-locational workplaces. Originality/value – The paper establishes a literature-based framework for the service concepts of places for multi-locational work.

Rothe, Peggie ; Sarasoja, Anna-Liisa ; Heywood, Christopher

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-05-2013-0037

Purpose – This paper aims to examine short-distance firm relocations, the most frequent form of relocation, to better understand how employees as individuals experience those relocations. Design/methodology/approach – This study was a multiple-case study with five organisations that had relocated within the same metropolitan area during the previous 18 months. To understand why and how the relocation was carried out, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with company representatives who were actively involved in making decisions and executing the relocation of their organisation. Subsequently, to study the employees’ experience and perception of the process, 17 employees who did not have an assigned role in the process were also interviewed. Findings – The findings show that even within the same organization, people experience relocation differently; therefore, the employees should not be treated as one object of change but as several individuals who experience change. Further, it was identified that relocation included both location and workplace change aspects. Research limitations/implications – The study is of qualitative nature and, therefore, the findings should not be generalized to individuals outside of the context of study. Instead, the value lies in the description and the themes developed in the specific context. The findings show that emphasis needs to be put on how the relocation process is managed, and that relocation change management efforts should include both location and workplace changes. Originality/value – This study provides new insight on how individual employees experience the relocation process and augments the previous body of knowledge on employee experiences and satisfaction with various elements in the work environment and/or with new ways of working, and the previous studies on relocation that focus on comparing employees’ experiences of the old office with the new one.

Schlittmeier, Sabine J. ; Liebl, Andreas

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-05-2013-0036

Purpose – This paper aims to give an overview on four empirical studies which explored the impact of background speech on cognitive performance and subjectively perceived disturbance. Background speech is the most serious noise problem in shared-room and open-plan offices for employees who are supposed to do silent, concentrated work. Different measures of acoustic office optimization, as well as the outstanding role of the intelligibility of background speech for its disturbance impact, are empirically evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – The article provides a synopsis describing the core empirical results of four of our empirical studies. A survey study among office employees ( n = 659) explored the subjective importance of office acoustics. Three experimental studies ( n 1 = 20; n 2 = 30; n 3 = 24) evaluated the effects of reduced background speech level, play-back of partial maskers and reduced speech intelligibility on cognitive performance and subjective ratings. Findings – Background speech is subjectively perceived as a severe problem, and the different noise abatement measures affect objective performance and subjective ratings differently. Speech intelligibility is – besides level – a key determinant for the acoustic optimization regarding these two dimensions. Research limitations/implications – Practitioners are encouraged to apply the findings and described measures when planning and/or evaluating open-plan offices. Practical implications – It is concluded that different acoustically efficient measures need to be combined to minimize the negative effects of background speech on cognitive performance and subjectively perceived disturbance. The aspired set value for open-office concepts is the lowest possible sound level with a bad intelligibility of the background speech at the same time. Originality/value – The synopsis of several empirical studies allows deriving comprehensive and well-founded information for practitioners involved in the evaluation and/or design of offices environments.

Yung, Esther H.K. ; Chan, Edwin H.W.

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-02-2013-0017

Purpose – This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the major factors of social value and the willingness to pay amount for conserving a historic site, using Hong Kong as a case study of a dense urban city with immense tension between conservation and development. It also evaluates, in monetary terms, the social values, which are almost impossible to measure in built heritage conservation. Design/methodology/approach – It adopts evaluation ratings and the contingent valuation method to estimate Hong Kong citizens’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of the Central Police Station compound. Findings – The results of 256 surveys suggest that the extent to which the historic site can provide a “sense of place and identity”, “social inclusion” and “community participation” is positively correlated to the WTP amount. The respondents’ satisfaction with the new use of the site, their work location and education level affected the amount they were willing to contribute to the conservation project. The reasons given for not being willing to contribute were also analysed to provide insights for cultural heritage policy. Originality/value – The findings provide an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the major factors of social value and the WTP amount. This study proposes a partial tool to elicit the non-market value of heritage site which should be supplemented with experts’ evaluation to assist decision-making. It enhances public participation, particularly in the public–private partnership model of heritage conservation. Thus, it provides valuable insights for policymakers and planners to understand the public’s perception on the value of heritage conservation in cities facing immense redevelopment pressures.

Firdauz, A.M. ; Sapri, M. ; Mohammad, I.S.

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-04-2013-0034

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify recent research on knowledge development in Facility Management (FM); identify types of knowledge and its degree of importance in the FM field within the Malaysian environment; and how does it benefit Hospitality Management (HM) in terms of managerial competency. Design/methodology/approach – The nature of this study is quantitative. Data were gathered through questionnaires distributed to various practitioners in the FM field in the private sector and government sector in Malaysia. Findings – The analysis results support that all types of knowledge, which was considered important, are required to develop a conceptual model of training syllabus for an intensive training program. The analysis results will be discussed in the context of hospitality management. In addition, a decision-making tree model was created to facilitate the training program in the future with the aim of developing a competency model. Research limitations/implications – Most of the participants have experience with the FM field. Future research is recommended to include the conceptual model of training syllabus in analysis information relating to managers directly involved with the orientation of HM. Originality/value – This paper presents a quantitative survey regarding the importance of knowledge in the FM industry in Malaysia and generally discusses the link between FM and Hospitality managerial competency. Further, this research delivers useful information for FM and HM managers who intend to further develop the practical training program based on the proposed decision-making tree model.

Aksorn, Preenithi ; Charoenngam, Chotchai

2015 Facilities

doi: 10.1108/F-01-2013-0005

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the critical factors highly influencing sustainability of local infrastructure projects in the Thai community. Design/methodology/approach – Both qualitative and the quantitative analyses were used when needed to follow the right procedure. Together, the panels of experts, selected from the related fields, were always prompt to cooperate with the strategies upon request. At the early stage, thoroughly fresh and in-depth information, theoretical and practical, in local infrastructure sustainability development, was gathered through literature review, a semi-structure interview and a focussed group meeting. For the pilot project, all crucial attributes were assigned to items of a questionnaire by a representative sample, Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre, one of the most important sources in community development in Thailand. Afterward, the improved questionnaires were surveyed for exact data by all target respondents: local infrastructure project managers/representatives plus the working staff. These accumulated data were analysed by SPSS and finally produced the expected outcome. Findings – They are categorised into 25 factors of 6 dimensions: management and administration, information and knowledge, policy and plan, environmental and natural resources, facility and infrastructure and finance and budget. Originality/value – With regard to a valid analysis reference, the study outcome can be applied to be the deciding factor in choosing the proper local development projects or the model measuring the sustainability level of community projects in a real-life context.