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This paper aims to investigate the drivers and barriers for green leases and tenancies in sustainable “Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method” (BREEAM) and “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) certified office and office buildings in Norway, the UK and the USA. This study focuses on the differing perspectives between owners and tenants. It is then considered as to how these issues are dealt with during different phases of a buildings life cycle. This research is based on existing literature and semi-structured interviews that studied qualitative and quantitative elements in the context of ownership and tenancy of single and multi-tenanted sustainable office buildings.

Using a mixed-method approach involving semi-structured interviews with both qualitative and quantitative elements along with desk research, this paper evaluates how green leases and tenancies in offices and office buildings that are BREEAM and LEED certified require a reconsideration and re-evaluation of the acquisition, operation and disposal of office buildings by building owners and their tenants. These stakeholder relationships are supported theoretically using a theoretical model that outlines the interrelation between the sustainable building and the relationships of the building owner, the user and the FM service provider.

The data gathered from the interviews justify and partly contradict some of the statements within existing literature, diminishing the importance of cost and the barrier of split incentive but instead illuminate the importance of less tangible considerations such as company policy or a sustainability strategy. The results also note the realisation of a changing market for commercial real estate driven by the sustainable business needs of tenants for the occupation of workspaces.

These findings have the potential to further develop theories and provide an insight into how the relationships between actors from a business, procurement and contractual perspective need to be developed to ensure more proactive development of green leasing of new and existing sustainable office buildings, along with where strategic attention is required during the building design, construction, operational and use phases.

This paper is based on original research through interviews and literature studies supported by an existing theoretical model. The results have been partly presented and initially discussed at the WBC World Congress 2016 in Tampere, Finland.

The purpose of this paper is to explore what an academic discipline is and to apply and discuss this definition using facilities management as an example. The paper addresses an academic world that is facing the challenge of developing research and education in response to emerging disciplines and dealing with changes in the higher education system. Institutions are also confronted with the aim of the European Commission to “enhance the performance and international attractiveness of Europe's higher education”.

A structured framework with six criteria outlining an academic discipline was applied to describe the state of the art of facilities management on the basis of systematical literature research. A survey was conducted with 215 contributions from the European Facility Management Network (EuroFM) and additionally 41 Master theses and 25 scientific papers were studied to gain up-to-date insights.

This paper provides a methodical approach on how to analyse and describe emerging disciplines. In addition, an overview of the state of the art in facilities management is shown.

The methodological approach for the analysis of academic disciplines was tested using the example of FM. Before transferring the same methodology to other disciplines, researchers are advised to test and further develop the methodology for other disciplines.

This paper includes implications for the development and discussion of emerging disciplines in the academic world.

This paper contributes to a better understanding of academic disciplines and how they emerge.

This paper aims to apply frame analysis to explore the mental models by which building managers interpret the impact of building occupants on energy use and rationalize their approach to occupant engagement.

Findings from four energy-efficient buildings (two schools and two office buildings) in Norway are presented. The methodology includes individual semi-structured interviews with both operational and strategic facilities managers

Concepts and theoretical perspectives with the potential to shape the building managers’ perceptions include technical knowledge and expertise, management responsibilities, familiarity with occupant routines and understanding of energy-efficient technologies. No significant impact was attributed to the actions of occupants in the areas of comfort, core function and behavior. Significant impact was attributed to their movement and presence. Perceptions of impact were found to influence, yet not determine, the building managers’ choices of practice.

Factors with the potential to affect the adoption of occupant engagement initiatives were highlighted. This study pointed to the role that automation and centralization can play in influencing facilities managers to rescind from their management responsibilities.

To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study to use framings in thoughts to investigate the process by which facilities managers rationalize occupant engagement, in relation to their perception of occupant impact on energy use.

In recent years, steadily rising and ever‐changing energy prices have required the development of sustainable strategies to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. Measures to improve the energy efficiency of detached houses have already been implemented. This new procedure addresses the energy efficient modernization to entire building stocks of public authorities and therefore targets to meet a key niche issue.

As result of literature research the demand for a strategic approach for energy efficient improvement was pointed out. The model framework refers to four main requirements for a new procedure within a comprehensive view of facilities management (FM), lifecycle orientation, efficient working processes, setting of objectives and monitoring of results. In addition the literature research recorded five main methods and tools which were utilized for the model development.

The new constructed facility‐energy‐efficiency model (FEE‐model) supports the decision process. The starting point is the selection of the buildings with the highest energy saving potential. The next step is a deeper analysis of the as‐is‐state in comparison with a defined target state. After that improvement areas were identified and finally a recommendation for the implementation is given. The model was tested within practical cases of which a municipal kindergarten is documented as example in this article.

The paper provides useful information on energy efficient improvement of entire building stocks.

The goal of this paper is to present a description of ongoing PhD-projects as a part of facilities management (FM) research in Finland.

The empirical evidence is collected from PhD-research projects, the facilities management research sector in Finland. The aim is to identify and analyze: drivers for the research; dominant research themes; theories; research methods.

The Finnish research in facilities management began already in the beginning of 1990s at Helsinki University of Technology (nowadays Aalto-University). The research followed the embryonic phase of development of facilities management as a profession. At first the research was focusing on the facility services, e.g. problems related to outsourcing, contracting-out,co-operations. Nowadays, the research focus is wider and more scattered as a topic and methods wise.

The paper describes the situation only in one Finnish university in Finland excluding the research projects, which do not aim to doctoral degrees.

The focus is on research, but the reflections to the development of the industry as well as to the affordance in the education can be made. The results offer material for the future research agenda and also for collaborative and comparative research initiatives.

This paper provides important input to the European FM research by describing the current PhD research initiatives in Finland. The overview is useful in the discussion of topics for FM research, relevance and implications for practice, and the development of FM as an academic field.

The purpose of this paper is to identify trends and challenges in relation to the FM profession in the Nordic countries of Europe and to identify inputs to a common Nordic research agenda.

The study is based on theory from innovation systems and strategic foresight. First, a review of literature was carried out and an innovation systems model of the FM sector was developed. Second, four national workshops were held involving FM practitioners and researchers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Third, the results of the workshops were presented and discussed at a Nordic FM conference in August 2011. Finally, an adapted Delphi survey was carried out as a final data collection and validation of the findings. This article has the main focus on the results of the Delphi survey.

The results of the study show that the main issues vary considerably between the four countries, both with regards to megatrends in the strategic environments, the current trends and challenges and the future needs for new competences and knowledge. Despite the large national differences the study is able to identify joint interest across the four countries. Based on the study a common Nordic research agenda is proposed with two headlines: Valuation and professionalization of FM, and Resources and sustainability.

The study provides directions for future research with particular focus on the Nordic countries in Europe.

The study identifies trends and challenges as well as need for new knowledge and competences for FM practice in each of the four Nordic countries.

This is the first comprehensive foresight study aimed at developing a research agenda for FM across the Nordic countries.

The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into facility management in Portugal as well as in Europe and what a facility management study programme must entail in Portugal in order to implement this.

The paper describes the mixed-methods approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used based on extensive literature research of the subject. Semi-structured interviews were held with ten professionals from the FM field. The quantitative method was in the shape of a questionnaire sent to 40 professionals in Europe.

The results show that Portugal is not on the same level as the rest of Europe when it comes to FM. Also, FM is rather of a technical nature and lacks service orientation and managerial elements. Moreover, Portugal should first focus on creating awareness about the field of FM and provide FM study programmes accordingly. Research shows that this could be a lengthy process.

Currently there is no facility management study programme offered in Portugal. However, by gaining insight into this field and how facility management is of great added value to the market, a step closer to implementing a study programme is taken.

This paper aims to review FM research in Switzerland with a focus on recent research projects at the Institute of Facility Management of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

The paper provides a summary and review of research projects.

FM research in Switzerland has grown in the past few years and is now well rooted in the Swiss FM industry. The focus is on service management, workplace management and FM in health care. FM research in Switzerland has been driven collaboratively by the Institute of FM and the industry.

Research at the IFM is very much oriented towards application and many collaborative projects between industry, public administration and universities have been conducted. However, some fields of FM have received little attention yet.

FM research in Switzerland has been driven collaboratively by the Institute of FM and the industry. The focus is on application, e.g. management tools, benchmarking systems or the relationship of FM services, organisational outcomes, and customer satisfaction. Many research results contribute to the development of Swiss FM industry.

In this article the authors summarize FM research in Switzerland and their research approach. With this they contribute to transparency and further development of FM research.

The purpose of this article is to review the use of linguistic methods such as narrative and discourse analysis in workplace management research.

Ten journals are reviewed in a time period of six years between years 2004-2010. The journals are categorized into three linguistic methodological journals and seven journals on built environment. Additionally articles were gathered with search words of workplace management, discourse and narrative analysis. Out of the total 2,245 articles, 40 articles were considered to be relevant for this research.

The linguistic methods of narrative and discourse analysis are not recognized in the workplace management research in a comprehensive way by combining the research on built environment to the research on organization and culture. In the workplace management research methods of narrative and discourse analysis were applied to the processes of built environment. Additionally methods were applied to the research of space and place as means of communication and means of identity construction.

Linguistic approach would reveal underlying messages behind evident structures of workplace and give new insights on understanding and developing workplaces both in design and in use.

The linguistic methods of narrative and discourse analysis are rarely used in workplace management research and should be considered as a new resource in the research of WPM.