The world‐wide growth of facilities management (FM) institutions with ambition to become recognised as professional gatekeepers raises issues about the claim of FM to be a…
Abstract
The world‐wide growth of facilities management (FM) institutions with ambition to become recognised as professional gatekeepers raises issues about the claim of FM to be a profession. Does FM practice and conduct merit this designation? Using Nutt’s resource‐based approach to FM with its four “trails to the future”, the tensions that exist on the interface between the “business trail” and the “people trail” provide the context needed to discuss the nature of FM’s professional credentials. This paper examines this context and the factors that influence each side of this professional interface and the implications for the development of a successful FM profession in contemporary society.
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The last 25 years have seen facilities management established as an internationally recognised and valued function. However, the organisational changes that created the original…
Abstract
Purpose
The last 25 years have seen facilities management established as an internationally recognised and valued function. However, the organisational changes that created the original demand for FM services are accelerating and will ensure that it will need to constantly adapt itself to new demands if it is to thrive. This article seeks to examine the nature of these forces and their likely impact on FM futures.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on a number of studies on flexible working carried out at UWE under the auspices of the “facilities innovation programme” with Johnson Controls.
Findings
The paper predicts a shift away from physical facilities as the focus for FM to a much more people‐centred logistics approach to supporting work across organisational networks.
Practical implications
The paper provides much food for thought for practising FMs about the shape of their future and the forces that will drive it.
Originality/value
By scanning across the whole landscape of FM the paper emphasises the complexity and fluidity of FM futures.
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Bob Grimshaw and George Cairns
This paper is a consolidation of the keynote address given to the BIFM Annual Conference and Research Forum held at the University of Warwick in September 1999 in which the…
Abstract
This paper is a consolidation of the keynote address given to the BIFM Annual Conference and Research Forum held at the University of Warwick in September 1999 in which the authors sought to identify the underlying forces influencing FM’s global development. They argue that radical movements in demand side organisational structures are bringing about fundamental change in the relationship between businesses and their supporting infrastructure and that, if FM is to generate an ability to enhance business performance via the effective application of infrastructure resources, then it will have to be able to respond positively to this new landscape. This will involve re‐evaluation of the structure that supports FM development, including the system for producing FM knowledge, and implies new models that integrate research and practice.
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As more facilities managers consider themselves to be “professional”, the issue of ethical awareness within the conduct of facilities management practice cannot be avoided. This…
Abstract
As more facilities managers consider themselves to be “professional”, the issue of ethical awareness within the conduct of facilities management practice cannot be avoided. This article seeks to review the issues involved in raising ethical awareness amongst facilities managers. It examines the intimate relationship between professions and ethics, and highlights the main characteristics of ethical codes in related professions. It reviews the arguments for facilities management being a profession and examines the relationship between facilities management and business ethics. It illustrates ethical dilemmas for facilities management in the stakeholder debate and maps out an agenda for raising ethical issues in the profession.
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Keith Alexander and Martin Brown
To introduce and define the concept of community‐based facilities management (CbFM) and to identify and discuss processes and responsibilities in practice, in order to explore…
Abstract
Purpose
To introduce and define the concept of community‐based facilities management (CbFM) and to identify and discuss processes and responsibilities in practice, in order to explore opportunities for the development of a socially inclusive approach to facilities management. The paper raises issues of governance, empowerment and socio‐economic development.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper addresses issues arising from action research in the North West of England and identifies case examples from current practice to illustrate application of the principles. The paper draws upon literature from the fields of facilities management, new economics and sustainability.
Findings
The paper presents the results of an initial exploration, draws tentative conclusions and offers a framework for evaluating the performance of organisations.
Originality/value
Introduces novel concepts, an evaluation framework and tools for the assessment of FM processes for sustainability.
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Over the last century or two, mankind has had and is continuing to have a greater effect on the planet than ever before in history, or even in the history of life. If that seems…
Abstract
Over the last century or two, mankind has had and is continuing to have a greater effect on the planet than ever before in history, or even in the history of life. If that seems to be too sweeping a statement, one need only look at the catastrophic loss of the tropical rain forests, which is rapidly bringing to an end the long evolution of the richest part of the biosphere and the source of most of the diversity of life. Now that this feat is being accomplished with herbicides, man's destructive power has won over the resilience of the environment. While this destructive use of a new chemical is intended, the widespread dispersal of poisons and pollutants may have serious effects other than the desired ones. This paper tries to put together some thoughts about toxic substances in the environment, in the hope that this will contribute towards some appreciation of the problems and towards policies on acceptable levels of pollution.
Abdul Rahman Jumat, Vaughan Coffey and Martin Skitmore
The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality of service of a South East Asian country's military facilities management organisation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality of service of a South East Asian country's military facilities management organisation.
Design/methodology/approach
An interview survey and questionnaire survey were used to obtain a description and summary of stakeholders’ expectations and the extent to which they were being satisfied by the services provided.
Findings
The method provides a useful means of identifying and prioritising varying expectations between stakeholder groups and of indicating any mismatch in expectations in the management of military facilities.
Social implications
The development and use of a method to test and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of military facilities helps in providing better value for money.
Originality/value
In addition to re‐affirming Parasuraman's overall dimensions of service expectation, the empirical summary of the stakeholders’ expectations obtained in this way is of practical value for the service provider in developing a strategy for expectation management. For the case studied, it is also apparent that although the current processes in service delivery are well understood by all involved stakeholders, there is a need for further improvement with regards to their expectation levels. It is also one of the very few reported studies on the management of military facilities.
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The purpose of this paper is to address the structure of the category on client-provider outsourcing relationship in relation to facilities management (FM). The paper aims to rank…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the structure of the category on client-provider outsourcing relationship in relation to facilities management (FM). The paper aims to rank different outsourcing relationship types according to importance with respect to the four critical FM drivers including co-ordination, quality, competence and adequacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey design and measures operationalising the constructs allow the use of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a technique that tests FM outsourcing in a contingent approach such as a decision processing model. In the questionnaire surveys, a series of structured questions is designed. FM experts used the AHP methodology to analyse the FM outsourcing relationship types.
Findings
The model of the FM outsourcing strategies presented in the paper shows four main FM drivers at FM practice through the priority ratios of outsourcing relationship dimensions for different FM outsourcing contracts as derived by the AHP discussed by clients’ and service providers’ points of views. The result of a survey from the Hong Kong’s higher education industry reveals that the FM service providers can understand the needs of the clients in FM outsourcing contracts, including building maintenance, cleaning and catering. Hence, the service providers’ expected outsourcing performance will be good in these contracts. However, FM service providers do not understand the needs of FM clients in the FM outsourcing security contracts. Thus, the service providers’ expected outsourcing performance in such contracts will be poor. To improve the outsourcing relationships between the FM stakeholders, service providers must understand their clients’ needs to develop appropriate outsourcing strategies.
Originality/value
Understanding on the demand and supply of FM outsourcing services is now crucial for effective FM on outsourcing relationships between clients and service providers in higher education sector. The examination of current and prediction of future outsourcing relationships between the stakeholders to match the FM services significantly influence FM outsourcing success. This paper provides an intriguing insight into how the demand and supply of FM services can be successfully and strategically implemented into the FM outsourcing relationship in Hong Kong’s universities and tertiary institutions.
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FM's failure management to capture its cherished place in the business support pantheon has been subject of much recent comment. This paper presents an overview of how that…
Abstract
FM's failure management to capture its cherished place in the business support pantheon has been subject of much recent comment. This paper presents an overview of how that contribution might be expressed drawing on research‐based evidence from offices, universities, hospitals and retail facilities. Only in a business that conceives itself as running a facility will FM approach a core competence, that is to carry both strategic and operational risks of failure. Business critical aspects of FM in a given context are those where the operational risk of failure is high yet the service is not a strategic competence of the organisation concerned. Operational risk is conceived along two dimensions: impact on the “customer” and impact on licence to operate: the legal, social and employee respect a business needs. While some correspondence with Nutt's four alternative trails can be seen as applying more strongly in separate fields of the resulting impact matrix there is no conclusive fit. The financial trail is arguably important in any sector but requires providers armed with skills and knowledge relevant to the critical impacts on the sector served and “clients” skilled at managing relationships. Otherwise different alignments are suggested of FM with, respectively, HR/KM, sales and marketing, operations/engineering or strategy in the four quadrants of the model presented. Rather than seeking one coherent future the argument is therefore, offered that business critical FM concerns itself more with different competencies in different sectors.
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A.M. Firdauz, M. Sapri and I.S. Mohammad
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…
Abstract
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.