In the near future work will no longer be a place, but a range of activities that can be conducted virtually anywhere and at any time. This paper gives a comprehensive view of the…
Abstract
In the near future work will no longer be a place, but a range of activities that can be conducted virtually anywhere and at any time. This paper gives a comprehensive view of the critical management issues that need to be considered when providing a responsive and effective human support service to underpin a wide variety of transient work patterns, undertaken at different venues and at dispersed locations. In the future, facilities management may need to move nearer to the core of an organisation’s business in order to support the “free‐style” deployment of its human resources to working practices that are increasingly space and time flexible.
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The world of business is changing as never before. Faced with unrelenting pressures to achieve and maintain a competitive position, businesses are developing new work processes…
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The world of business is changing as never before. Faced with unrelenting pressures to achieve and maintain a competitive position, businesses are developing new work processes and channels to market, which render obsolete previously accepted practices for the deployment of workspace. Consequently, managers of workspace have to make a paradigm shift from their traditional transactional and reactive focus to one which is strategic and proactive. At its heart is an accommodation planning process that links effectively the strategic and tactical components, and in so doing ensures the close alignment of provision to the ongoing needs of business through time. Additionally, the performance of the work environment is subjected to rigorous evaluation, where the principal assessment criterion is the extent to which the work environment not only supports, but adds value to, business processes through enabling people to work anytime, any place and anywhere.
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In 1991, a group of eight companies, four from the UK and fourScandinavian, formed a working agreement to explore the workplace needsof user organizations and find integrated…
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In 1991, a group of eight companies, four from the UK and four Scandinavian, formed a working agreement to explore the workplace needs of user organizations and find integrated commonsense solutions to meet these evolving needs. So the Learning Building Group (LBG) was formed. Towards the end of 1991 the LBG commissioned research with the following objectives: to establish new workplace development processes and solutions which meet current and changing business needs; and to establish the feasibility, costs and benefits of processes and solutions. This review identified that new concepts were required for the procurement and production of buildings, as well as for the buildings′ design. Discusses some of the proposals which emanated from “The Workplace Design Priorities” study led by Wes McGregor, of Cochrane McGregor. This study was one of three parallel studies commissioned by the LBG – the others being “Technical Priorities” and “Cost Benefits” – the conclusions of which lead to the realization that there is a future, and it is called the learning building.
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In 1991, a group of eight companies, four from the UK and fourScandinavian, formed a working agreement to explore the workplace needsof user organizations and find integrated…
Abstract
In 1991, a group of eight companies, four from the UK and four Scandinavian, formed a working agreement to explore the workplace needs of user organizations and find integrated commonsense solutions to meet these evolving needs. So the Learning Building Group (LBG) was formed. Towards the end of 1991, the LBG commissioned consultants Cochrane McGregor to undertake research with the objectives of establishing new workplace development processes and solutions which meet current and changing business needs; and establishing the feasibility, costs and benefits of processes and solutions. Discusses some of the social and commercial dynamics which the study, led by Wes McGregor, concluded. Calls for an integrated approach to the workplace and its design, production, procurement and operation.
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Sonny Nwankwo, Nana Owusu‐Frimpong and Frances Ekwulugo
Market orientation is widely held as a credo for organisational success. Essentially, this means that organisations that are market oriented tend to perform better than those that…
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Market orientation is widely held as a credo for organisational success. Essentially, this means that organisations that are market oriented tend to perform better than those that are not. As a result of this logic (i.e. market orientation‐performance link), scholars from a wide array of disciplines are showing an increasing interest in fleshing out the factors that determine organisational market orientation stances. Based on a sample drawn from the UK's facilities management industry, this paper examines the impact of organisational climate factors on market orientation stances of facilities management firms. The results reveal that organisational climate has a determinant influence on market orientation stances.
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Investigates the subject of intelligent buildings which have specificcapabilities in the context of the occupiers′/investors′ current andfuture business. Proposes that the design…
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Investigates the subject of intelligent buildings which have specific capabilities in the context of the occupiers′/investors′ current and future business. Proposes that the design of the building should reduce life‐cycle costs by recognizing the needs of its occupants. Concludes that organizations should recognize the need to change from traditional approaches in this respect, in order to benefit from their workplace design.
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At the present time when all kinds of adulterants are being employed by many bakers in the manufacture of bread, and the food rations, and bread rations in particular, are…
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At the present time when all kinds of adulterants are being employed by many bakers in the manufacture of bread, and the food rations, and bread rations in particular, are considerably reduced, it is of the utmost importance that the public should take what steps they can to obtain a bread which contains a relatively high percentage of assimilable proteins. Many of the “ war breads ” which have been manufactured of late cannot be characterised as satisfactory and desirable products especially in view of the cases of acute indigestion which have been directly attributed to the use of such bread. One of the “ Die Hard ” fallacies, which continues to be promulgated by some members of the Scientific and Medical professions with obstinate regularity, is that the protein content of a food is an absolute indication as to its nutritive value. Nothing could be much more misleading or erroneous. It is quite possible for a food to contain a high percentage of substances described as proteins and yet to possess very little or no nutritive value for the average person inasmuch as many of the substances described as proteins may be entirely indigestible or nearly so. The nutritive value of any food to any given person is largely dependent upon the idiosyncrasies of the person, the amount of available protein present in the food, and certain other factors.
The shortage of grain, reflected by an increase in the rate of extraction in milling and then by the rationing of bread, has fully aroused the attention which it warrants…
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The shortage of grain, reflected by an increase in the rate of extraction in milling and then by the rationing of bread, has fully aroused the attention which it warrants. Avoidance of wastage, always important, now becomes imperative. In view of this, notes in connection with the occurrence of “rope” in bread which were recently made available to members of the baking industry by the Ministry of Food may be even more important than the warnings issued in previous years. The disease is associated with warm weather and develops most rapidly at about 100°F. The first of the symptoms is usually the development in the bread of a faint fruity odour, resembling that of an over‐ripe pineapple, which becomes more intense as the bread gets older. Discolouration and softening of the crumb next occurs, so that on attempting to cut the bread it tends to stick to the knife. When the crumb is pulled apart, fine gelatinous threads may be formed. Although an outbreak of “rope” is unpleasant, there is fortunately little or no evidence that such an occurrence is dangerous to health. The disease can of course occur in cakes and similar bakery products, but outbreaks are practically always confined to bread. The comparative immunity of cakes is probably due to a generally lower moisture content, which does not encourage development of the disease. Another possibility is that fruit, where present, may cause the development of a certain amount of acid, and acid conditions discourage the activity of the organism responsible for the trouble. “Rope” in bread is caused by the spore‐forming bacterium B. mesentericus. It has been suggested the disease is due to the decomposition of the starch by amylase, in which the organism is rich. There are several strains of this bacterium, which is of widespread occurrence—it is found, for example, in the soil. All kinds of flour, whether of high or of low extraction, and including those derived from cereals other than wheat, are possible carriers of the disease. However, carefully‐conducted experiments have shown that the “rope” spore content of the flour, unless particularly high, is of minor significance when outbreaks of “rope” occur. Far more important are the conditions under which the bread is made and under which it is treated after baking. It has been found that “rope” formation is more likely to develop in the dense crumb associated with under‐fermentation than in loaves in which the crumb is well‐developed. Use of sufficient yeast to cause the fermentation to be vigorous has also been found to be beneficial. The initial development of the organism appears to be at the expense of the soluble nitrogen compounds, sugars, etc., present in the bread. When these materials are exhausted, attack upon the protein of the loaf proceeds. A possibility is that prolonged fermentation causes a partial transformation of the gluten into nitrogenous substances which are more easily assimilated by the bacteria, whereas in a short, vigorous fermentation the formation of such substances may not occur to the same extent. Occurrences of the disease may be expected to be more severe with high extraction flours or whole‐meals, since higher extraction gives a medium which is better suited for the growth of the “rope”‐causing organism. All the members of the mesentericus group are characterised by the formation of spores which are extremely difficult to destroy by heating. For example, the spores can resist the temperature of boiling water for hours on end. Since the interior of a loaf probably does not exceed this temperature whilst in the oven, many of the spores will escape destruction. The spores will thus pass through the operation of baking and, if conditions are favourable, the development of the disease will start at or near the middle of the loaf. Since the damp, soggy crumb associated with an under‐baked loaf is conducive to the development of “rope,” thorough baking is a definite advantage. Owing to the fact that the “rope” organism requires warmth for its growth, rapid and thorough cooling of the bread in well‐ventilated cooling rooms is an important preventative factor. Spacing upon the racks should be such that the loaves do not touch, and the latter should not be packed whilst warm into delivery vans. Cleanliness is also of vital importance. Odd scraps of bread, dried dough, etc., may contain the spores of the organism and contact of the loaves with such material will lead to contamination which may bring to nought the preventative efforts made in other directions. Since the “rope” organism does not like acidity, addition to the bread dough of acidic substances is a useful deterrent. Acetic acid and acid calcium phosphate are particularly useful in this connection, since the requisite concentrations of these substances do not cause deterioration in bread quality. Bakeries with sackages below 100 per week may obtain without permit acetic acid solution of strength suitable for immediate addition. For larger users, the acid is supplied in a more concentrated form against a permit obtainable from the Directorate of Molasses and Industrial Alcohol, and is diluted before adding to the mixing. Though acetic acid or acid calcium phosphate may be used to suppress outbreaks or as preventatives during exceptional conditions, supplies of these agents are insufficient to enable them to be used continually as general preventatives during hot weather. For this purpose, the “acid dough” process of the British Arkady Co. Ltd., which requires no special materials, is recommended by the Ministry of Food. A small batch of “starter” dough is first prepared and is then incorporated into a larger mixing of “acid dough.” Portions of the latter are then added to the main mixing of bread dough, no alteration in the other constituents of the latter being required. Once the “acid dough” has been prepared, daily supplies may be kept up for months. A portion of the dough from the previous day is used as a starter for the new mixing, and from the second day onwards the “acid dough” becomes a fairly‐stabilised producer of acid.
SEPTEMBER is the month when, Summer being irrevocably over, our minds turn to library activities for the winter. At the time of writing the international situation is however so…
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SEPTEMBER is the month when, Summer being irrevocably over, our minds turn to library activities for the winter. At the time of writing the international situation is however so uncertain that few have the power to concentrate on schemes or on any work other than that of the moment. There is an immediate placidity which may be deceptive, and this is superficial even so far as libraries are concerned. In almost every town members of library staffs are pledged to the hilt to various forms of national service—A.R.P. being the main occupation of senior men and Territorial and other military services occupying the younger. We know of librarians who have been ear‐marked as food‐controllers, fuel controllers, zone controllers of communication centres and one, grimly enough, is to be registrar of civilian deaths. Then every town is doing something to preserve its library treasures, we hope. In this connexion the valuable little ninepenny pamphlet issued by the British Museum on libraries and museums in war should be studied. In most libraries the destruction of the stock would not be disastrous in any extreme way. We do not deny that it would be rather costly in labour and time to build it up again. There would, however, be great loss if all the Local Collections were to disappear and if the accession books and catalogues were destroyed.