Facilities Management Research Research Articles

Facilities management competencies in developing and developed regions: comparative study on Sri Lanka and Hong Kong

Purpose Facilities management (FM), which is crucial for the operation and sustainability of buildings and infrastructure across the world, covers a wide range of competencies that may vary across regions. Focusing on Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, this study aims to reveal and compare the importance and current competency levels of FM competencies in these regions, based on which appropriate education and training can be formulated to enhance the growth of their FM sectors. Design/methodology/approach After an extensive literature review, 12 FM competency attributes (CAs) were identified. A questionnaire survey in Sri Lanka and Hong Kong solicited the industry practitioners’ perceived importance and current levels of the CAs. The survey responses, 126 from Sri Lanka and 148 from Hong Kong, were analysed by a modified Importance-Competency Analysis matrix, followed using the Mann−Whitney U test to identify any differences in the responses between the two regions. Findings Between Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, significant differences were found to exist in the importance and current competency levels of over half of the CAs. Among the CAs requiring priority attention, “operation and maintenance” and “leadership” are the top two in Sri Lanka while the top two in Hong Kong are “technology” and “leadership”. Originality/value This study yielded insightful results on the importance of FM competencies and the current competency levels in a developing region and a developed region, which are useful for the development of FM education and research.

Sustainable Facilities Management in the Built Environment: A Mixed-Method Review

The significance of facilities management practices in the built environment and the changing focus to include sustainability principles have been acknowledged. However, there is no consensus on the sustainability principles needed to ensure maximal benefits in the built environment. Few studies have systematically analysed and visualised the trends in facilities management sustainability research. This study thus explored facilities management research and its evolving focus over the past decade regarding sustainability. With a focus on the built environment, an exploratory study using scientometrics and content analysis was undertaken based on the extant literature from 2012 to 2022 published in the Scopus database. Keywords including “sustainable facilities management” and “built environment” were used to identify journal articles and conference papers. Interlinks were mapped and visualised using VOSviewer and complemented with findings from the content analysis. Findings showed that current research pathways centred around four clusters, including planning and implementation, community-oriented smart facilities management, innovativeness, and environmental and corporate energy management. These core research focus areas were mostly concentrated in the United Kingdom. The core researchers, institutions, funders, and sources were established. Future research gaps and directions based on knowledge areas and methodological and collaborative endeavours were highlighted. The study offers insights to facilities managers, researchers, analysts, and policymakers on the trajectory of sustainable facilities management research and the extent to which the sustainable development agenda has been embraced. The relations between SFM research and opportunities or areas of stronger focus given contemporary occurrences were identified.

Conducting research by mixed methods: an autoethnography account of a PhD research in facilities management from a developing country

PurposeDespite the increasing discourse on mixed methods (MM) in academic literature, less attention has been focused on its methodological development in the built environment in developing countries. This paper aims to examine the basis and challenges of the application of MM for health-care facilities management (FM) research in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts autoethnography as its research method, coupled with a scholarly review of methodological literature to position a technical view on the application of mixed methods for health-care FM research in a developing country.FindingsThis paper contributes and lends support to the methodological strength of MM as epistemologically coherent and useful for understanding the intricacies of health-care FM. This paper advances the proposition that the nascent stage of FM development in Ghana, paucity of literature, epistemological and axiological considerations underscore the choice of a sequential MM. The attitude of research participants, ethical challenges and time-lapse for data analysis were observed as practical challenges.Research limitations/implicationsDiscussion of data integration is excluded.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a nuanced understanding of the concept of MM in health-care FM and set forth practical recommendations worthy to enhance the application of MM research.Originality/valueThis paper is among the few focusing on methodological discussion of health-care FM. This paper proposes a framework to guide researchers in the application of mixed methods.

Implementing organisational change in a digitalising facilities management organisation through stewardship interventions

Purpose While digitalisation requires facilities management (FM) organisations to change at an increasing rate, little is known about the mechanisms that create ownership and enable individuals to implement changes in everyday FM practice. In this study, these mechanisms are explored from a stewardship perspective. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the dynamics of organisational change in FM by analysing how stewardship behaviour leads to change. Design/methodology/approach A process model for implementing organisational change is constructed, based on existing theoretical insights from stewardship and intrapreneurship literature. The model is evaluated in a case study through analysis of critical events. Interviewing was the key data collection method. Findings The process model gives an event-driven explanation of change through psychological ownership. Analysis of multiple critical events suggests that the model explains intra-organisational as well as inter-organisational change. The case data further suggests that, compared with intra-organisational change, tailored relational and motivational support is more important for inter-organisational change because of the higher risks involved. Job crafting emerged as an unanticipated finding that offers interesting prospects for future FM research. Practical implications The process model offers guidance for leaders in FM organisations on providing tailored support to internal and external employees during periods of organisational change. Originality/value Stewardship and intrapreneurship are combined to provide insights on organisational change in FM. The study demonstrates how intrapreneurial behaviour and stewardship behaviour can be linked to create innovation within and between organisations.

Building information modeling to support facilities management of large capital projects: a critical review

PurposeThis paper aims to present a review of research developments relating to the application of building information modeling (BIM) to facilities management (FM). It sheds light on major technical and organizational issues with the view of identifying how existing BIM for FM knowledge applies to large capital projects.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a literature search approach to retrieve relevant articles which were subjected to keyword analysis to enable categorization of extant BIM for FM research into appropriate sub-domains. A qualitative analysis of 94 BIM for FM-related literature was carried out in addition to a review of 9 capital project-related articles, leading to the establishment of research trends, gaps and future directions.FindingsThe review found that research in the BIM-FM integration field is predominantly technology and process-oriented, with less attention paid to people or organizational aspects. Therefore, there is a need for expanding the knowledge base in this direction. Several future research directions were identified to lay the foundations for research on BIM application to FM in large capital projects and other application areas for interested researchers. These future directions were categorized under the identified sub-domains of the field and mapped onto two generic activities, i.e. technical integration and business integration, involved in technology adoption by organizations.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is the categorization of existing research on BIM for FM, leading to the identification of research gaps concerning the initiation and implementation of BIM for FM in large capital projects. As a secondary benefit, this study has validated some sub-domains of the BIM for the FM research field identified in previous review papers using an empirical approach. This validation of defined sub-domains is useful for an emerging research field as it provides a common understanding of trends and specific application areas.

Identification of the Criteria for Building Maintenance Decisions in Facility Management: First Step to Developing a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach

Building maintenance is a fundamental practice in facility management, which supports the longevity of a building. Increasing costs of maintenance practices is a challenge for facility management professionals. Given that, building maintenance decisions often comprise complex and conflicting criteria. The primary purpose of this study is to develop and rank a set of criteria needed for constructing a multi-criteria decision-making model for use in building maintenance processes. This study also has an exploratory aspect and tries to establish the decision-making and condition assessment practices currently used in facility management. To do so, a literature review was conducted to reveal the significant criteria for building maintenance decision-making processes. Moreover, the results of a nationwide survey conducted with the members of two globally recognized facility management organizations were utilized. Identified criteria address a gap in facilities management research, i.e., the lack of comprehensive criteria in building maintenance decision-making, and can be used for the development of a multi-criteria decision-making model for use in building maintenance processes. Furthermore, the results of this study can help establish the current status of decision-making and condition assessment practices in facility management.

Critical review of building handover-related research in construction and facility management journals

PurposeAlthough the handover stage is the key transition stage between the construction and operation, there is no critical overview of issues and research at the handover stage, hindering the achievement of sustainable development of buildings. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the building handover-related issues and research in construction and facility management (FM) journals. The specific objectives of this study include: analyze the research trends and overview the handover-related publications; identify the major research topics on the handover of buildings; identify research gaps and propose future research directions.Design/methodology/approachThis study opted for a four-step systematic review of papers from the well-known academic journals in the construction and FM respects.FindingsThe results first revealed the increasing research interest in the handover of buildings from the researchers. Moreover, the post-construction defects, poor information fidelity, poor interoperability between building information modeling (BIM) and FM technologies, and insufficient consideration of end users were identified as the most concerned challenges for a building handover. Furthermore, identifying and formalizing information requirements for handover, improving the handover process, and improving the interoperability between BIM and FM were solutions mostly emphasized by researchers.Research limitations/implicationsAs the first systematic review of building handover-related issues and research, this study is the building block for future research on this topic. The findings provide guidance for researchers in the construction and FM research community, and help them form useful collaboration for future research opportunities and find future research directions.Practical implicationsThe identified significant challenges and potential solutions for a building handover could assist practitioners in making rational decisions on developing or adopting relevant technologies, and reshaping their management patterns and working processes. Moreover, the findings could be severed as evidence for policymakers to initiate policies, such as documents e-submission and timely updating BIMs, to achieve the vision of model-based project delivery.Originality/valueThis study contributed to the body of knowledge of sustainable development by providing a new insight to tackle the hindrance to the smooth transition from the construction to the operation.

Ideas or reality? Flexible space – flexible people?

ABSTRACTFlexible office concepts offer organisations the ability to adapt quickly to changes, and provide users with possibilities to work flexibly. Ideas about flexible working shape the design concepts employed in office design, and have consequences for users’ everyday work practices. But do ideas of flexible space make users more flexible? And are the concepts and the solutions supporting those ideas? Taking a socio-material perspective, this paper explores how strategies of flexibility in office architecture affect the everyday spatial practices of knowledge workers. The paper draws on data from a case study in a Norwegian public organisation. Our findings suggest that flexible architecture on its own does not produce flexible workers. Rather, flexibility can be co-produced by users and architecture through emergent practices of appropriation and negotiation. Enhancing flexible work for users requires an understanding of what flexibility entails in their particular context, and adjusting strategies to their needs over time. Users should able to actively engage with and adapt architecture to their specific needs, which may require less standardisation in office design. By drawing on insights from architectural theory, facilities management research, and organisation studies, this paper provides new understandings of the effects of flexible office concepts.

Shaping tomorrow’s facilities management

PurposeAgainst the background of earlier publications on the future of facilities management (FM) and acknowledging digitalization and sustainability as two major shaping forces, the purpose of this paper is to place contributions to the special issue in the perspective of current opportunities for FM research.Design/methodology/approachAfter a review of publications since the 1980s, dealing with the future of FM, there is an analysis of how the forces of digitalization and sustainability have emerged over five decades. The articles of this special issue are introduced against this background. Opportunities for future FM research are identified, and the relation between research, education and practice is discussed.FindingsMegatrends outlined in the 1980s still shape how FM develops. Digitalization supports sustainability not only through workplace change and building design but also through performance measurement, certification schemes and an awareness of the wider urban context.Research limitations/implicationsOpportunities for FM research are created by digitalization and concerns with sustainability, combining environmental and social aspects. Relations between organizations studied in an FM context are important. Within organizations, employee issues and risk management are emphasized.Practical implicationsPolicies and schemes for sustainable buildings should be linked to sustainable FM more clearly. The relation between research, education and practice needs to be consolidated as a basis for research and development, as illustrated by a number of studies belonging to this special issue. To reach the goals of sustainable development, we need to develop the knowledge and theoretical frameworks that can be applied to and used by practice. The recent ISO FM definition appears as narrow and should be extended to recognize facilities’ life-cycle issues as well as broader urban and social concerns.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the importance of basing FM research on an understanding of the fundamental forces that shape change.

Digitisation in facilities management: A literature review and future research directions

Abstract Research into digital technology (DT) in construction practices has gained widespread attention. While the application of different DTs in facility management (FM) has been growing, to date, there is no holistic review of the various DT developments and research into FM. A total of 120 academic journal papers, conference proceedings and other technical notes published on the subject, mainly between 2004 and 2017, were reviewed in this paper. The applications of various major DTs, including 1) building information modelling (BIM), 2) reality capture technology (including 3D laser scanning, point cloud), 3) the Internet of Things (IoT) (including radio frequency identification (RFID) and sensor network technologies) and 4) geographic information system (GIS), were reviewed and scrutinised. The review identified a number of possibilities for future research into DT in FM, including, enhancing the interoperability of data, improving the accuracy of point cloud data for developing as-built models for existing facilities, and generating effective BIM/GIS asset database integration. It is hoped that this review and the future directions highlighted in this paper will assist researchers in identifying the areas where further research efforts are most required and in identifying which future directions would be most helpful for digital FM research.

Facility management maturity and research

PurposeA look at the progress of facility management and some expectations for future needs is proposed by a senior facility management practitioner turned professor/researcher. Research from other fields informs methodologies for how more mature fields disseminate knowledge into practice, and integration of concepts to simplify and unify facility management competencies for more recognition worldwide.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review of mature industries provides insight into how dissemination of research findings is utilized and taken up by practice. Review of facility management competencies by the large professional associations is also presented to recommend a path forward for integration in a simplified manner with global potential for impacts.FindingsThe maturity of facility management over the past 35 plus years indicates time for more connection between research findings and their adoption into practice. Methodologies from industries as diverse as healthcare and engineering provide insights to how facility management research dissemination may provide more standardized use in practice. Additional synergy from examination of worldwide competencies indicates that focus is a key issue for more advancement and connectivity of research into practice in the facility management realm.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding what is needed by industry and delivering research findings that are implementable is accomplished in many industries. Facility management can benefit from understanding how this could be done and adopting similar strategies. Focusing on core competencies rather than detailing minute variations of practice would help the industry overall by providing better understanding of the value facility professionals provide to the senior leadership of organizations. The need for best practice sharing worldwide is highlighted, as well.Originality valueA long-term viewpoint from early development of facility management to current integration and standardization is provided in this paper. Having practiced and then taught and researched facility practices, the author provides recommendations for continuing advancement and professionalization of facility management.

Organising in-house cleaning services in public FM

Purpose This paper aims to describe and discuss in-house cleaning services in local authorities to gain a better understanding of current practices. These descriptions are intended to increase researchers’, practitioners’ and educators’ understanding of the studied issue, as there at present does not exist a solid understanding of in-house cleaning services in local authorities. Previous studies provide little detailed information regarding the internal environment of facility management (FM) organisations, in particular with regard to FM organisations’ individual services. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on two descriptive case studies, one from Norway and one from the UK. The case studies are based on semi-structured, face-to-face in-depth interviews and document reviews. Findings The cases demonstrate that in-house cleaning services can be structured and managed in different ways, particularly with respect to the split in services, the management of staff and customer contracts, the span of control, the chain of command, self-managed leadership, cleaners’ hours of duty and the use of outsourcing. Research limitations/implications Although the previous research on particular FM services is limited, this paper’s detailed descriptions may stimulate further development and research within the field. The knowledge brought forward is part of bridging a knowledge gap on cleaning in FM research. This knowledge can contribute to advancements in the way this service is discussed and measured across contexts by encouraging more rigour and specific studies on cleaning. Originality/value This paper constitutes one of the first detailed descriptions of in-house cleaning organisation in local authorities. This is a type of service supply that is common in certain contexts and identified as beneficial to cost-saving in other contexts.

Reducing carbon footprint of facilities using a facility management approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of a life cycle approach in facilities management practices to reduce the carbon footprint of built facilities. A model to holistic life cycle energy and carbon reduction is also proposed. Design/methodology/approach A literature-based discovery approach was applied to collect, analyze and synthesize the results of published case studies from around the globe. The energy use results of 95 published case studies were analyzed to derive conclusions. Findings A comparison of energy-efficient and conventional facilities revealed that decreasing operating energy may increase the embodied energy components. Additionally, the analysis of 95 commercial buildings indicated that nearly 10 per cent of the total US carbon emissions was influenced by facilities management practices. Research limitations/implications The results were derived from case studies that belonged to various locations across the globe and included facilities constructed with a variety of materials. Practical implications The proposed approach to holistic carbon footprint reduction can guide facility management research and practice to make meaningful contributions to the efforts for creating a sustainable built environment. Originality/value This paper quantifies the extent to which a facilities management professional can contribute to the global efforts of reducing carbon emission.

Facilities Management Research in the Nordic Countries: Past Present and Future

Facilities Management Research in the Nordic Countries: Past Present and Future

Sectoral innovation system foresight in practice: Nordic facilities management foresight

A number of studies have explored the interconnection between the foresight literature and the innovation system literature. This paper adds to these studies by investigating how theoretical elements of the innovation system approach can contribute to the design and practice of foresight processes. The paper originates in a foresight project in the Nordic facilities management sector. The goal of the foresight project was to identify the possible futures of the facilities management sector in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) and, based on the findings, to establish a proposal for a common Nordic facilities management research agenda. The paper finds that three elements of the innovation system literature are of particular interest for the practice of foresight: innovation systems and context dependency, learning and user–producer interactions, and the role of knowledge and knowledge production. These elements are embedded into a simple sectoral innovation system model (including actors, knowledge flows, and the strategic environment).

Facilities management research in Finland – state-of-art about current Finnish PhD-projects

Purpose – The goal of this paper is to present a description of ongoing PhD-projects as a part of facilities management (FM) research in Finland. Design/methodology/approach – 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. Findings – 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. Research limitations/implications – The paper describes the situation only in one Finnish university in Finland excluding the research projects, which do not aim to doctoral degrees. Practical implications – 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. Originality/value – 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.

Speech as a way of constructing change in space

PurposeThis article presents a model of employees' rhetorical patterns, which take place during a workplace change.Design/methodology/approachThe method of discourse analysis is used to investigate employees' perceptions of and dispositions to the change. In total, 21 semi‐structured interviews were conducted in two organizations before and after moving to open plan offices.FindingsPeople tend to frame the change in space by either opposing or conforming ways of making sense. Opposing discourses include rhetorical strategies of social community versus own responsibility, believing in a hidden agenda of management, and distancing oneself. Conforming discourses include social community versus individual opinion, including oneself, and trusting the professionals. Additionally it was found that employees tend to be ambiguous with their messages when interviewed during a workplace change process.Social implicationsAcknowledging the results of this paper can help workplace managers to make a difference between naturally occurring change resistance among employees and well justified disagreement with the content of the change. Also, the results help workplace managers to understand the rhetoric and behaviour of employees' during a workplace change.Originality/valueThe methodology of discourse analysis is rarely used in facilities management research and is thus a method to be considered in future studies of FM.

In situ perceptions of a move

PurposeThe study's purpose was to gather scientist end‐user perceptions of their impending phased move to a new facility within a US national laboratory site.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers, a college faculty member and three undergraduate student interns, visited 59 laboratories and asked an open‐ended question. Based on assessments of subjects' responses, the raters independently assigned ratings to subjects.FindingsA total of 57 ratings were given by three undergraduate intern raters for 19 scientist subjects. Raters selected the relatively positive, Pragmatic rating for the majority of subjects. Some inter‐rater reliability was found.Research limitations/implicationsThe relatively small subject sample and case study nature of this work limits the ability to generalize. However, this case study fills a gap in the body of knowledge regarding scientists' perceptions of laboratory moves and contributes to facility management education by documenting the successful involvement of undergraduates in field studies.Practical implicationsThis research provides end‐user evidence necessary for developing or communicating move protocols at this site as well as others. The methodology developed in this study may be adopted at other laboratories and facilities with a large number of knowledge workers.Social implicationsThis facility management research strives to support scientists in their work and therefore contributes to the fulfilment of a national laboratory's mission.Originality/valueThis unique study involves undergraduate interns in a research project at a national laboratory and contributes to the understanding of facility management issues related to laboratory environments and scientist end‐users. Prior to this study, little scientific research regarding laboratory end‐users was found.

In search for the added value of FM: what we know and what we need to learn

PurposeThis article aims to present and compare research perspectives and theoretical reflections from a variety of academic fields on the concept of added value of facilities management.Design/methodology/approachThe starting point is the so‐called FM Value Map, which was presented in a recent article in Facilities by Per Anker Jensen in 2010. The article is a first result of the work in the EuroFM research collaboration group and is based on literature reviews of the most influential journals within the academic fields of facilities management (FM), corporate real estate management and business‐to‐business marketing.FindingsGood relationship management and building on trust is shown to be equally important as delivering the agreed services.Originality/valueUsually the concept of added value is discussed from a monodisciplinary point‐of‐view. The different backgrounds of the authors add value to an increased understanding of the added value of FM by comparing and testing different ways of conceptualising this issue. This is of great importance to FM research and evidence‐based FM as a sound basis for the long‐term recognition of FM.

The significance of cognitive dissonance for the “hard and soft FM” paradigm and quality assessment practices

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a study based around a commercial facilities management (FM) service provider's creation of an internal benchmark of how services for an acute hospital perform in terms of service quality.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents findings of a hard and soft FM application of the widely‐recognised SERVQUAL performance assessment tool; including its use and usefulness in a healthcare FM context. The paper proceeds to a conceptual discussion on emergent issues. It offers a questioning framework which the authors identify requires further study and debate but raises potentially profound issues for FM. Further replication‐related and conceptual development research is underway.FindingsPrincipally, the paper discusses the emergence and significance of the psychological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance within the datasets for the private finance initiative hospital case study. The paper also briefly discusses the scope for using the service consumers' zone of tolerance as a management datum.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of cognitive dissonance, which we believe poses radical and hitherto‐unaddressed questions about the appropriateness of some core aspects of POE, satisfaction measurement used in FM contract management, and the wider FM performance management paradigm. This appears to open a whole new perspective for soft FM and FM service integrators.Originality/valueThe paper challenges the conventions and major assumptions of the FM service quality assessment paradigm. It suggests cross disciplinary implications for the FM research field, and is relevant to suppliers, clients, facilities managers, service consumers, and customers, including procurement manager. Overall, the paper raises a lot of questions about the FM service quality management paradigm(s) and assumption(s).