Real Executives Research Articles

Construction delivery systems in the United States

Companies faced with the challenge of undertaking large or small‐scale development projects in the United States, be it in connection with the relocation of their headquarters or the upgrading and renovation of their existing facilities, may lack a true understanding of the many project delivery alternatives available, as well as the pros and cons associated with the various delivery methods from the perspective of quality, cost and schedule controls, risk management, legal liability and other similar criteria. This paper is written in the hope of enabling corporate real estate executives to make an informed decision.

Annual CREMRU‐JCI survey of corporate estate management practices in Europe and North America: 1993‐1997

This paper summarizes the results of the 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 surveys of chief real estate officers (CREO) from major organizations in Europe and North America. Since 1997 the annual survey is being undertaken jointly by the Corporate Real Estate Management Research Unit (CREMRU) and Johnson Controls Incorporate (JCI). The annual survey has been supported by the International Development Research Council (IDRC) and the International Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE International), two leading professional associations concerned with this field of professional activity. The emphasis of this summary is on two aspects of the survey: the incidence of corporate real estate management (CREM) policies, functions and activities; and the assessment of knowledge or skills relevant to the CREM function in the future. Both are of paramount interest to the educational institutions concerned with CREM on both sides of the Atlantic. This includes the educational organs of international organizations concerned with corporate real estate, such as IDRC and NACORE, which play increasingly important roles in the education of their members. The CREMRUJCI annual survey will hopefully offer a useful tool in the international educational effort in this field.

Corporate real estate management practices in Europe and North America: 1993‐1996

Summarizes the results of the 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996 surveys of chief real estate officers (CREOs) from major organizations in Europe and North America. The annual survey has been supported by the International Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE International) and the Industrial Development Research Council (IDRC), two leading professional associations concerned with this field of professional activity. The emphasis of this summary is on two aspects of the survey: the incidence of corporate real estate management (CREM) policies, functions, and activities; and the assessment of knowledge or skills relevant to the CREM function in the future. Both are of paramount interest to the educational institutions concerned with CREM on both sides of the Atlantic. This includes the educational organs of international organizations concerned with corporate real estate, such as NACORE and IDRC, which play increasingly important roles in the education of their members. The CREMRU annual survey will hopefully offer a useful tool in the international educational effort in this field.

Utilization and Application of Business Computing Systems in Corporate Real Estate

This study reports on the utilization of business computing systems by corporate real estate executives. A survey was undertaken to examine four issues: types of property data collected, MIS report generation, hardware/software usage, and decision models and experts employed. NACORE members were surveyed and reported extensive usage of well-known business computing systems (e.g., transaction processing and management information systems), while newer systems (e.g., decision support and expert systems) are just beginning to be introduced into corporate real estate. Empirical analysis revealed differences among industries in the types of reports and property financial data that are maintained.

The Values of an Adequate Civil Service System

THE title assigned for this paper had not contained the word adequate, it would have been a far more difficult subject to discuss. An adequate means to me a merit system in the true sense of the word, i.e., merit as reflected in the employee's all-around performance on the job, his efficiency, his character, his conduct, and his seniority. There are very few real merit systems in public personnel administration. Most of them are merely civil service systems. You do not have an adequate service: (1) if you are compelled to give preference in appointment to a war veteran, irrespective of his relative ability or standing on the eligible list; (2) if you must work under an inflexible seniority system as the sole determining factor for various administrative actions; (3) if you must fill the higher jobs with men who are deficient in the requisite qualities of leadership and executive ability; or (4) if the law deprives you of reasonable discretion in maintaining discipline or in effecting separations of employees whose services are distinctly below average. The operating head must retain sufficient power to manage his department with the same authority as any competent and capable private executive, free from pressure, influence, discrimination, nepotism, or personal likes or dislikes. Such an ideal executive may be hard to find, but there are real executives who welcome reasonable restrictions on their own discretionary powers in order to save them from themselves. For such an executive, a merit system has much to offer, in that he can have: (1) freedom from political influence and pressure in dealing with his employees; (2) more time for constructive work in better administration, rather than dissipating his energies in dispensing political jobs; and (3) a better opportunity to maintain