Alenka Temeljotov Salaj

Practice vs theory: short-term financials trumps long-term value creation

Purpose The aim of this paper is to present findings from the research project “Oscar – Value for Owners and Users of Buildings” and investigate two research questions: What in early-phase planning of real estate projects and facilities management creates value for owners and users of buildings? Do respondents in private enterprises, public administrations and hybrid organizations have different priorities during early-phase planning of buildings and facilities management concerning which factors creates value for owners and users of buildings? Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a national survey (N = 837) among Norwegian owners and users of buildings where the respondents report their emphasis on economic, social, environmental and physical aspects during early-phase planning of buildings. The data have been analysed through descriptive statistics, ranking of means and one-way ANOVA supplemented with bootstrapping. Findings Many Norwegian owners and users of buildings emphasize short-term financials and seem to overlook recent research concerning what creates long-term value such as life-cycle planning and the buildings’ elasticity, flexibility, generality. Respondents employed by private enterprises seem to have shorter time horizon than respondents employed by hybrid organizations and public administrations. Research limitations/implications Further empirical research in Norway and preferably also in other countries, based on surveys with large random samples of respondents is needed to establish whether it is possible to generalize this study’s findings. Practical implications Increased emphasis during early-phase planning of buildings on aspects creating long-term value can significantly increase the buildings’ value creation for owners and users. This article indicates some attention areas and possible strategies during early-phase planning to improve the long-term value creation for owners and users. Originality/value This is an empirical study (national survey) with particular emphasis on how early-phase planning of buildings can contribute to value creation for users and owners during the buildings’ use phase.

Developing sustainable energy efficient buildings – A transnational knowledge transfer experience between Norway and Kosovo

ABSTRACT The present study investigates the knowledge transfer (KT) processes from Norwegian University of Science and Technology to College ESLG in Kosovo. An inter-organisational knowledge of transfer theoretical framework from the business sector was applied to guide the present study. The data was generated through semi-structured interviews with key university officers, professors, and students in continuous education programmes from College ESLG and documentary evidence analysis from two partner universities. Based on the thematic analysis of the data, the findings demonstrated that the curriculum mapping process, joint lectures between Norwegian and Kosovar professors, joint research, and joint study visits facilitated the KT. While the transfer of knowledge most evidently resulted in institutional capacity development for the Kosovar College unit, the dissemination of knowledge to other units within the college was more challenging due to communication problems between the Real Estate Department and other units within the college.

Land value capture strategies in PPP – what can FM learn from it?

Value capture seeks to generate revenue by extracting a portion of the gains in the value of land and property that result from improvements to transportation networks. The paper aims to present the opportunities for facilities management (FM) on the level of participating more actively in the development of new area to help building a competitive and healthy area with high quality for residence, business and spare time. A framework also includes life period land valuation in the land value capture (LVC) for the assessment and revenue models for public private partnership (PPP) type of investments in the way to identify additional private profit so as to attract landlords to join the project.,Land valuation for expropriation is a useful method, which can be evaluated through the life period of the infrastructure. The value capture strategies are identified and respective policies are evaluated. Periodically, market value assessment of land within the value capture model is designed, by which the private partners could be attracted.,In the paper, LVC shows how the relation to increase value of land can bring competitive areas and as such give new opportunity for FM.,Capturing land value and widening the internalisation of external positive impacts enhances the perspective of project assessment and PPP financing models. This model may be used by public and private sector parties involved in PPP arrangements to improve project evaluation and the base of project finance.

Failing to plan – planning to fail: How early phase planning can improve buildings’ lifetime value creation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to know how do early-phase planning of real estate (RE) and facilities management (FM) create value for owners and users of commercial and public sector buildings. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected in Norway in 2015 through a national online survey (N = 837). The sample gives a good picture of Norwegian owners’ and even users on tactical-level (customer) perspectives on RE and FM. The data have been analysed through descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The hypotheses have been tested through analyses of correlations and ordinary least square (OLS) linear regressions. Findings Exploratory factor analysis made it possible to establish seven composite variables (constructs). Based on these seven constructs, six hypotheses were derived and tested. Obstacles and financials have no significant effect on buildings’ perceived usability. The most important factors during early-phase planning that influence buildings’ perceived usability and lifetime value creation are measures promoting environment and life-cycle costs (LCC), FM, adaptability and image. Research limitations/implications Further empirical and preferably, comparative studies are needed to establish whether the findings can be generalized. The study has shown that a building’s usability and lifetime value creation is largely determined by decisions made during early phase planning. Practical implications Well-founded early-phase planning of RE and FM may actually provide very high return on the investments and significantly improve the buildings’ lifetime value creation for owners and users. Early-phase planning is also of great importance both for buildings’ physical design, as well as for successful FM during the buildings’ use phase, and may prevent irreversible blunders. Originality/value This is a large N empirical study in Norway. The findings indicate what owner and users of buildings should emphasize during early phase planning.

Food for thought - Knowledge workers’ use of space

Knowledge work is usually less tangible than manual work. This study investigates four categories of knowledge workers use of space at a Norwegian institution for research and higher education.The four categories of knowledge workers are advisors and case officers (administrators), and lecturers and researchers (faculty). Most advisors are outcome oriented and highly competent in process driven work, and may work across a number of different fields or organizational units. Case officers on are usually task oriented and highly skilled in one subject. Lecturers are both task and outcome oriented, particularly concerning their professional hobby horses, the number of students passing their exams and student evaluations of their teaching. Most researchers are outcome oriented, particularly concerning development of ideas, funding, research partners, and publications in highly ranked scientific journals. How do these four categories of knowledge workers use space and workstations at this particular workplace?This paper is based on a mixed methods approach. A survey with 947 respondents (850 with cell offices and 97 with workstations in flexible offices/landscapes) during then spring 2016 gave a good overview of the respondents’ use of offices, workstations and common areas at this Norwegian institution for research and higher education. This paper presents a follow-up study of findings in the 2016 survey.This paper investigates the use of two floors in buildings with flexible offices/landscapes and two floors in buildings with cell offices. One floor in the buildings with flexible offices are used by administrators (mostly advisors), the other floor is used by faculty (mostly researchers). In the buildings with cell offices, one floor is used by administrators (mostly case officers but also some advisors), the other floor is used by faculty (mostly lecturers and some researchers).The data collection is firstly based on measurement of the areas in question. Secondly, monitoring of the data traffic (activity) during the week (where and when the data traffic takes place). Thirdly, trough observations, to study what kind of facilities there are at the different areas and when the four categories of employees are present, and what kind of work they do. Finally, semi structured interviews with a sample of individuals in the four categories of employees, and one focus group interview with each of the four categories of employees.

Sustainable Urban Growth in Ageing Regions: Delivering a Value to the Community

Europe is wealthy but unbalanced, and the flows of people, money, information, goods and services are suffering from this situation. There is a crucial question in today’s European economy: “How to balance the European wealth and facilitate the flows to achieve wellbeing for all generations (job opportunities for the young and proper care for seniors)”. The answer is in Smart Silver Economy, by developing a firm understanding of space of flows and space of places as considered by Castells. The idea is to develop the knowledge to embed it in SUGAR ICT toolkit, based on SUGAR technology platform (SUGAR TP), which would facilitate understanding to increase intensity of processes. It is the ambition of SUGAR to establish roadmaps for action at EU, national and international level, bringing together scientific knowledge, art (architecture), technological know-how (GIS, ICT), industry (health care, real estate and facility management, ICT development companies), regulators (banks, insurance, health, municipalities and regional spatial planning authorities), and financial institutions to develop a strategic agenda for leading technologies for smart urban growth in face of an ageing society. The core of this idea is presented in article here.