Anna-Liisa Lindholm

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

Purpose – This 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/approach – The 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.Findings – Good relationship management and building on trust is shown to be equally important as delivering the agreed services.Originality/value – Usually 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 con...

A test of corporate real estate strategies and operating decisions in support of core business strategies

If firms want corporate real estate resources to add value to the firm, they must align corporate real estate strategies and decisions with core business strategies. This research uses data from a survey of corporate real estate managers to test a theoretical model of how a strategic approach to corporate real estate management adds value to the firm. The relative importance of alternative strategies among firms of difference sizes operating in different industries during an economic recession is also examined. Correlation analysis indicates good fit; that is, most firms are following a consistent set of real estate strategies to support either Revenue Growth or Profitability Growth, which lends support to the theoretical model. In addition, most firms are making office space decisions consistent with a strategic corporate real estate management approach rather than resorting to ad hoc real estate decisions during the recession. A majority of the firms are pursuing profitability through cost reduction, productivity and flexibility, rather than revenue generation, focusing on survival during the economic downturn. Kruskal–Wallis H tests of significant differences among the rankings of the strategies and follow-up Mann–Whitney U tests indicate that larger firms are more likely to be reducing costs during the recession.

Work environment preferences does age make a difference

Purpose – The paper aims to identify the differences and similarities in work environment preferences of office users of different age.Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses results of a preference survey answered by more than 1,100 office employees in Finland. The survey included questions concerning user preferences in terms of location, buildings, workspaces, and services. The analysis starts with a principal component analysis (PCA). The respondents are divided into five clusters based on their year of birth, and their responses are compared based on regression analysis. The identified differences are confirmed by discriminant analysis.Findings – The study shows that there are differences in the work environment preferences of users of different age. Significant differences were found concerning personal services, commuting, collaboration, restaurant services, and adjustability of indoor climate. The study also identifies areas in which preferences between younger and older employees did not...