Mark P. Mobach

The added value of facility management in the educational environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to define the added value of facility management (FM) in general and to develop a typology of facility services based on their added value in the educational environment.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a literature review and first assesses the different aspects of FM added value. The different variables and relations between the use of facility services and their effects on the educational achievement are then conceptualised and studied.Findings – Research shows that FM added value is the customer perceived trade‐off between the effects of the use of facility services on the outcome of their processes, its costs and risks. On this basis, a typology of facility services was constructed around their level of fixity and their influence on the learning outcome.Practical implications – The typology strongly indicates for FM when to engage in the decision‐making process relating to the educational environment in order to contribute to education. Also ...

Do virtual worlds create better real worlds

Over the last years, virtual reality (VR) has been said to offer promise for design visualisation and has started to be included in participatory design methodology. This research provides an overview of the use of VR in architectural design and organizational space design, and explores how this application can be integrated with participatory design. The effects of the proposed integration of participatory design, VR, architecture and organization were studied in two pharmaceutical case studies. It was assessed whether the participants actually changed the design and to what extent this affected staff satisfaction and construction costs. The results show that the design was changed, staff satisfaction improved, and costs were reduced.

Flexibility in use : switching behaviour and satisfaction in activity-based work environments

Purpose Despite their growing popularity among organisations, satisfaction with activity-based work (ABW) environments is found to be below expectations. Research also suggests that workers typically do not switch frequently, or not at all, between different activity settings. Hence, the purpose of this study is to answer two main questions: Is switching behaviour related to satisfaction with ABW environments? Which factors may explain switching behaviour? Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire data provided by users of ABW environments (n = 3,189) were used to carry out ANOVA and logistic regression analyses. Findings Satisfaction ratings of the 4 per cent of the respondents who switched several times a day appeared to be significantly above average. Switching frequency was found to be positively related to heterogeneity of the activity profile, share of communication work and external mobility. Practical implications Our findings suggest that satisfaction with ABW environments might be enhanced by stimulating workers to switch more frequently. However, as strong objections against switching were observed and switching frequently does not seem to be compatible with all work patterns, this will presumably not work for everyone. Many workers are likely to be more satisfied if provided with an assigned (multifunctional) workstation. Originality/value In a large representative sample, clear evidence was found for relationships between behavioural aspects and appreciation of ABW environments that had not been studied previously.

The transformation of pharmacy concepts into building and organization

Abstract Objective of the study: To explore the transformation of soft systems pharmacy concepts, with a special attention for pharmaceutical care, into hard systems properties of building and organization in community-based pharmacy practice in The Netherlands.Method:The applied methods for data-collection were interviews. The interviews were conducted at eight community pharmacies and four architectural firms. The central topics in the questionnaire were the building and the design process. The role of the architect was included in the questions for the pharmacist and the role of the pharmacist was included for the architect. The data were completed with simple observations, relevant documents, designs, photographic material and bills of quantities of best, ordinary and worst case practices. The data were used to address the coherence between pharmacy, building, and organization.Main outcome measure:The main outcome measure was the relevance for the objective of the study. Data-selection was based upon its supposed connection with the transformation of soft into hard systems. The main focus was on documentation, classification, and derivation that would improve the current understanding of the transformation of a pharmacy concept, especially pharmaceutical care, into building and organization. No further data-selection was made. Results:The results show that architectural and organizational designs are actually used in the support of pharmaceutical care. A large variety of soft and hard systems were observed. However, pharmacists seem to agree on the use of the soft systems key words ‘professional’, ‘accessible’, and ‘transparent’, and also on the activities with respect to the provision of information and the cooperation with other disciplines. Although most observed transformations appear sensible, hard evidence provided by the pharmacist is very poor. The full impact of the implemented changes on pharmaceutical care or other concepts remains a mystery. There is a large variety of different hard properties in building and organization, reflecting different (but still related) soft pharmacy concepts. The connections in building and organization are regarded as the resources that make the provision of care possible. Observed were resources to support the provision of written and oral information, the conversation setting, and the cooperation with other professionals. Potentially important developments for pharmaceutical care are the separate consultation room, the multi-disciplinary health centre, and robotization.Conclusion:This study has revealed some of the interdisciplinary relations between pharmaceutical, architectural, and organizational designs in Dutch community pharmacy practices. From this study we can conclude that interventions in building and organization are actually used in the support of pharmacy concepts, specifically of pharmaceutical care. However, the hard evidence of supposed improvements remains poor and mostly absent.

From the laboratory to pharmaceutical care research − Part I

In pharmaceutical care research )PCR) a mass of robust general rules has not yet been found. Consequently, the challenge of PCR is that mainly through induction researchers have to study objects which are learning and which are open to environmental influences and, by doing so, researchers have to contribute to both theory and practice. Therefore the characteristics reductionism, repeatability and refutability originated from natural sciences cannot be applied to PCR on a 1:1 basis. PCR should be imitable, defensible, consistent and relevant in order to enable other researchers to agree or disagree with the conclusions and to stimulate new research.

Pharmaceutical care research: hard or soft?. Part II

In pharmaceutical care research (PCR) quantitative research methodologies are strongly represented. However, in PCR also other qualities should be included in the tool kit of the researcher. For that purpose, it is argued that social science provides rich frameworks applicable for PCR. It offers both quantitative and qualitative methodological frameworks. In the most challenging and powerful field work the two approaches are combined. The case study design is a framework to synthesise quantitative and qualitative research approaches. For the development of PCR the case study design may be an important addition to the tool kit of its researchers.

APOM-project: a first study of pharmacy organization and management

In 1994, a Ph.D.‐study started regarding pharmacy, organization and management (APOM) in the Netherlands. The APOM‐project deals with the structuring and steering of pharmacy organization. This article describes a summary of the theoretical background of the project and the empirical results of a pilot study (n=24). No generalization to the population of pharmacies in the Netherlands was made. Three mixes of objectives in pharmacy organization were theoretically postulated; the product mix, the process mix, and the customer mix. Mainly, the purpose of the pilot study was method selection. Additionally, it was studied if thought and action of pharmacy managers corresponded, and, if theoretical pharmacy mixes corresponded with the empirical pharmacy mixes. Two methods were selected to be applied in a survey. Thought and action did not correspond for most pharmacy managers. Thought related to customer and product mainly, and action related to process and customer mainly.

The work at the pharmacy: Sweden and The Netherlands compared.

At pharmacy Orden in Apeldoorn (the Netherlands) a change in the flow of filling a prescription was made, introducing the ‘counter model’: one person fills the prescription at the counter and is checked by another person. This change was mainly inspired by the actual working situation in Sweden. A comparison was made between pharmacy Orden and pharmacy Ekorren (Sweden) with respect to working systems, communication patterns, time spending and perceptions of the personnel. At pharmacy Orden fewer communication disturbances occurred and less advice was required to fill a prescription than at pharmacy Ekorren. The time to fill a prescription was almost two minutes shorter at pharmacy Orden. The personnel at both pharmacies was satisfied with the physical and psychological workload. The technicians at pharmacy Ekorren felt subordinate to their higher educated prescriptionist colleagues in filling a prescription.At pharmacy Orden in Apeldoorn (the Netherlands) a change in the flow of filling a prescription was made, introducing the ‘counter model’: one person fills the prescription at the counter and is checked by another person. This change was mainly inspired by the actual working situation in Sweden. A comparison was made between pharmacy Orden and pharmacy Ekorren (Sweden) with respect to working systems, communication patterns, time spending and perceptions of the personnel. At pharmacy Orden fewer communication disturbances occurred and less advice was required to fill a prescription than at pharmacy Ekorren. The time to fill a prescription was almost two minutes shorter at pharmacy Orden. The personnel at both pharmacies was satisfied with the physical and psychological workload. The technicians at pharmacy Ekorren felt subordinate to their higher educated prescriptionist colleagues in filling a prescription.

Consumer behaviour in the waiting area

Objective of the study: To determine consumer behaviour in the pharmacy waiting area. Method: The applied methods for data-collection were direct observations. Three Dutch community pharmacies were selected for the study. The topics in the observation list were based on available services at each waiting area (brochures, books, illuminated new trailer, children’s play area, etc.). Per patient each activity was registered, and at each pharmacy the behaviour was studied for 2 weeks. Results: Most patients only waited during the waiting time at the studied pharmacies. Few consumers obtained written information during their wait. Conclusion: The waiting area may have latent possibilities to expand the information function of the pharmacy and combine this with other activities that distract the consumer from the wait. Transdisciplinary research, combining knowledge from pharmacy practice research with consumer research, has been a useful approach to add information on queueing behaviour of consumers.

Counter design influences the privacy of patients in health care

A re-furnishing of counter areas in primary health care was used to assess patient privacy and its influences on the nature of conversations in a controlled experiment. Patients in two community-based pharmacies in the Netherlands were assigned to enclosed counters and a queue at distance, or to counters that exposed patients mutually and a closer queue. Patients assigned to counters with reduced sight were more satisfied with the privacy than patients at visually exposed counters. However, in comparison with visually exposed pharmacy counters, conversations of patients at enclosed counters could still be overheard and did not have different conversations to other patients. Architectural design of health-care institutions has potential to positively influence perceived patient privacy in areas in where multiple patient-staff communications routinely occur and where patient privacy is an important issue, but enclosed counters with a queue at distance do not prevent incidental disclosure of individually identifiable health information.