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Real cost of flex-offices: discourses and realty
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to draw on the field of real estate management to explore the cost of flex-offices as well as the corporate discourse toward it and to identify the possible gap between real estate directors' discourse and the real cost of flex-offices.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper follows the grounded theory approach. Three studies were conducted: 16 semi-structured interviews with real estate actors, categorization of internal corporate documents and a thorough content analysis of the press discourse.
Findings
There is a positive vision as well as a very optimistic outlook on the flex-office on the part of real estate actors and the press. This research shows that reality does not reflect the discourse as 12 hidden costs identified are not currently factored into costs when setting up a flex-office, which can distort the discourse and efficiency. It will be interesting to measure those hidden costs in future research so as to have an objective discourse and a better cost estimate when deploying this kind of workspace.
Originality/value
Contradict the widespread discourse about flex-offices by highlighting the hidden costs that should be taken into consideration to allow managers to make accurate estimates. Although these hidden costs may seem ancillary at first sight, they might have an impact on efficiency.
... Ruiz and others, [55], scholars agree that resource planning is essential in the management of higher education institutions, as it enables the organization and control of resources, as well as the evaluation of costs. Each of these authors adopts a unique perspective when examining different aspects, in the same way, [56], highlight hidden costs linked to social emergencies, highlighting examples such as the decline of human capital in educational institutions, emphasize how hidden costs can transcend educational boundaries and manifest themselves in social dimensions in a significant way. ...
... At the same time, it the important to identify and measure these costs in the educational setting to implement measures that reduce them and, therefore, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of institutions. Likewise, [56], considers that cost reduction in general is a fundamental strategy to improve the finances of educational institutions, proposing techniques such as optimizing the use of resources, reducing supply costs, improving teaching processes, and minimizing financing costs as ways to achieve this. ...
Hidden costs are a relevant issue in the financial planning of institutions. In the context of higher education, this relevance serves to ensure stability, efficiency, and excellence in the development of institutional activities. The study’s objective was to analyze the patterns of publication, collaboration, and evolution of research on hidden costs in higher education. A bibliometric methodology was used, with the search for documents in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. This search resulted in a total of 152 documents published from 2015-2023. The evolution of the production, the most cited authors, the countries with the highest production, the co-occurrence of keywords, and an author network analysis were identified. The results show that the distribution of documents is 44.73% for Scopus and 55.27% for WoS. The scientific production increased from 5 publications in 2015 to 23 in 2023. The United Kingdom is the country with the largest amount of research and Europe stands out as the continent with the largest contribution in this area. The authors with the most publications are Armstrong, N., Kleijnen, J., and Worthy, G. The constant increase in scientific production linked to hidden costs in higher education is evident. Such growth translates into a significant increase in publications and citations, thus reflecting the relevance and interest in the subject.
... Torreros et al. [11] conducted an evaluation of how institutions facilitate the emergence of new demand formats for fixed or seasonal residential units and the ensuing processes through which these units are booked via digital platforms. Additionally, Nappi and Eddial [12] delved into the disparities between the discourses of real estate market drivers regarding flexible office costs and the actual "hidden costs". From our perspective, there is an important research gap to be filled. ...
This paper is based on the recognition of a phenomenon occurring in the real estate market of Belém, Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon. The phenomenon refers to the relative increase in the size of the balconies of residential apartments launched in the city between 2005 and 2017 by construction companies, with the aim of increasing the number of units built per tower. Given that balconies were originally areas of low frequency for the occupants of apartments in this region, the aim of this article was to identify and analyze the institutional factors that support this product development strategy, which is becoming increasingly consolidated among companies. To investigate this phenomenon, we collected data from official documents provided by the Municipal Urban Planning Department (Secretaria Municipal de Urbanismo—SEURB), specifically focusing on the launch of residential high-rise buildings during the specified period. Regression techniques with ordinary least squares methods were applied, as well as econometric models of spatial autocorrelation. The results of the hypothesis tests confirmed the relationship between the restrictive parameters imposed by the city’s Urban Master Plan and the relative increase in apartment balconies. The spatial autocorrelation models confirmed the spatial spillover effect, showing that apartment projects with this characteristic tend to be concentrated in certain areas of the city, influencing each other. In order to discuss this phenomenon, the institutional theory was the protagonist of the analysis, showing how an organizational strategy can adapt to the authority that regulates the occupation of urban land in the city, meeting the two market forces and the demand and supply of apartments.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of teachers’ expectations on their experiences and satisfaction response dregarding the introduction of activity-based workplaces (ABWs) in a Dutch university of applied sciences.
Design/methodology/approach
The first author executed a three-year at-home ethnographic study as senior lecturer at the university in which the research was executed.
Findings
Teachers have will expectations, should expectations and want expectations that relate to the stages before, during and after the introduction of ABWs. Unmet should and will expectations negatively affect want expectations and not only influence teachers’ affective commitment to their work but also generate dissatisfaction and even anger toward the organization, showing the importance of monitoring all three types of expectations.
Research implications
Users evaluate their expectations against their experiences which can lead to the formation of (dis)satisfaction regarding the introduction of ABWs. To explain the satisfaction response, research should consider expectations and experiences.
Practical implications
Discrepancies between users’ expectations and experiences lead to dissatisfaction with ABWs. Involving users and aiming to capture their expectations in the design support professionals predicting satisfaction and preventing the organization from costly re-refurbishments.
Social implications
Exploring users' expectations creates an understanding of users' everyday processes and underlying values which can improve the fit between users and building and reduce costs. Reducing accommodation costs benefits society, as more money can be spent on education.
Originality/value
This paper integrates Lefebvre’s spatial theory and Oliver’s disconfirmation theory to study the influence of expectations on users’ experiences and describes the process before, during and after introducing ABWs.
Organizations’ pursuit of increased workplace collaboration has led managers to transform traditional office spaces into ‘open’, transparency-enhancing architectures with fewer walls, doors and other spatial boundaries, yet there is scant direct empirical research on how human interaction patterns change as a result of these architectural changes. In two intervention-based field studies of corporate headquarters transitioning to more open office spaces, we empirically examined—using digital data from advanced wearable devices and from electronic communication servers—the effect of open office architectures on employees' face-to-face, email and instant messaging (IM) interaction patterns. Contrary to common belief, the volume of face-to-face interaction decreased significantly (approx. 70%) in both cases, with an associated increase in electronic interaction. In short, rather than prompting increasingly vibrant face-to-face collaboration, open architecture appeared to trigger a natural human response to socially withdraw from officemates and interact instead over email and IM. This is the first study to empirically measure both face-to-face and electronic interaction before and after the adoption of open office architecture. The results inform our understanding of the impact on human behaviour of workspaces that trend towards fewer spatial boundaries.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour’.
Numerous claims have been made about the benefits of activity-based working (ABW) on workers’ health and work performance. Yet, it is unclear if these claims are proven. This systematic review aims to establish whether there is an evidence base for the effects of ABW on health, work performance and perceptions of the work environment. Eight databases were searched in September 2016. Three reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed the studies and extracted the data. Seventeen studies involving 36,039 participants were included. The study designs varied in rigorousness from qualitative studies to pre–post-trials and in sample size ranging from 12 to 11,799. This review found that ABW has positive merits in the areas of interaction, communication, control of time and space, and satisfaction with the workspace; however, it is unfavourable for concentration and privacy. For physical and mental health, the evidence is equivocal. ABW seems to be a promising concept that can be implemented and promoted based on some benefits for work performance and perceptions of the work environment when it is coupled with appropriate management support and organization. More high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence base further and establish its health effects.
In a competitive market the manufacturing companies have to produce cost effective products which can be realized by minimized production cost and higher effectiveness. The effective facility planning can significantly reduce the operational costs of companies. An adequate facility layout can result in the improvement of the performance of the production line. The Facility Layout Problem (FLP) is relating to location of objects (departments, workstations, machines, etc.) on a given site and the material flow between these objects. The goal of this study is to show the reasons, objectives and steps of a layout redesign process. The minimization of the workflow realized on the shop floor is an often applied an objective function during the layout redesign. Material flow efficiency is a commonly used term for the determination of the amount of workflow, which is the multiplication of material flow data and distance data. In this study, this mathematical method for workflow calculation is introduced. The described case study shows how the efficiency and reduced manufacturing cost of a real manufacturing system can be improved by re-layout design, while smaller floor space is needed for the production. MSC 2010: 91B32
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore which factors may explain the high or low percentages of satisfied employees in offices with shared activity-based workplaces.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper compares data on employee satisfaction from two cases with remarkably high satisfaction scores and two cases with significantly lower satisfaction scores (total N = 930), all of the same organisation. These cases were selected from a database with employee responses to a standardised questionnaire in 52 flexible work environments. In the four case studies, also group interviews were conducted.
Findings
Overall, there are large differences in employee satisfaction between cases with, at first sight, a similar activity-based office concept. The main differences between the best and worst cases regard employee satisfaction with the interior design, level of openness, subdivision of space, number and diversity of work places and accessibility of the building. Employee satisfaction shows to be influenced by many physical characteristics of the work environment and by the implementation process. Satisfaction with the organisation may have an impact as well.
Research limitations/implications
Almost all cases regard Dutch organisations. Due to the lack of quantitative scales to define the physical characteristics of the work environment, the study is mainly descriptive and explorative and does not include advanced multivariate statistical analyses.
Practical implications
The data revealed clear critical success factors including a supportive spatial layout to facilitate communication and concentration, attractive architectural design, ergonomic furniture, appropriate storage facilities and coping with psychological and physical needs, such as privacy, thermal comfort, daylight and view. Critical process factors are the commitment of managers, a balance between a top-down and a bottom-up approach and clear instructions on how to use activity-based workplaces.
Originality/value
The study connects descriptive research with inductive reasoning to explore why employees may be satisfied or dissatisfied with flex offices. It is based on a combination of quantitative survey data from 52 cases and a closer look at two best cases and two worst cases based on qualitative data from interviews and personal observations. The study has high practical value due to the integral approach that incorporates many items of the physical environment and context factors like the implementation process.
The State of Personnel Selection Research An Expanded Problem Space: Selection to Differentiate the Firm Directions for Future Research Conclusion Acknowledgments References
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore hybrid work spaces, combining open-plan, team-based offices with virtual work and leadership, in relation to the main leadership and team challenges virtual project environments encounter.
Design/methodology/approach
– In a review of virtual team literature, virtuality is defined and its main challenges to project leadership are identified. Based on the literature, several semi-structured interviews with project team managers within telecom and IT-consultancy were conducted. Using an exploratory approach, the authors introduce some new leadership concepts and functional benefits of open-plan offices important for virtual project environments.
Findings
– The findings suggest that project managers encounter several new kinds of challenges while leading virtual projects. Co-location of the project team during certain stages in open-plan, team-based offices may meet some of these challenges. The authors claim that spatial arrangements and their embodied subjective experiences make an impact on the effectiveness of virtual project teams.
Research limitations/implications
– This paper develops new conceptual thinking of how office facilities may contribute to productive virtual project teams. Further empirical studies in other settings are needed to generate generalizable findings.
Practical implications
– The paper discusses and provides arguments for real estate and facility managers, as well as project and team leaders, for the importance of open-plan offices for virtual project teams.
Originality/value
– The paper combines and benefits from different discussions on workspaces, virtual team and leadership. Furthermore, the paper introduces the notion of spatial leadership beyond the mainstream leader-centric approach to point out the importance of physical workspace of virtual teams and how the workspaces can perform leadership functions.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine what organisational and management practices used in connection with open space flexible offices create business value. It seeks to identify what consequences this may have for successful real estate practices.
Design/methodology/approach
– This paper utilises an inductive case study approach. The international telecom company Telenor has implemented open space flexible offices from top to bottom amongst their 35,000 employees. The case description and analysis is based on secondary data, user evaluations and 20 interviews with middle- and top-level managers across levels and functional departments.
Findings
– The case of Telenor reveals that leadership and organizing issues are important, together with work modes and communication technology, for a productive use of work place design. The paper highlights specifically how the open, transparent, flexible office solution creates business value when used with centralised and standardised organisational management systems and a participative, informal leadership culture.
Research limitations/implications
– The study is based on one case, so the findings need to be tested across a representative sample of companies.
Practical implications
– Managers need to take both organisational and management issues into consideration when implementing new office space design. This challenges also the existing real estate strategies to include the organisational and management issues in their planning.
Originality/value
– The originality and value of the paper lies in the analysis and findings of the Telenor case introducing organizational and management perspectives to real estate issues.
We argue that the processes underlying institutionalization have not been investigated
adequately and that discourse analysis provides a coherent framework for such
investigation. Accordingly, we develop a discursive model of institutionalization that
highlights the relationships among texts, discourse, institutions, and action. Based on
this discursive model, we propose a set of conditions under which institutionalization
processes are most likely to occur, and we conclude the article with an exploration of
the model’s implications for other areas of research.
Guidelines for determining nonprobabilistic sample sizes are virtually nonexistent. Purposive samples are the most commonly used form of nonprobabilistic sampling, and their size typically relies on the concept of “saturation,” or the point at which no new information or themes are observed in the data. Although the idea of saturation is helpful at the conceptual level, it provides little practical guidance for estimating sample sizes, prior to data collection, necessary for conducting quality research. Using data from a study involving sixty in-depth interviews with women in two West African countries, the authors systematically document the degree of data saturation and variability over the course of thematic analysis. They operationalize saturation and make evidence-based recommendations regarding nonprobabilistic sample sizes for interviews. Based on the data set, they found that saturation occurred within the first twelve interviews, although basic elements for metathemes were present as early as six interviews. Variability within the data followed similar patterns.
Purpose
– The activity‐based office concept of the modern office is set to increase productivity through the stimulation of interaction and communication while retaining employee satisfaction and reducing the accommodation costs. Although some research has gone into understanding the added value, there is still a need for sound data on the relationship between office design, its intentions and the actual use after implementation. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
– An evaluative study on the effectiveness of activity‐based office concepts was carried out to gain more insight in their use. The study included relevant literature on workplace design, combined with an observation and a survey of 182 end‐users from four different service organizations in The Netherlands.
Findings
– The findings from these case studies underline some known benefits and disadvantages of activity‐based office concepts, and provide insight in the importance of several physical, social and mental aspects of the office environment in employee choice behavior. This study shows that the office concept is not always used as intended what could result in a loss in productivity, illness and dissatisfaction. People's personal preferences seem to have a bigger effect on the use of certain types of workplaces than some workstation facilities, although ergonomics and IT equipment and systems are expected to be satisfactory everywhere. Misusage of the concept is often the consequence of critical design (process) failures.
Originality/value
– The originality of this research lies in the combination of studying the program of requirements, a questionnaire and most of all the observation in a quiet period, providing new information on choice behavior.
In the early 1990s, a few organisations in the Netherlands began to experiment with flexible workplaces. Traditional cellular offices and the open-plan offices or team-oriented bullpen spaces in which everyone had their own fixed workplace were no longer a matter of course. Making use of modern information and communication technology, the pioneers redirected their attention towards the sharing of activity related workplaces in a combi-office. Economic
considerations (eg low occupancy of expensive workplaces), organisational developments (network
organisations, teamwork, fast exchange of knowledge, part-time work) and external developments (globalisation, strong competition) are important drivers for change. The aim is to stimulate new ways of working (dynamic, less closely linked to place and time), to improve labour productivity and to make major cost
savings (fewer workplaces, fewer square metres), without reducing employee satisfaction. Since then a number of new offices have been realised. Twelve per cent of organisations that have moved recently use flexible workspaces for the most part or exclusively. An important question now is whether the aims have been achieved. What are the actual benefits? What are the risks? How should consultants advise their clients? The field is dominated by the
opinions of those in favour and those against. Statements expressing the successes or failures of flexible offices contradict each other. Hard data are almost lacking. Due to the scarcity of empirically supported insights, the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands together with the Centre for People and Buildings and the Centre for Facility Management are carrying out investigations into the costs and benefits of workplace innovation. This paper reports on progress so far, with a focus on employee satisfaction and labour productivity.
Due to the rapid progress in information and communication technology, work is becoming more and more independent of time and place. New concepts such as cocon offices (with special attention to both communication and concentration), teleworking, satellite offices, and hotel offices have been introduced world wide. During the last decade, we have witnessed the introduction of non-territorial offices in which desk sharing and desk rotation are linked to different job functions and working processes. This paper discusses the main motives behind the application of these new concepts, potential costs and benefits and data on accommodation costs. A plea is made for the need to create an integral framework of (potential) costs and benefits, structured according to the principles of the Balanced Score Card.
The last decade has witnessed the introduction of non-territorial offices with desk sharing and desk rotation linked to different job functions and working processes. This paper discusses the motives behind the application of these new concepts, potential costs and benefits and data on accommodation costs. A framework of potential costs and benefits is presented and illustrated by data from cost analyses and post-occupancy evaluations of new offices. The author advocates the creation of an integral framework of (potential) costs and benefits, structured according to the principles of the balanced score card. This may help decision makers to set priorities in objectives and to anticipate on effects of interventions in office accommodation. Empirical data on costs and benefits of innovative workplace design are scarce. The framework according to the balanced score card should be explored further by interviewing experts from different organisations. The integral framework is new. The conceptual framework and data from empirical research may support decision making.
This paper takes the cost control and the management of real estate project as the object in research, and analyzes and studies relevant issues. By analyzing the cost structure of real estate construction, this paper identifies problems in cost control and management of real estate construction at present. Besides, this paper puts forward measures for cost control and management of real estate construction, with the hope of offering useful ideas for this issue.
Conventional and innovative office concepts can be described according to three dimensions: (1) the office location (e.g. telework office versus conventional office); (2) the office lay-out (e.g. open lay-out versus cellular office); and (3) the office use (e.g. fixed versus shared workplaces). This review examined how these three office dimensions affect the office worker's job demands, job resources, short- and long-term reactions. Using search terms related to the office concept (dimensions), a systematic literature search starting from 1972 was conducted in seven databases. Subsequently, based on the quality of the studies and the consistency of the findings, the level of evidence for the observed findings was assessed. Out of 1091 hits 49 relevant studies were identified. Results provide strong evidence that working in open workplaces reduces privacy and job satisfaction. Limited evidence is available that working in open workplaces intensifies cognitive workload and worsens interpersonal relations; close distance between workstations intensifies cognitive workload and reduces privacy; and desk-sharing improves communication. Due to a lack of studies no evidence was obtained for an effect of the three office dimensions on long-term reactions. The results suggest that ergonomists involved in office innovation could play a meaningful role in safeguarding the worker's job demands, job resources and well-being. Attention should be paid, in particular, to effects of workplace openness by providing acoustic and visual protection.
Managing and optimising real estate is a challenge that faces every business. Real estate is the second highest cost for operating businesses, so ensuring that space is being utilised is a top priority for most companies. Condeco studies have identified that workspace can be underutilised by up to 60 per cent, which equates to thousands of pounds in wasted space every day. As impending real estate costs weigh heavily on an organisation's bottom line, it has become more important than ever for executives to measure the value and utilisation of their office spaces. Analysing what types of workspace a business requires is the next challenge. Determining spaces that people actually need is often ignored and drastic corporate real estate decisions are made without adequate analysis, which can be costly and counterproductive. Before any changes are made to the physical space, three key business triggers should be identified: people, place and performance. This paper explains how to gain this information quickly and accurately, and even more crucially, what to do with it.
Purpose
Corporations balancing real estate holding (CRE) costs with recruitment-retention increasingly use activity-based flexible offices (AFO) to right-size environments for a mobile workforce. In this layout, workers have the option to select between a mix of unassigned workstations and alternative work settings (AWS) that support autonomy and mobility. The open layout encourages visibility and access to colleagues to enhance communication and collaboration. Nevertheless, studies into the effects of AFO environment attribute effects on worker needs and work outcome are sparse. Therefore, this study aims to focus on understanding how environmental features and psychological or job needs impact observed and perceived satisfaction, communication, collaboration and perceived productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected in a case organization piloting an AFO before implementation across their CRE portfolio. A mixed-methods approach was used, including systematic observations, space syntax and surveys collecting information on the observed and perceived satisfaction, communication, collaboration and productivity.
Findings
Collaboration instances were higher in AWS, especially more visible and accessible open areas, supporting higher impromptu interactions and enhanced perceptions of productivity of team members and cross-team members. Privacy requirements linked to a greater demand for enclosed AWS. Team communication satisfaction depended on how easily teams were located. Almost half of the user teams clustered within workstation zones corresponding to territoriality needs. Job autonomy satisfaction depended on the availability of preferred workstation or AWS, enabling private, uninterrupted work that enhanced perceived productivity.
Practical implications
The case study findings indicated a correlation between the AFO environment and worker needs impacting workplace satisfaction, communication, collaboration and perceived productivity.
Originality/value
The findings form this case study indicated that a fit between the AFO environment and needs impacted workplace satisfaction, communication, collaboration and perceived productivity.
Developments in information and communication systems, organizational structure, and the nature of work have contributed to the restructuring of work environments. In these new types of work environments, employees do not have assigned workplaces. This arrangement helps organizations to minimize rent costs and increase employee interaction and knowledge exchange through mobility. This post-occupancy evaluation (POE) study focuses on a flexible office in a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building in Istanbul. An integrated qualitative and quantitative POE technique with occupancy tracking via barcode scanning and instant surveying has been introduced. Using this unique approach, we examined the directives/drivers in workplace choice and mobility from different perspectives. The aggregated data was used to discern work-related consequences such as flexibility, workplace choice, work and indoor environment satisfaction, place attachment, and identity. The results show that employees who have a conventional working culture develop a new working style: “fixed-flexible working.”
Practitioner Summary
This paper introduces a new POE approach for flexible offices based on occupancy tracking through barcode scanning to explore workplace choice and mobility. More than half (52.1%) of the participants have tended to choose the same desk every day. However, the satisfaction level of the “mobile” employees was higher than that of the “fixed flexible” employees.
This article presents a commentary on a discursive view of institutions' attempt to remedy the limited analysis of processes of institutionalization, which is noted as a shortcoming repeatedly attributed to institutional theory. The view discussed is that of Professors N. Phillips, T.B. Lawrence, and C. Hardy, as delivered in 2004. They feel that an insufficient amount of attention is being given to the foundational importance of language, and suggest that institutional theory be complemented with insights drawn from discourse analysis. The author points out flaws in the formulation and application of their diagnosis. The author also notes its embrace of realist investigations and its attentiveness to power and politics.
Numerous market research studies are conducted with small samples of data. Many of these data are described as 'qualitative'. Researchers do not always appropriately take into account the size of the sample when drawing inferences about populations from small samples of data. In this paper we present some rules of thumb that may be employed when attempting to draw inferences from small samples, such as those typically used in qualitative research.
Purpose - The disconnect between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) rhetoric and the practical reality experienced within companies calls for improved CSR evaluation systems that take into account the hypocrisy content of the firm's communication. The aim of this article is to contribute to the conceptual underpinning of a sincerity/hypocrisy index that positions an organization on a continuum from idealism to cynicism
Design/methodology/approach - Starting with the analysis of the reasons for the dissonance between message and reality, the drivers of ethical corporate behavior, the intention of the actors and the intensity of effort and of corporate communication were analysed.
Findings - The analysis of the reasons for dissonance between message and reality sheds light on the role of communication in the perception of hypocrisy. An underlying model of a sincerity/hypocrisy index is proposed to position the firm on a continuum from idealism to hypocrisy in function of the degree of congruence or dissonance between communication and reality.
Practical implications - This concept of sincerity index could form a valuable basis for the development of new evaluation instruments for rating agencies, screening institutions and other evaluation bodies.
Originality/value - The instrument can help management to concentrate on the essence of CSR: the effective implementation of a corporate culture with attention for values and responsible business practices.
Real estate appraisal information systems have been studied by many researchers in the past including those systems that have integrated geographic information systems, artificial neural networks, etc. This paper proposes a new integrated approach for real estate appraisals which can be used in real estate appraisal systems to improve efficiency and accuracy. Motivated by the identified limitations of existing cost approaches for real estate appraisals, we integrate some elements from sales comparison approach and income approach into the cost approach to improve the accuracy of the valuation of real estate appropriately. As a result, the new integrated cost-based approach is capable of taking all of the major factors into accounts; these factors are closely related to the assets of real estate in one way or another. In the implementation of the new approach: (1) the concept of replacements cost is revisited and expanded to consider dynamic, environmental, and cultural factors in real estate appraisals; (2) the conventional depreciation values and depreciation rates are replaced by adjustment values and coefficients to include both the positive and negative impact on the changes of real estate value; (3) the theory of technology economics is applied, six forces have been systematically analyzed to determine replacement costs; and finally, (4) different methods for value adjustments, including the algorithm based on artificial neural network, have been utilized to deal with the randomness and uncertainties of mass data for the determination of adjustment values and coefficients.
Discourse is a popular term used in a variety of ways, easily leading to confusion. This article attempts to clarify the various meanings of discourse in social studies, the term's relevance for organizational analysis and some key theoretical positions in discourse analysis. It also focuses on the methodological problem of the relationship between: a) the level of discourse produced in interviews and in everyday life observed as `social texts' (in particular talk); b) other kinds of phenomena, such as meanings, experiences, orientations, events, material objects and social practices; and, c) discourses in the sense of a large-scale, ordered, integrated way of reasoning/ constituting the social world. In particular, the relationship between `micro and meso-level' discourse analysis (i.e. specific social texts being the primary empirical material) and `grand and mega-level' discourse (i.e. large-scale orders) is investigated.
Alternative workplace strategies cost money to implement. There are benefits to these strategies which, up to a point, justify the investment. After that point, however, more aggressive strategies must be justified through offsetting reductions in facilities costs. At the extreme, organisations can actually implement alternative workplace strategies expressly for the purpose of reducing facilities costs and achieving overall infrastructure cost savings in the process. The US General Services Administration developed the Cost per Person Model in 1999 to help customers measure cost according to a more inclusive workplace definition. The spreadsheet tool was designed to track the overall cost per person of providing facilities, information technology and telecommunications services. The model recognises that alternative work environments are part of the overall cost equation. Also, the Cost per Person Model was designed as a tool for assessing the financial impacts of various alternative workplace strategies. In practice, the costs of aggressive alternative workplace strategies can be offset by reduced facilities costs. This paper summarises the professional use of the model over the first four years of its existence, including several actual case applications. The paper also discusses features of the redesigned version of the model introduced in 2003. Finally, the author suggests that organisations can determine optimal levels of alternative workplace strategy applications, and that additional research and case studies using the Cost per Person Model can help form the basis for an understanding of how today’s organisations provide workplace services in a knowledge-based work environment.
Although often regarded as mere bricks and mortar, real estate often plays an important role in supporting corporate growth and even survival. Parallel to the rapid growth and evolution of (multinational) corporations, real estate portfolios expanded. In order to manage these portfolios, corporations established special staff and supporting departments in order to take care of these assets. Based on the results of case studies, this paper provides an analysis. In addition to a mere historical overview the outcomes of the study also provide lessons for corporations currently facing a similar path of growth. This article builds on a previous contribution and presents an in-depth analysis of the evolution of (corporate) real estate departments related to changes in the corporate setting. In addition to a mere historical overview the outcomes of this contribution provide lessons as well for today’s managers facing similar paths of growth.
As large organisations grow and evolve, they face the challenge of accommodating change in a manner that contains costs while strengthening the firm’s competitive position in the marketplace. Invariably, not only initial capital and long-term operating costs, but the effect of the real estate decision on the firm’s ability to attract and retain staff, and their ability to work productively, must be considered. To compound an already complex decision, the factors influencing such decisions are often highly uncertain and there are limited data on the impact of such decisions on human resource factors. Yet such decisions must be and are made. This paper describes the Cornell Balanced Real Estate Assessment model (COBRA©), a prototype tool which addresses these issues.
Purpose
The growth in flexible working by employees in many office‐based organisations means that workstation sharing at the employer's premises is increasingly attractive. However, because of peaks and troughs in demand it is difficult to decide how many workstations should be provided. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of alternative workstation sharing strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used an agent‐based simulation model with two input variables: the employees' reaction if they are blocked (i.e. they find that all workstations are already occupied), and the number of workstations at the employer's premises. The simulation was run for 56 scenarios. The results were evaluated by assigning cost penalties for workstations, blocking and displacement; there were eight cost regimes reflecting different organisational characteristics.
Findings
The simulations showed trade‐offs between the activity and space variables, in terms of utilisation, blocking and displacement. When costs were applied the output of the simulation runs, the most cost‐effective scenarios varied markedly with the different cost regimes.
Research limitations/implications
The variation in optimum strategies with different model input values suggests that cost‐effective workstation sharing strategies must be developed on a case‐by‐case basis. The simplifying assumptions in the model must be considered when applying the findings to real organisations.
Originality/value
Quantified analysis of the cost‐effectiveness of workstation sharing strategies has not been found previously in the literature.
Sensemaking in crisis conditions is made more difficult because action that is instrumental to understanding the crisis often intensifies the crisis. This dilemma is interpreted from the perspective that people enact the environments which constrain them. It is argued that commitment, capacity, and expectations affect sensemaking during crisis and the severity of the crisis itself. It is proposed that the core concepts of enactment may comprise an ideology that reduces the likelihood of crisis.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an ethical framework for the marketing of corporate social responsibility. Methods The approach is a conceptual one based on virtue ethics and on the corporate identity literature. Furthermore, empirical
research results are used to describe the opportunities and pitfalls of using marketing communication tools in the strategy
of building a virtuous corporate brand. Results/conclusions An ethical framework that addresses the paradoxical relation between the consequentialist perspective many proponents of
the marketing of CSR adopt, and ethical perspectives which criticize an exclusive profit-oriented approach to CSR. Furthermore,
three CSR strategies in relation to the marketing of CSR are discussed. For each CSR strategy it is explored how a corporation
could avoid falling into the promise/performance gap.
Communities that surround an operating construction site often find themselves subjected to negative impacts such as annoyances and economic losses. The latter often called “social costs”, refer to the monetary equivalent of consumed resources, loss of income and loss of enjoyment experienced by parties not engaged in the contractual agreement, solely due to a construction process. Social costs take many forms including loss of revenue, productivity and time, consumption of non-renewable resources and accelerated deterioration of secondary roads.Social costs, while widely acknowledged, are rarely considered in the design, planning or bid evaluation phases of construction projects in North America. This is attributed to the difficulty associated with quantifying social costs using standard estimating methods and the fact that these costs are borne by the community rather than the contractual parties. This paper outlines 22 sources of social costs associated with construction projects in urban environments. The concept of `social indicators' is introduced as a mean to link adverse impacts generated by construction activities and valuation methods. Thereafter, seven methodologies developed in the fields of economics and actuary are presented and their suitability for quantifying specific classes of social costs associated with construction projects are investigated. The capacity of current bid evaluation methods to account for social costs is also examined. It is concluded that a methodical approach for the incorporation of social costs in the bid evaluation process will be a key step towards a more sustainable-oriented construction industry. A generic framework for the development of such an approach is presented. Finally, the concept of developing a standard reference document to estimate social costs is examined and a sample format proposed.
We investigate whether corporate real estate ownership is a trigger for takeovers. The empirical analysis is based on a sample covering 225 takeovers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom between 1992 and 2003. Using a multivariate probit model in which we control for various financial firm characteristics we find that the role of corporate real estate in takeovers depends on the nature of the takeover, the industry, the period, and the country. The presence of corporate real estate is a significantly positive predictor for takeovers within the same industry. Companies that have been taken over appear to have been reducing their real estate holdings prior to the takeover, which would suggest a financial distress situation.
Au cours de la derniere decennie, les multiples recherches en management compare ou en gestion internationale des ressources humaines se sont davantage interessees aux pratiques des entreprises plutot qu'au discours managerial. Cet article propose une analyse thematique et lexicographique de la lettre des presidents dans les rapports annuels d'activite.
Studying discourse processes in institutional contexts
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Leboncoin: une Culture du Changement, Le Figaro Décideurs
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JCRE
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