Agent-Based Mediated Service Negotiation

Brazier, F.M.T. [Promotor]Overeinder, B.J. [Copromotor

Workplace impact on employees:A Lifelines Corona Research Initiative on the return to work

A large proportion of the global workforce migrated home during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It remains unclear what the exact differences between home workers and non-home workers were, especially during the pandemic when a return to work was imminent. How were building, workplace, and related facilities associated with workers’ perceptions and health? What are the lessons to be learned? Lifelines Corona Research Initiative was used to compare employees’ workplaces and related concerns, facilities, work quality, and health in a complete case analysis (N = 12,776) when return to work was imminent. Mann-Whitney U, logistic regression, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs were used for analyses. Notwithstanding small differences, the results show that home workers had less favourable scores for concerns about and facilities of on-site buildings and workplaces upon return to work, but better scores for work quality and health than non-home workers. However, additional analyses also suggest that building, workplace, and related facilities may have had the capacity to positively influence employees’ affective responses and work quality, but not always their health.</p

Towards dynamic service level agreement negotiation: An approach based on WS-agreement

In Grid, e-Science and e-Business environments Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are often used to establish frameworks for the delivery of services between service providers and the home organisations of the customers. While this high level SLAs, e.g. framework contracts, govern the relationship between the parties, it is desirable for the end-user to have dedicated quality of service (QoS) also for individual services like the orchestration of resources necessary for composed services. Grid level scheduling services typically are responsible for the orchestration and coordination of resources in the Grid, which requires the Grid level scheduler to coordinate resource management systems probably located in different domains. As the site autonomy has to be respected negotiating with the individual sites is the only way to achieve the intended coordination. Electronic SLAs emerged as a new way to negotiate and manage usage of resources in the Grid and are already adopted by a number of management systems. Therefore, it is natural to look for ways to adopt SLAs for Grid level scheduling. To realise this approach we need efficient and flexible protocols supporting dynamic negotiation and creation of SLAs. In this paper we propose and discuss ongoing work on extensions to the WS-Agreement protocol addressing these issues

Exploring cleanliness in the Dutch facilities management industry: a Delphi approach

Purpose This paper aims to identify antecedents that influence perceived cleanliness by consulting experts and end-users in the field of facilities management (facility service providers, clients of facility service providers and consultants). Business models were evaluated to understand why some antecedents are adopted by practitioners and others are not. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study, with end-users (n = 7) and experts (n = 24) in the field of facilities management, was carried out to identify antecedents of perceived cleanliness. Following the Delphi approach, different research methods including interviews, group discussions and surveys were applied. Findings Actual cleanliness, cleaning staff behaviour and the appearance of the environment were identified as the three main antecedents of perceived cleanliness. Client organisations tend to have a stronger focus on antecedents that are not related to the cleaning process compared to facility service providers. Practical implications More (visible) cleaning, maintenance, toilets, scent, architecture and use of materials offer interesting starting points for practitioners to positively influence perceived cleanliness. These antecedents may also be used for the development of a standard for perceived cleanliness. Originality/value A basis was created for the development of an instrument that measures perceived cleanliness and includes antecedents that are typically not included in most of the current standards of actual cleanliness (e.g. NEN 2075, ISSA)

Cleanliness unravelled: a review and integration of literature

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic literature review on stimulus, organism and response variables related to actual and perceived cleanliness and develop a conceptual framework to encourage future research on cleanliness. Design/methodology/approach: The PRISMA statement methodology for systematic literature review was applied. After analysing 926 articles, 46 articles were included and reviewed. Findings: Stimulus, organism and response variables related to cleanliness were identified and integrated in a conceptual framework. A distinction was made between articles evaluating the relationship between stimulus and organism variables; stimulus and response variables; and organism and response variables. First, actual cleanliness, staff behaviour, condition of the environment, scent and the appearance of the physical environment were identified as stimuli variables influencing perceived cleanliness and service quality. Second, the presence of litter, behaviour and presence of others, scent, disorder, availability of trash cans and informational strategies were identified as stimuli affecting littering and other kinds of unethical behaviour. Third, the effect of perceived cleanliness (and other organism variables) on satisfaction, approach behaviours, physical activity and pro-social behaviour was registered. Practical implications: The findings of this review allow in-house and corporate facility managers to better understand and identify most effective interventions positively influencing actual and perceived cleanliness. Originality/value: No systematic literature review on antecedents and consequences of a clean environment has previously been conducted