7 research outputs found
Workplace Alignment: An evaluation of office worker flexibility and workplace provision
Purpose – The paper aims to explore the relationship between office occupier work activity and workplace provision. It tests the proposition that location-fixed office workers are not as well-supported in the working environment as location-flexible office workers. The research also explores the perceptions of the workplace provision based upon the types of tasks completed at the desk-location, whether this was collaborative or focused.
Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts a cross-sectional approach using an online questionnaire to collect data from several offices in the Middles East. The dataset consists of 405 responses. One-way ANOVA was conducted to understand the relationship between location flexibility and perception of productivity. In addition, a series of T-Test were used to evaluate the relationship between work activities and office environment.
Findings – The results show that those workers who were location-fixed perceived the workplace provision to have a more negative impact on their productivity than those who had a greater level of location-flexibility, particularly with regards to noise levels and interruptions. In terms of types of activities, those that undertook more collaborative tasks valued the facilitation of creativity and interaction from the workplace provision.
Research limitations/implications – The research has limitations as data collection was at one-point in time and therefore lacks the opportunity to undertake longitudinal analysis. However, the research gives greater insights into the alignment of office environments based on flexibility and work activity.
Practical implications – The paper identifies implications for the design and development of office environments by identifying the need for office occupier activity profiles. These profiles can underpin data led design which should promote a tailored choice appropriate work setting that can maximise productivity.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to the research area of workplace alignment. It establishes that optimal workplace alignment requires a better understanding of office occupier needs based on location-flexibility and work activity
Workplace productivity and office type: an evaluation of office occupier differences based on age and gender
Purpose
Open plan office environments are considered to offer workplace productivity benefits because of the opportunities that they create for interaction and knowledge exchange, but more recent research has highlighted noise, distraction and loss of privacy as significant productivity penalties with this office layout. This study aims to investigate if the purported productivity benefits of open plan outweigh the potential productivity penalties.
Design/methodology/approach
Previous research suggests that office environments are experienced differently according to the gender and age of the occupier across both open-plan and enclosed configurations. Empirical research undertaken with office occupiers in the Middle East (N=220) led to evaluations to establish the impact different offices had on perceived productivity. Factor analysis was used to establish five underlying components of office productivity. The five factors are subsequently used as the basis for comparison between office occupiers based on age, gender and office type.
Findings
This research shows that benefits and penalties to workplace productivity are experienced equally across open-plan and enclosed office environments. The greatest impact on perceived workplace productivity however was availability of a variety of physical layouts, control over interaction and the 'downtime' offered by social interaction points. Male occupiers and those from younger generations were also found to consider the office environment to have more of a negative impact on their perceived workplace productivity compared to female and older occupiers.
Originality/value
The originality of this paper is that it develops the concept of profiling office occupiers with the aim of better matching office provision. This paper aims to establish different occupier profiles based on age, gender and office type. Data analysis techniques such as factor analysis and t-test analysis identify the need for different spaces so that occupiers can choose the most appropriate space to best undertake a particular work task. In addition, it emphasises the value that occupiers place on ‘downtime’ leading to the need for appropriate social space
The Income Approach to Property Valuation
A classic textbook that has guided generations of students through the intricacies of property valuation, The Income Approach to Property Valuation remains a keen favourite amongst students and teachers alike. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to meet the increasingly international perspectives of modern Real Estate students. The links between theory and practice are clearly demonstrated throughout, with a range of new international case studies and practice-based examples. The Income Approach to Property Valuation teaches readers: how to analyse market rents and sales prices to derive market evidence to support an opinion of market value; the investment method of valuation and how it is applied in practice; how specific legal factors can impact on market value when they interfere with market forces; what the market and the profession may consider to be the 'right' methodology in today's market place; and how to use spreadsheets in valuation.
This extensively revised new edition is perfect both for students on Real Estate courses worldwide and for professional candidates working towards their final assessment of professional competence (APC) for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, needing to demonstrate a valuation competence at levels 2 and 3
Corporate real estate asset management: Strategy and implementation. 2nd ed.
The second edition of Corporate Real Estate Asset Management is fully up to date with the latest thought and practice on successful and efficient use of corporate office space. Written from an occupier’s perspective, the book presents a ten-point CREAM model that offers advice on issues such as sustainability, workplace productivity, real estate performance measurement, change management and customer focus. In addition, new case studies provide real-life examples of how corporations in the UK, USA, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi actively manage their corporate real estate. The book is aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students on corporate real estate, facilities management and real estate courses and international MBA programme
Implementing activity-based working in the Netherlands: GasTerra
Case study over de implementatie van een activiteitgerelateerd werkplekconcept bij GasTerra in het boek Corporate Real Estate Asset Management (2e editie)