lmcohen ifma utilities 060502 copy

8/8/2019 LMCohen IFMA Utilities 060502 Copy

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Findings, fashion, and futurework: A look at facility-

related research.

Linda M. CohenManagement Department

The Wharton School

IFMA Utilities Council Meeting, May 6, 2002.


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3 Key Goals:3 Key G

oals: a feel for the value of researcha feel for the value of research

awareness of different kinds of researchawareness of different kinds of researchapproachesapproaches

flavor of work on behavior in the work flavor of work on behavior in the work environmentenvironment


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Overview

1. So what??

2. Info-based FM decision-making

3. Research

questions : fashion and other findings methods for getting answers FM research examples

1. Trends in work environment research2. Links to key management concerns (So what?

revisited)

3. Future work: challenges and opportunities


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So what??

Research??!!

F M

FM


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So what??

Clue:

Enron Vice President Sherron Watkins, left, and former Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling, right, aresworn in on Capitol Hill. (Ron Edmonds/AP Photo)

source: ABC News.com

Enron Audit Committee Chairman Robert Jaedicke (right).

source: BusinessWeek, May 6, 2002, p.71


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Accountability!As top management and shareholders

increasingly scrutinize FM decision-making, the use of research to support

facility decisions is becoming more

important.(think of REITs)

So what??


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evolution of the field

performance

microscope

decisionmicroscope(shifts to)


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EvolutionEvolution of information driving FMdecisions

1. internal feedback:maintenance/operations requests,special projects, cost/time performance

Info-based FM decision-making


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Evolution Evolution of information driving FMdecisions

1. Internal feedback: maintenance/operations

requests, special projects, costs, cost/time performance

2. Research on trends : benchmarking

competitors best practices, or internal patterns (track record)

3. Other FM research : When? How?

Why? (internal and external)



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questions

methods for getting answers

examples

Types of research driving FM

decision-making


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3 types3 ty pes

Research: Questions

1. Descriptive : describewhat s going on

????


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2. Relational :look atrelationships

between 2 or

more variables ??

????

Research: Questions


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3. Causal : look atwhat causes oraffects outcomes &how/when thisoccurs

??

??

??

Research: Questions


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Info-based FM decisions1. Internal feedback:

2. Research on trends : benchmarking competitors best practices,or internal patterns (track record)

3. Other FM research : When? How? Why? (internal andexternal)

Research Qs

descriptive?? ??

relational

causal


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Research on trends : benchmarking competitors best practices,

or internal patterns (track record)

Other FM research : When? How? Why? (internal andexternal)

descriptive

????

relational

causal

Q: Whats more important:Q: Whats more important:

trends ortrends or when/how/why?when/how/why? research?research?


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A: NOT an either/or choiceA: NOT an either/or choice

Example: Qs from my work on M&A

1. What are the facility trends in M&A companies,and how does this compare to non-M&Acompanies?

2. Is there a significant effect of M&A on facilityoutcomes?

3. Can we develop & test a model for M&A facilitystrategy outcomes?

BOTH are of value ! Ideally , use informationfrom both findings and fashion


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A: NOT an either/or choiceA: NOT an either/or choice

Current Trend?

Yes

No

NoYes

+ve effects of

natural elements participatory design

Co-location of

team members

QWERTYkeyboard

Status-based spaceallocation

Asbestos in ceilingtiles

(to be discovered:dont know effect of X, but few do it)R

esearchevidencein

support?


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Whether trend or how/when/why? ,good research will tell you:

Are observed differences meaningful?

Are these differences important?

Are the findings applicable to my company?

Can we make predictions about the future?



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Overview:

1. So what??

2. Info-based FM decision-making

3. Research

questions: fashion and other findings methods for getting answers FM research examples

1. Trends in work environment research2. Links to key management concerns (So what?

revisited)



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surveys (telephone, mail, interviews)

case studies (single or comparative)

experiments quasi-experiments

theory-based

Research: Methods for Getting Answers

There are many (!!) ways to go about gettinganswers. The most popular in FM-relatedresearch are:


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Research examples: 1. Experiments

a) Rochester Methodist Hospital

Source: Trites, D. K., Galbraith, F. D., Jr., Sturdavant, M., & Leckwart, J. F.

1970. Influence of Nursing-Unit Design on the Activities and SubjectiveFeelings of Nursing Personnel. Environment and Behavior 2(3): 303-334.

Radial Single-corridor 2ble corridor


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a) Rochester Methodist Hospital

Basic form of the experiment:

randomlyassigned to

samplesample population population

experimentalexperimentalconditionsconditions

(treatments)(treatments)

observeobserveoutcomesoutcomes

hospital

nursingunit staff

Radial

Single corr.

2ble corr.

time spent with patients time traveling to& from rooms preferences of nursing staff,

physicians &

patients



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randomly

assigned to

sample

population

experimental

conditions(treatments)

observeoutcomes

PROS??


x CONS??


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x CONS:x

$$$$x time, resourcesx risk that some of the

designs are very

inefficient (morewaste of resources)x cant often randomly

assign groups to

different treatments

PROS:findings are veryconvincing becauseother factors that mightmake a difference areruled outsaves $$$ later on: canapply knowledge allfuture work builds FM knowledge base


randomly

assigned to

sample

population

experimentalconditions

(treatments)

observeoutcomes


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b) Impact of energy-efficient lighting strategies


Katzev, Richard. 1992. The impact of energy-efficient office lighting strategies onemployee satisfaction and productivity. Environment & Behavior 24(6): 759-778.

assigned toALL

samplesample population population

experimentalexperimentalconditionsconditions

(treatments)(treatments)

observeobserveoutcomesoutcomes

24 officeworkers:divided

into 4

groups

lighting B

lighting C

lighting D

task performance(e.g. error detection, dataentry, typing)

preferences mood

lighting A


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c) Western Electric Co. Hawthorne Works

Note: Sometimes, a series of experiments are needed torule out other explanations for outcomes!!

Most famous example:


TRANSMITTER TESTSCD 1966086 E&MP33.019

Electric Power no date

The National Museum of American History


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Research examples: 2. Quasi -exper im en ts

a) Relocation of a government agency fromtraditional to open-plan offices

Source: Zalesny & Farace. 1987. Traditional versus Open Offices: A

Comparison of sociotechnical, social relations, and symbolic meaningperspectives. Academy of Management Journal 30(2): 240-259.

May 1982 Feb. 1984


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a givena givenpopulation:population:

initialinitialconditionsconditions

changedchangedconditionsconditions

Basic form of the quasi-experiment:

a) Relocation of a government agency

govtagencyat oldsite

1982: pre-move

survey

1984: post-move

survey

makemakeobservationsobservations

makemakeobservationsobservations


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Research examples: 2. Quasi -exper im en tsa) Relocation of a government agency

Some before /after output:


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a given population:a given population: initialinitialconditionsconditions

changedchangedconditionsconditions

b) R&D and Marketing co-location

Van den Bulte, C. & Moenaert, R. K. 1998. The effects of R&D team co-

location on communication patterns among R&D, marketing, andmanufacturing. Management Science 44(11, Part: 2): S1-S18.

Belgiansubsid. of

U.S.telecom.

company:8 teams

1988:R&D teams

dispersedamong

marketing &operations

1990:new R&D

facility withoffices in

close proximity


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Research examples: 3. Surveysa) Underfloor Task Ventilation

Source: Hedge, Alan; Michael, Abigail T; Parmelee, Sharon L. 1993. Reactions of

office workers and facilities managers to underfloor task ventilation inoffices . Journal of Architectural & Planning Research 10(3): 203-218.


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Some survey output:Never Very Occasion Often Very Alway

Rarely Often

TEMP. SATISFACTORY

TOO WARM

TOO COOL

TEMP. TOO VARIABLE

VENTIL. SATISFACTRY.

CMFRTBL. AIR MVMNT. Hedge, Michael & Parmelee, 1993, p.210


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Some survey output:Never Very Occasion Often Very Alwa

Rarely Often

VENTIL. SATISFACTRY.

CMFRTBL. AIR MVMNT.

TOO LITTLE AIR MVMNT

UNCOMFRTBL. DRAFTS

AIR TOO DRY

AIR FRESH Hedge, Michael & Parmelee, 1993, p.210


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a given populationa given populationOR OR

a subseta subset (could be a random

sample) ::

initialinitial

conditionsconditions

changedchanged

conditionsconditions

Basic form of surveys:

administeradministersurveysurvey


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Research examples: 3. Surveys

b) Stimulus-screening

Source: Oldham, Greg R., Kulik, Carol T., Stepina, Lee P. 1991.Physical Environments and Employee Reactions: Effects of Stimulus-Screening Skills and Job Complexity. Academy of Management Journal 34(4): 929-938.

vs.vs.

d


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Research examples: 4. Case studies

a) Environmental deprivation

Source: Mazumdar, Sanjoy. 1992. "Sir, please do not take away mycubicle": The phenomenon of environmental deprivation.

Environment & Behavior 24(6): 691-722.

15-mo. on-site naturalistic study of a large NE US company,using observations, participation & open-ended interviews

4 C di


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Typical output:

(describing what happened when supervisors losttheir larger work stations)

...They moaned and bitched about it for about a month. And then they just realized that therewasnt any sense talking about it anymore and

they stopped. It does not mean they feel good about it, it just means they stopped talking

about it. (Mazumdar, 1992, p.704)

4 C di


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a given populationa given populationOR OR

context of interestcontext of interest ::

intensive observationsintensive observations

activity over time

Basic form of case studies:

4 C di


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b) Office case study: social behavior

Source: Dumesnil, Carla D. 1987. Office case study: Social behavior in

relation to the design of the environment. Journal of Architectural & Planning Research 4(1): 7-13.

traces the re-design processof a small office

analysis of social behaviorproblems to determine

design solutions

used environmentalpsychology literature

4 C di


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Research examples: 4. Case studiesb) Office case study: social behavior

Overview:


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Overview:

1. So what??

2. Info-based FM decision-making3. Research

questions: fashion and other findings

methods for getting answers FM research examples

1. Trends in work environment research2. Links to key management concerns (So what? revisited)


T d i k i h


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Survey of articles on corporate workplaceenvironments appearing in top design-behavior &

management journals over the past 20 years:

Design Management48 11

Generally, many similarities in terms of the outcomes,scale and characteristics of the physical environment,

the user groups considered, andthe research methods used.

Trends in work environment research:

T d i k i h


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Research methods: survey*, casestudies, quasi-experiments, experiments, contentanalysis, descriptive

Outcomes of interest: behavior/action, attitudes/perceptions ,

physical state, social processes, architectural

User groups: individual, groups ,organizational, society


T d i k i h


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Physical scale of analysis: generalwork setting/office, building, workstation, extra-organizational settings

PPE characteristics: design*,ambient conditions , projects, location, control/privacy,specific room types


Li k t k t


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Links to key management concerns (So what? revisited)

Why management should care? Research??!!

C E O

CEO

Li k t k t


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Links to key management concerns Some themes in management research

technology innovation e.g. geography of knowledge spillovers

corporate governance e.g. how does company territory, HQ citycharacteristics & owner location affect the compositionof boards of directors?

teamwork and coordination e.g. R&D activity, high-velocity environments

alliances, joint ventures & multinationalmanagement

e.g.how to collaborate across company boundaries andterritories?

Li k t k t


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Links to key management concerns Also...

facility interventions are often required as a resultof many business strategies

can have far-reaching scope

can require significant planning &coordination

these interventions can have important strategic andperformance consequences!

e.g. many claim that facility strategies will affectM&A integration process and performanceoutcomes; these issues are often cited as factors

when M&A are unsuccessful

Future Work:Future Work:


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1. Encouraging education Conferences, onsite, and formal! Also need to

raise awareness of research opportunitieswithin every company, as well as how tocritically look at research findings.

1. Encouraging & supporting research IFMA Foundation does a good job at this! Also,

FM programs, but need more FM execs on board too. Need to lobby government for state funding of our built resources!

Future Work:Future Work:ChallengesChallenges & opportunitiesopportunities



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Future Work:Future Work:ChallengesChallenges & opportunitiesopportunities

3. Shifting mindsetmore collaboration & information sharing

3. Getting publicly available datadifficult to accomplish without regulatory

support!3. Bridging the gap between managers and

facility managers



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Future Work:Future Work:Challenges & opportunitiesopportunities

work is being done in other areas thatmay be relevant to FM

e.g. effect of the internet on organizationalrelationships (Hampton & Wellman, 2000, on the wiredsuburb)

encouraging partnerships betweenindustry and academicse.g. every year several Cornell Masters

students undertake research projects



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Future Work:Future Work:Challenges & opportunitiesopportunities

optimistic outlook : Growing interest in

physical environment by managers &management researchers

e.g. 2 nd annual Wharton Technology Mini-conferenceApril 02

so much that remains unexplored!


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Is research THE answer to allFM challenges?

Sadly, no - but it isis an important tool for an important tool for

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