Findings, fashion, and future

work: A look at facility-

related research.

Linda M. Cohen
Management Department
The Wharton School

IFMA Utilities Council Meeting, May 6, 2002.

 3 Key Goals:
• a feel for the value of research
• awareness of different kinds of research
approaches
• flavor of work on behavior in the work
environment
 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 research
2. Links to key management concerns (‘So what?’
revisited)

3. Future work: challenges and opportunities

So what??

Research??!!
FM

FM
 So what??
Clue:

Enron Vice President Sherron Watkins, left, and former Enron Audit Committee Chairman Robert Jaedicke (right).
Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling, right, are
source: BusinessWeek, May 6, 2002, p.71
sworn in on Capitol Hill. (Ron Edmonds/AP Photo)
source: ABC News.com
So what??
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)
 evolution of the field

performance decision
(shifts to)
microscope microscope
Info-based FM decision-making
Evolution of information driving FM
decisions…
1. internal feedback:
maintenance/operations requests,
special projects, cost/time performance
Info-based FM decision-making
Evolution of information driving FM
decisions…
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)
Types of research driving FM
decision-making…
• questions
• methods for getting answers
• examples
Research: Questions

3 types

1. Descriptive: describe
what’s going on

?
?
Research: Questions

2. Relational:
look at ?
relationships ?
between 2 or
more variables
?
Research: Questions

3. Causal: look at ?
what causes or
affects ?
outcomes &
how/when this
occurs ?
Info-based FM decisions Research Q’s
1. Internal feedback:
2. Research on trends: ?
benchmarking “competitors” best practices, ?
or internal patterns (track record) descriptive

3. Other FM research: relational

When? How? Why? (internal and
external)

causal
Research on trends:
?
benchmarking “competitors” best practices,
or internal patterns (track record)
?
descriptive

Other FM research:
When? How? Why? (internal and relational
external)

causal

Q: What’s more important:

trends or when/how/why? research?
 A: NOT an either/or choice
BOTH are of value! Ideally, use information
from both findings and fashion

Example: Q’s from my work on M&A

1. What are the facility trends in M&A companies,
and how does this compare to non-M&A
companies?
2. Is there a significant effect of M&A on facility
outcomes?
3. Can we develop & test a model for M&A facility
strategy outcomes?
 A: NOT an either/or choice

Current Trend?
Yes No
Research evidence in

• Co-location of • +ve effects of

team members natural elements
support?

Yes • participatory design

• QWERTY • Asbestos in ceiling

keyboard tiles
No • Status-based space • (to be discovered:
allocation don’t know effect of
X, but few do it)
 Info-based FM decision-making
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?
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 research
2. Links to key management concerns (‘So what?’
revisited)

3. Future work: challenges and opportunities

Research:
Methods for Getting Answers
There are many (!!) ways to go about getting
answers. The most popular in FM-related
research are:
• surveys (telephone, mail, interviews…)
• case studies (single or comparative)
• experiments
• quasi-experiments
• “theory-based”
Research examples: 1. Experiments
a) Rochester Methodist Hospital

Radial Single-corridor 2ble corridor

Source: Trites, D. K., Galbraith, F. D., Jr., Sturdavant, M., & Leckwart, J. F.
1970. Influence of Nursing-Unit Design on the Activities and Subjective
Feelings of Nursing Personnel. Environment and Behavior 2(3): 303-334.
Research examples: 1. Experiments
a) Rochester Methodist Hospital
Basic form of the experiment:

sample randomly experimental observe

population assigned to
conditions outcomes
(“treatments”)
• time spent with
hospital Radial patients
• time traveling to
nursing & from rooms
Single corr. • preferences of
unit staff
nursing staff,
2ble corr. physicians &
patients
Research examples: 1. Experiments
sample randomly experimental observe
population assigned to
conditions outcomes
(“treatments”)

x CONS??  PROS??
Research examples: 1. Experiments
sample randomly experimental observe
population assigned to
conditions outcomes
(“treatments”)
x CONS: PROS:
x $$$$ findings are very
convincing because
x time, resources other factors that might
x risk that some of the make a difference are
designs are very ‘ruled out’
inefficient (more saves $$$ later on: can
waste of resources) apply knowledge all
x can’t often randomly future work
assign groups to builds FM knowledge
different treatments base
Research examples: 1. Experiments
b) Impact of energy-efficient lighting strategies
24 office lighting A • task
workers: performance
lighting B (e.g. error
divided detection, data
entry, typing)
into 4 lighting C
• preferences
groups lighting D • mood
sample assigned to experimental observe
population ALL
conditions outcomes
(“treatments”)
Katzev, Richard. 1992. The impact of energy-efficient office lighting strategies on
employee satisfaction and productivity. Environment & Behavior 24(6): 759-778.
Research examples: 1. Experiments
Note: Sometimes, a series of experiments are needed to
‘rule out’ other explanations for outcomes!!
Most famous example:
c) Western Electric Co. Hawthorne Works

TRANSMITTER TESTS
CD 1966086 E&MP33.019
Electric Power
no date
The National Museum of
American History
Research examples: 2. Quasi-experiments
a) Relocation of a government agency from
traditional to open-plan offices

May 1982 Feb. 1984

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

Comparison of sociotechnical, social relations, and symbolic meaning
perspectives. Academy of Management Journal 30(2): 240-259.
Research examples: 2. Quasi-experiments
a) Relocation of a government agency
Basic form of the quasi-experiment:
a given initial changed
population: conditions conditions

make make
observations observations
gov’t
1982: 1984:
agency
pre-move post-move
at old
survey survey
site
Research examples: 2. Quasi-experiments
a) Relocation of a government agency
Some “before/after” output:
Research examples: 2. Quasi-experiments
b) R&D and Marketing co-location

a given population: initial changed

conditions conditions
Belgian 1988: 1990:
subsid. of R&D teams new R&D
U.S. dispersed facility with
telecom. among offices in
company: marketing & close
8 teams operations proximity

Van den Bulte, C. & Moenaert, R. K. 1998. The effects of R&D team co-
location on communication patterns among R&D, marketing, and
manufacturing. Management Science 44(11, Part: 2): S1-S18.
Research examples: 3. Surveys
a) Underfloor Task Ventilation

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

office workers and facilities managers to underfloor task ventilation in
offices. Journal of Architectural & Planning Research 10(3): 203-218.
Research examples: 3. Surveys
a) Underfloor Task Ventilation
Some survey output:
Never Very Occasion Often Very Always
Rarely Often
TEMP. SATISFACTORY

TOO WARM

TOO COOL

TEMP. TOO VARIABLE

VENTIL. SATISFACTRY.

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

Research examples: 3. Surveys
a) Underfloor Task Ventilation
Some survey output:
Never Very Occasion Often Very Alway
Rarely Often
VENTIL. SATISFACTRY.

CMFRTBL. AIR MVMNT.

TOO LITTLE AIR MVMNT

UNCOMFRTBL. DRAFTS

AIR TOO DRY

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

Research examples: 3. Surveys
a) Underfloor Task Ventilation

Basic form of surveys:

a given population initial changed

OR conditions conditions
a subset
(could be a random
sample):
administer
survey
Research examples: 3. Surveys

b) Stimulus-screening

vs.

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.
Research examples: 4. Case studies
a) Environmental deprivation

15-mo. on-site “naturalistic” study of a large NE US company,

using observations, participation & open-ended interviews
Source: Mazumdar, Sanjoy. 1992. "Sir, please do not take away my
cubicle": The phenomenon of environmental deprivation.
Environment & Behavior 24(6): 691-722.
Research examples: 4. Case studies
Typical output:

(describing what happened when supervisors ‘lost’

their larger work stations)
...They moaned and bitched about it for about
a month. And then they just realized that there
wasn’t 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)
Research examples: 4. Case studies

Basic form of case studies:

activity over time
a given population
OR
context of interest:

intensive observations
Research examples: 4. Case studies
b) Office case study: social behavior

• traces the re-design process

of a small office
• analysis of social behavior
problems to determine
design solutions
• used environmental
psychology literature
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.
Research examples: 4. Case studies
b) Office case study: social behavior
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 research

2. Links to key management concerns (‘So what?’ revisited)
3. Future work: challenges and opportunities
Trends in work environment research:
Survey of articles on corporate workplace
environments appearing in top design-behavior &
management journals over the past 20 years:

Design Management
48 11

Generally, many similarities in terms of the outcomes,

scale and characteristics of the physical environment,
the user groups considered, and
the research methods used.
Trends in work environment research:

• Research methods: survey*, case

studies, quasi-experiments, experiments, content
analysis, descriptive

• Outcomes of interest:
behavior/action, attitudes/perceptions,
physical state, social processes, architectural

• User groups: individual, groups,

organizational, society
Trends in work environment research:

• Physical scale of analysis: general

work setting/office, building, workstation, extra-
organizational settings

• PPE characteristics: design*,

ambient conditions, projects, location, control/privacy,
specific room types
Links to key management concerns
(‘So what?’ revisited)
Why management should care?

Research??!!
CEO
CEO
 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 city
characteristics & owner location affect the composition
of boards of directors?
• teamwork and coordination
e.g. R&D activity, “high-velocity” environments
• alliances, joint ventures & multinational
management
e.g.how to collaborate across company boundaries and
 Links to key management concerns
Also...
• facility interventions are often required as a result
of many business strategies
• can have far-reaching scope
• can require significant planning &
coordination
• these interventions can have important strategic and
performance consequences!
e.g. many claim that facility strategies will affect
M&A integration process and performance
outcomes; these issues are often cited as factors
when M&A are unsuccessful
Future Work:
Challenges & opportunities

1. Encouraging education
Conferences, onsite, and formal! Also need to
raise awareness of research opportunities
within every company, as well as how to
critically 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:
Challenges & opportunities

3. Shifting mindset
more collaboration & information sharing
3. Getting publicly available data
difficult to accomplish without regulatory
support!
3. Bridging the gap between managers and
facility managers
Future Work:
Challenges & opportunities

• work is being done in other areas that

may be relevant to FM
e.g. effect of the internet on organizational
relationships (Hampton & Wellman, 2000, on the wired
suburb)

• encouraging partnerships between

industry and academics
e.g. every year several Cornell Masters’
students undertake research projects
Future Work:
Challenges & opportunities

• optimistic outlook: Growing interest in

physical environment by managers &
management researchers
e.g. 2nd annual Wharton Technology Mini-conference
April ‘02

• so much that remains unexplored!

 Is research THE answer to all
FM challenges?

Sadly, no - but it is an important tool for

implementing and justifying facility strategies!