Managing Environmental Quality: Current Trends in Office Occupancy

Abstract

Of the many important changes and developments in the business world today, three significantly affect the organization—accommodation relationship. The first of these is the new profession of “Facilities Management” (FM) which has grown rapidly in recent years, to the point where there are now university-based training programs for undergraduates as well as mid-career professionals. The second factor derives from changing trends in the nature of office work. The activities that take place inside modern office buildings have changed dramatically with the advent of computers, resulting in the redefinition of roles and tasks, in the need for new approaches to the management—employee relationship, and in the definition of new ways of working. Third is the impact of electronic communications technology on worktime and workspace: with people free to perform office work from almost anywhere at any time, what is the continuing relevance and usefulness of the office building as a place to work? No longer needing to be enclosed in either space or time, the performance of work and how it is measured need to be reexamined and redefined.

“A good fit between the building and the occupants... cannot be accomplished by standardization, but requires a range of options within which the facility provider can offer the client some flexibility.”

The Workplace Network