Workspace management as a part of FM mission: a study of German FM education

摘要

Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the nature of facility management (FM) and workspace management (WSM) and explores their interrelation with the aim of establishing whether WSM can be considered a part of the mission pursued by FM. Functional overlaps and gaps are identified and compared within the current system of FM education in Germany. Even though the research focussed on Germany, the findings may be extendable to other regions. Design/methodology/approach - The data used were collected by means of a questionnaire, which was sent to the respondents, who complied with the eligibility requirements, namely, such individuals should have been office workers and work in Germany. The data collection was preceded by a literature review and followed by a quantitative analysis. Findings - The literature analysis carried out demonstrates that the agenda of WSM can be considered as part of the FM mission. However, notwithstanding the overlap of the objectives of WSM and FM, it has also been identified a major discrepancy in that FM in Germany is predominantly concerned with the management of tangible and functional elements of a working environment and pays less attention to its non-tangible and psychological counterparts, whereas WSM, as a discipline, tends to cover both tangible and intangible elements of a workspace on a more equal footing. The element of employees' "psychological comfort" (PsC) at work is capable of exerting the most profound influence on overall organisational productivity. Research limitations/implications - The results of the work should not, without proper adjustments, be extrapolated to other geographical markets or industries, whose workspace characteristics may differ from those existing in Germany. Practical implications - FM educational programmes may be adjusted to enable the facility managers to perform most or all activities within WSM. Social implications - To impart facility managers with WSM competencies will contribute to employees' psychological comfort and their productivity and, hence, will increase the acceptance and appreciation of the FM profession. Originality/value - The paper introduces new thinking on the subject of WSM in the context of FM. It encourages FM educators to include WSM into their educational programmes or to add missing links to existing workplace management courses.