Flexible Working in Scottish Local Authority Property: Moving on to the Highest Flexibility Level

• Authors: Thadsin Khamkanya , Brian Sloan

Title variants

LT

Lankstus darbas Škotijos vietos valdžios požiūriu: pereiname prie aukščiausio lankstumo lygio

Abstracts

EN

Flexible working has emerged as a modern concept for managing office resources more effectively, efficiently, and economically. The highest level of flexible working environment, a non-territorial working environment, can provide the best opportunity to an organisation managing its office area more effectively. Moreover, staff can work in the most suitable place and time. However, in the context of public offices like Scottish Local Authorities, the most flexible working concept is not particularly welcomed at present. Cultural change, inadequate support services, including information and communication technology, working schemes, and alternative working policies are the main barriers. To overcome these barriers, the Authorities need to strategically provide adequate support to staff. Moreover, promoting a good perception towards flexible working culture at appropriate levels within an organisation could be the right strategy for preventing cultural change problems.

LT

Lankstus darbas atsirado kaip modernus, veiksmingas ir ekonomiškas biuro išteklių valdymo būdas. Aukščiausio lygio lankstaus darbo aplinka, ne teritorinė darbo aplinka, gali suteikti geriausių galimybių organizacijoms valdyti savo biurus daug efektyviau. Dar daugiau, biuro darbuotojai gali dirbti tinkamiausiu laiku ir tinkamiausiose jiems vietose. Tačiau valstybinės įstaigos, pavyzdžiui, Škotijos vietos valdžia, nelabai noriai priima lankstaus darbo koncepciją. Kultūros pokyčiai, neadekvačios aptarnavimo paslaugos, taip pat informacinės ir komunikacinės technologijos, darbo organizavimo schemos bei alternatyvaus darbo politika yra pagrindiniai lankstaus darbo koncepcijos taikymo barjerai. Norint įveikti šiuos barjerus, valstybinės institucijos turi strategiškai adekvačiai remti darbuotojus. Dar daugiau, lankstaus darbo kultūros rėmimas atitinkamais organizacijos lygmenimis gali būti gera kultūros pokyčių problemų prevencijos strategija.

Keywords

EN

Flexible Working; Non-territorial Working Environment; Scottish Local Authority; Property

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: International Journal of Strategic Property Management
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 37-52

Contributors

author

Thadsin Khamkanya

• School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, Scotland EH10 5DT, UK

author

Brian Sloan

• School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, Scotland EH10 5DT, UK

References

• Ackers, P. (2003) The work-life balance from the perspective of economic policy actors,Social Policy & Society, 2(3), pp. 221-229.
• Audit Commission (1988a)Local Authority Property: A Management Overview.London: HMSO.
• Audit Commission (1988b)Local Authority Property: A Management Handbook.London: HMSO.
• Audit Commission (2000)Hot Property: Getting the best from local authority assets.London: the Audit Commission for Local Authorities and the National Health Service in England and Wales.
• Black, K. (1994)Business Statistics: Contemporary Decision Making.New York: West Publishing.
• Bryman, A. (2004)Social Research Methods.2nded. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Burchell, B.J., Day, D., Hudson, M., Ladipo, D., Mankelow, R., Nolan, J.P., Reed, H., Ines C Wichert, I.C. and Wilkinson, F. (1999)Job Insecurity and Working Intensification: Flexibility and the Changing Boundaries of Work.York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
• Clark, S. (2000) Work-family border theory: a new theory of work-life balance,Human Relations, 53(6), pp. 747-770.
• Dawson, C. (2006)A Practical Guide to Research Methods: A user-friendly manual for mastering research techniques and projects.2nded. Oxford: How to Books.
• Dettwiler, P. (2008) Modelling the relationship between business cycles and office location: The growth firms,Facilities, 26(3/4), pp. 157-172.
• DfEE (2000)Work-life balance: Changing Patterns in a changing world.London: Department for Education and Employment.
• Dillman, D.A., Eltinge, J.L., Groves, R.M., and Little, R.J.A. (2002) Survey Nonresponses in design, data collection, and analysis. In: Groves, R.M., Dillman, D.A., Eltinge, J.L., and Little, R.J.A. eds.Survey Nonresponse.New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• Dixon, T. (2005) The impact of information and communications technology on commercial real estate in the new economy,Journal of Property Investment and Finance, 23(6), pp. 480-493.
• Field, A. (2005)Discovering Statistics: Using SPSS.2nded. London: SAGE.
• Gershon, P., Sir (2004)Releasing resources to the front line: Independent Review of Public Sector Efficiency.London: HMSO.
• Gibson, V. and Hedley, C. (1999) Property Information and Performance Measurement: A Study of Current Practice in Corporate Property Management,Cutting Edge 1999: Proceedings of the Property Research Conference of the RICS, Cambridge, 6th - 7th September 1999.
• Gibson, V. and Lizieri, C. (1999) New Business practices and the corporate real estate portfolio: how responsive is the UK property market?Journal of Property Research, 16(3), pp. 201-218.
• Gibson, V. and Luck, R. (2004)Flexible working in Central Government: Leverage the benefit.London: Office of Government Commerce.
• Gibson, V. and Luck, R. (2006) Longitudinal analysis of corporate real estate practice changes in CRE strategy policies, functions and activities,Facilities, 24(3/4), pp. 74-89.
• Hurme, P. (2005) Mobile communication and work practices in knowledge-based organizations,An Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments, 1(1), pp. 101-108.
• Khamkanya, T. and Sloan, B. (2008) Flexible working in Scottish Local Authority Property: Developing a Combined Resource Management Strategy,International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 12(3), pp. 183-202.
• Kirkwood, J.S. (1994) Network technology: electronic mail, discussion lists and anonymous FTP for property management,Property Management, 12(3), pp. 33-38.
• Kirkwood, J.S. (1995) Network technology: potential applications within facilities management,Facilities, 13(11), pp. 8-12.
• Laing, A., Duffy, F., Jaunzens, D. and Willis, S. (1998)New Environments for Working: The Redesign of Offices and Environmental Systems for New Ways for Working.London: Taylor & Francis.
• Lyons, M., Sir (2004)Towards Better Management of Public Sector Assets: A Report to the Chancellor of the ExchequerLondon: HMSO.
• McGregor, W. (2000) The future of workspace management,Facilities, 18(3/4), pp. 138-143.
• NAO (2006)Getting the best from public sector office accommodation.London: National Audit Office Press Office.
• Nenonen, S. (2004) Analysis the intangible benefits of work space,Facilities, 22(9/10), pp. 233-239.
• Rowlatt, A., Clayton, T. and Vaze, P. (2002) Where, and how, to look for the New Economy,Economic Trends, No. 580, pp. 29-35.
• Sullivan, K. (1996) Changing technology and forecasting office space requirements,Property Management, 14(1), pp. 24-29.
• Ward, V. and Holtman, C. (2000) The role of private and public spaces in knowledge management.Proceedings of the BPRC Conference on Knowledge Management: Concepts and Controversies, 10-11 February 2000. Coventry: Warwick University.

Identifiers

DOI

10.3846/1648-715X.2009.13.37-52