Search Results for: performance

Moderate stress levels can enhance performance, claims new research

by • Knowledge, News, Workplace

StressA new research project conducted jointly by the University of Reading and Ashridge Business School claims that managers can perform better and make better decisions when they are exposure on a regular basis to stressful situations. The research applied principles from the science of neurobiology in measuring changes in the heart rates of 350 managers aged from 26-55 to analyse their performance under pressure. All of the participants in the research were current students on an Ashridge management course who took part in simulated high-pressure executive situation, such as conflict resolution, high-level decision-making and handling difficult employees and conversations. Their physical and psychological responses were continually monitored over two days, including sleep patterns, heart rate and psychometric tests.

(more…)

BCO report claims to reveal link between green offices and business performance

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

Switch

A new report from the British Council for Offices claims that building owners could enjoy significant savings in their operating costs of up to £50 per square metre as well as improved staff productivity  and wellbeing by investing in environmentally friendly offices and work practices. The research, Improving the Environmental Performance of Offices claims to illustrate the benefits of energy efficient offices and highlight the positive impact they can have on employee productivity. The report calls on building occupiers to focus on key areas such as benchmarking and monitoring their energy usage. The BCO believes there is already a shift in attitudes towards a greater understanding of how offices actually perform environmentally rather than simply how they are designed and that more and more businesses are waking up to specific issues such as how much energy their buildings use outside of office hours. (more…)

Businesses missing the potential of property to benefit performance says BCO

by • Facilities management, News, Workplace design

Organisations need to unleash potential for property to benefit performance

The UK spent an estimated £28.5 billion on offices in 2012 – outstripping business expenditure on legal services (£24.3bn), accounting (£14bn) and insurance services (£23.8bn). Yet despite this, nearly three fifths (57%) of 250 senior executives from large organisations in a recent poll said property issues are not regularly discussed in the boardroom and responsibility for property is still likely to fall outside management teams. The research, carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and Populus, found businesses take a very cost-centric view towards the workplace. Although almost three-quarters of organisations were constantly analysing and assessing whether their space is being used efficiently, cost was still found to be the most important factor in assessing the office’s performance (73%). (more…)

RICS’ new FM Guidance Note aims to improve business performance

by • Facilities management, News, Property

RICS launches guidance note to improve business performanceThe Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has launched a global guidance note which can help facilities and estates managers increase efficiency and drive up profits across business. The Global Strategic Facilities Management (FM) Guidance Note is aimed at facilities managers and corporate real estate professionals overseeing the running of commercial property worldwide, providing recommendations on developing, implementing and evaluating a strategic plan for the running and servicing of individual buildings and property portfolios. The note is also accessible for clients and consultants by providing them with a clear picture of the best practice methods that should be implemented in the running of buildings in order to boost organisational performance. (more…)

New guidance for designers on bridging energy performance gap

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Workplace design

Evaluating operational energy performance of buildings at the design stage

So-called “low energy buildings” are increasingly being found to use more energy than their designers thought they would, with the performance of low energy designs often little better, and sometimes worse, than that of an older building they have replaced, or supplemented. This difference between expected and realised energy performance has come to be known as the “performance gap”.  To help address this problem, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has just issued new guidance on how to address operational energy use at the design stage. ‘TM54: Evaluating operational energy performance of buildings at the design stage’ is now available from the online CIBSE Knowledge Portal. (more…)

Personalised design and office plants proven to boost wellness and performance

by • Facilities management, News, Workplace, Workplace design

Personalised design coupled with office plants boost well-being at workAllowing staff to make design decisions in a workspace enhanced with office plants can increase wellbeing and wellness by as much as 47 per cent, increase creativity by 45 per cent and increase productivity by 38 per cent, new research has revealed. Visitors at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show were challenged to take part in the study which measured their creativity, happiness and productivity as they experienced a range of different workspace designs. The findings, which would be expected to translate to a significant increase in business profitability, confront the popular belief that plants and art are an unnecessary or even wasteful element of the business environment. Results from this and related scientific investigations indicate that across all measures of psychological comfort and business performance, the managerially popular flexible, controlled, lean office, is consistently inferior to a space enriched by the design decisions of people who work there.

(more…)

Consultation opens on facilities management to ‘enhance organisational performance’

by • Facilities management, Knowledge, News, Property

Consultation opens on 'managing facilities to enhance organisational performance’

Facilities and property managers worldwide are being asked to help shape a ‘Strategic Facilities Management Guidance Note’. Once established, the note – spearheaded by a RICS-led working group – aims to help drive professionalism and enable benchmarking across the sector by creating greater consistency in the delivery of FM services. The guidance forms a key part of RICS’ wider campaign to improve understanding and recognition from businesses for the performance efficiencies that strategic FM can deliver. The call for global feedback follows RICS’ initial UK consultation last year which has resulted in the publication of the draft guidance, ‘Managing facilities to enhance organisational performance’.

(more…)

Workplace wellness initiatives improve job morale, satisfaction and performance

by • Knowledge, News, Workplace

It emerged this week that workplace wellness programs may not be as effective as previously thought in creating a healthier workforce and, of particular relevance for US firms, reducing health-care costs, but another US study paints a more positive picture. While concurring that determining the bottom-line impact of wellness programs continues to be a challenge for employers, this latest study does find a strong link between the wellness and vitality of an organisation and the health and wellness of its employees, which impacts directly on employees’ increased job morale, satisfaction, commitment and performance. The survey of approximately 1,300 businesses and 10,000 employees conducted by Virgin HealthMiles, Inc.  found that workers also place a premium on the culture of wellness with 87 per cent claiming that health and wellness initiatives play a role in determining their employer of choice. (more…)

Rebuilding belonging: how offices can overcome loneliness  

Rebuilding belonging: how offices can overcome loneliness  

by • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

loneliness as a complex societal issue which workplaces alone will not solve. However, through the spaces we create we can begin to meaningfully contribute to a solution.In the coming weeks it will be six years since the UK entered lockdown and working life changed overnight. While much has stabilised, the impact of the pandemic still shapes how people experience work, particularly when it comes to connection and belonging. Loneliness is widely recognised as a growing societal issue and government data shows that around a quarter of adults in Great Britain report feeling lonely at least some of the time, rising significantly among younger age groups. Hybrid working has not created this challenge but it has highlighted that for many people the workplace was a consistent source of social interaction. (more…)

Refurbishment dominates UK cities office development pipeline

Refurbishment dominates UK cities office development pipeline

by • News, Property

Refurbishment projects account for the largest share of the office development pipeline across the UK’s major regional citiesRefurbishment projects account for the largest share of the office development pipeline across the UK’s major regional cities, as new build activity remains subdued and occupiers continue to favour high quality, sustainable space. According to new figures from Avison Young, refurbishment schemes now represent the majority of space under construction in the Big Nine regional office markets. The volume of refurbishment space in the pipeline has risen by 12 percent year on year, reflecting a sustained shift towards upgrading existing stock rather than delivering entirely new buildings. (more…)

Designing for new work: lighting and acoustics shape Atelier drü’s new studio

Designing for new work: lighting and acoustics shape Atelier drü’s new studio

by • Company news, Workplace design

TRILUX has delivered a lighting solution for the new offices of Swiss architecture practice Atelier drü in Flums, in the canton of St. Gallen. Designed as a collaborative “New Work” environmentTRILUX has delivered a lighting solution for the new offices of Swiss architecture practice Atelier drü in Flums, in the canton of St. Gallen. Designed as a collaborative “New Work” environment, the project combines exposed concrete architecture with minimalist interior design, placing lighting and acoustics at the centre of the workplace concept. The office design features large concrete surfaces, modern furnishings, and integrated ceiling elements to create a balanced working environment where interior design, lighting and spatial planning work together to support comfort and collaboration. (more…)

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

by • Business, News

Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition,Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition, according to the latest State of Small Business Britain report from the Enterprise Research Centre. The annual study draws together findings from a range of business surveys and shows that 36 percent of working age adults are now starting, running or planning to launch a business. This is the highest level recorded since the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor began tracking activity in 1999. Early stage entrepreneurial activity has doubled since the early 2000s and has stabilised at around 12 percent. (more…)

«< 5 6 7 8 9 >»