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While important insights have been provided into the role of HR managers in performing change in the workplace, still little is known about how HR managers themselves are shaped by change, in particular in relation to those changes triggered by radical or disruptive shock events and crisis situations, and in the public sector context. In this study, we aim to address this, using an exploratory qualitative interview study to explore how the serious and profound COVID-19 pandemic triggered boundary work among HR managers in public sector municipalities. Our findings illustrate that COVID-19 triggered HR managers to engage in boundary work in two main ways: either by defending their boundaries (through the two practices of counteracting dumping and counteracting shirking) or by expanding them (through the two practices of facilitating self-fulfillment and facilitating status-enhancement). We discuss how this variation is related to whether the HR managers experienced and made sense of the pandemic mainly as a threat—of being forced into unwanted responsibility—or if they experienced and made sense of it mainly as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. In showing this, the study makes a number of important contributions to both theory and practice. © The Author(s) 2023.

The Dutch government implemented strict regulations to reduce the spreading of the virus and highly encouraged travel restrictions and to work from home if possible. As a result, organizations were forced to adapt and implement remote working. These implications became the norm for close to two years. Consequently, the needs and preferences of employees and employers have changed indefinitely. Employees displayed a positive experience with remote working, which has left organizations questioning whether their current real estate aligns with the desired workplace strategy. Many CEOs during the pandemic said they would cut down their office space by 69%. A year later, this has already changed to 21%. However, 51% of those CEOs also said they would invest in collaborative space. The majority of media and research directs its focus on large corporates and leading commercial landlords. Consequently, there is more uncertainty about the role of the future physical office for middle-smaller organizations (SMEs). SMEs make up 67% of the Dutch workforce and are essential for the Dutch economy. Despite their importance, SMEs have remained understudied in the ongoing experiences of the pandemic. Moreover, SME resource constraints likely limit the support for their future workplace transition. Creating a workplace that supports the organization thoroughly is a complex process. Therefore, this study aims to research how organizational components are used by Dutch SMEs transitioning to a hybrid workplace strategy. Preliminary interviews and literature provided insight into the propositions in each organizational component on how Dutch SMEs are transitioning to form a proposition. This help structure the basis for which next, a holistic multi-case analysis was used to examine the SME in each organizational component in a hybrid workplace strategy. Lastly, a proposition performance analysis to understand how each component performed. The research findings provided insight in, Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Management in the Built Environment

Syftet med denna forskningsöversikt var att undersöka vad aktuell forskning säger om hur en kompetensutveckling kan införas i en organisation för att få resultat/effekter för medarbetare på individ, grupp- och organisationsnivå. Detta utifrån den föränderliga värld vi lever i idag där organisationer står inför ständiga förändringar. Forskningsöversikten gjordes utefter 10 vetenskapliga artiklar. Resultaten visade att det är viktigt att inventera kompetensen i organisationen och göra en planering. Även kommunikation och reflektion sågs som framgångsfaktorer.

Syftet med denna forskningsöversikt var att undersöka vad aktuell forskning säger om hur en kompetensutveckling kan införas i en organisation för att få resultat/effekter för medarbetare på individ, grupp- och organisationsnivå. Detta utifrån den föränderliga värld vi lever i idag där organisationer står inför ständiga förändringar. Forskningsöversikten gjordes utefter 10 vetenskapliga artiklar. Resultaten visade att det är viktigt att inventera kompetensen i organisationen och göra en planering. Även kommunikation och reflektion sågs som framgångsfaktorer.

Denna studie handlar om ledarens erfarenhet av förändringsarbete i förskolan. Undersökningen tar reda på förskolechefens syn på medarbetarnas delaktighet i förändringen samt vilka faktorer som påverkar genomförandet med anknytning till medarbetarnas lärande och utveckling. En kvalitativ metod har använts där sex stycken förskolechefer i intervju har berättat om sina erfarenheter. Resultatet visar att medarbetarna behöver förstå och se meningen med förändringen, dess syfte och mål för att kunna verkställa själva genomförandeprocessen. Faktorer som påverkar medarbetarnas engagemang i förändringsprocessen är kommunikation, känsla av delaktighet och samarbete. Det framkommer att ledaren har en betydande roll i förändringsarbete. Förskolechefen behöver skapa förutsättningar både ekonomiska och organisatoriska för att medarbetarna ska kunna fullfölja förändringen.

Studied Case: This thesis focuses the research on the impact of Industry 4.0 at the Port of Barcelona. It considers of relevance the affect that the fourth industrial revolution is taking place in the workplaces all around the world. The researcher takes the case of the logistics service provider as the Port of Barcelona to understand the implication that the five major technologies characteristic of Industry 4.0 have in the functioning of the port. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to get deep understanding of how a logistical company implements Industry 4.0 and how this affects the workplace. On a more particular level, the purpose of this thesis is to analyse this workplace alteration caused by the application of Industry 4.0 for the Port of Barcelona. The research will be constructed by obtaining qualitative data through interviews to managers and employees of the Port of Barcelona. Methodology: The methodology used throughout the thesis follows a qualitative approach with inductive reasoning. The data was obtained from semi-structured interviews completed through purposive sampling of managers working in different departments at the Port Authority of the Port of Barcelona and at the terminal BEST. These interviewees, 13 in total, were representative of the port administrative departments considered of more relevance in relation to the topic of Industry 4.0. Conclusions: This master thesis has obtained data through interviews that were addressed to managers at the Port Authority and at the terminal BEST of the Port of Barcelona. The results of these interviews indicated that the port is broadly competitive regarding technology innovations characteristic of Industry 4.0. On the other hand, different difficulties from the public nature of the organization were also presented as a burden to the proper development of the port.

Studied Case: This thesis focuses the research on the impact of Industry 4.0 at the Port of Barcelona. It considers of relevance the affect that the fourth industrial revolution is taking place in the workplaces all around the world. The researcher takes the case of the logistics service provider as the Port of Barcelona to understand the implication that the five major technologies characteristic of Industry 4.0 have in the functioning of the port. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to get deep understanding of how a logistical company implements Industry 4.0 and how this affects the workplace. On a more particular level, the purpose of this thesis is to analyse this workplace alteration caused by the application of Industry 4.0 for the Port of Barcelona. The research will be constructed by obtaining qualitative data through interviews to managers and employees of the Port of Barcelona. Methodology: The methodology used throughout the thesis follows a qualitative approach with inductive reasoning. The data was obtained from semi-structured interviews completed through purposive sampling of managers working in different departments at the Port Authority of the Port of Barcelona and at the terminal BEST. These interviewees, 13 in total, were representative of the port administrative departments considered of more relevance in relation to the topic of Industry 4.0. Conclusions: This master thesis has obtained data through interviews that were addressed to managers at the Port Authority and at the terminal BEST of the Port of Barcelona. The results of these interviews indicated that the port is broadly competitive regarding technology innovations characteristic of Industry 4.0. On the other hand, different difficulties from the public nature of the organization were also presented as a burden to the proper development of the port.

Denna studie handlar om ledarens erfarenhet av förändringsarbete i förskolan. Undersökningen tar reda på förskolechefens syn på medarbetarnas delaktighet i förändringen samt vilka faktorer som påverkar genomförandet med anknytning till medarbetarnas lärande och utveckling. En kvalitativ metod har använts där sex stycken förskolechefer i intervju har berättat om sina erfarenheter. Resultatet visar att medarbetarna behöver förstå och se meningen med förändringen, dess syfte och mål för att kunna verkställa själva genomförandeprocessen. Faktorer som påverkar medarbetarnas engagemang i förändringsprocessen är kommunikation, känsla av delaktighet och samarbete. Det framkommer att ledaren har en betydande roll i förändringsarbete. Förskolechefen behöver skapa förutsättningar både ekonomiska och organisatoriska för att medarbetarna ska kunna fullfölja förändringen.

Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to compare performance measurement systems from the literature with current performance measurement approaches in practice to get a better understanding of the complex relationships between workplace change, added value and organisational performance.To be able to measure the added value of workplace change, a valid and reliable performance measurement system is needed to measure the impact of the work environment on organisational performance before and after the change. This paper compares performance measurement systems from the literature with current performance measurement approaches in practice in order to get a better understanding of the complex relationships between workplace change, added value and organisational performance. A second aim is to have a closer look at the appraisal of workplace change by the end users. Methodology: A review of the literature traced various performance measurement systems with different performance areas and Key Performance Indicators. Three case studies were conducted, two in Thailand and one in the Netherlands, to explore if and how these theoretical insights are applied in current practice. Due to the worldwide introduction of New Ways of Working, special attention is paid to employee satisfaction and perceived productivity support. Findings: Many performance criteria and KPIs from literature are used in practice. However, apart from the Balanced Scorecard no performance measurement system from literature is literally applied. Regarding most issues, none of the organisations conducted a comparison of the impact of their real estate on organisational performance before and after the change. In one case only both ex ante and ex post data were collected about the appraisal of change by the end users. Practical implications: The performance measurement systems that were found in theory and practice can be used as input to value adding management of facilities. Based on the f, Accepted Author Manuscript, Real Estate Management

Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to compare performance measurement systems from the literature with current performance measurement approaches in practice to get a better understanding of the complex relationships between workplace change, added value and organisational performance.To be able to measure the added value of workplace change, a valid and reliable performance measurement system is needed to measure the impact of the work environment on organisational performance before and after the change. This paper compares performance measurement systems from the literature with current performance measurement approaches in practice in order to get a better understanding of the complex relationships between workplace change, added value and organisational performance. A second aim is to have a closer look at the appraisal of workplace change by the end users. Methodology: A review of the literature traced various performance measurement systems with different performance areas and Key Performance Indicators. Three case studies were conducted, two in Thailand and one in the Netherlands, to explore if and how these theoretical insights are applied in current practice. Due to the worldwide introduction of New Ways of Working, special attention is paid to employee satisfaction and perceived productivity support. Findings: Many performance criteria and KPIs from literature are used in practice. However, apart from the Balanced Scorecard no performance measurement system from literature is literally applied. Regarding most issues, none of the organisations conducted a comparison of the impact of their real estate on organisational performance before and after the change. In one case only both ex ante and ex post data were collected about the appraisal of change by the end users. Practical implications: The performance measurement systems that were found in theory and practice can be used as input to value adding management of facilities. Based on the f, Accepted Author Manuscript, Real Estate Management

Nowadays, organisations must cope with the pressure of cost reduction and efficiency in order to succeed in a highly competitive business environment. However, drivers to improve social interaction and employee’s performance and as such to contribute to organisational goals and objectives make it necessary to be concerned with other performance criteria as well, such as effectiveness, flexibility, employee satisfaction, productivity and creativity. There is a growing need for performance management and performance measurement that not only covers all aspects of an organisation, but which can be applied to various situations in a changing internal and external environment. Performance measurement methods which include an integrated perspective of performance have become essential. In addition, it has been realised that corporate real estate can contribute to organisational performance (Nourse and Roulac, 1993, De Vries et al., 2008, Lindholm, 2008, Den Heijer, 2011, Jensen et al., 2012). For this reason, worldwide organisations started to implement new ways of working in a more open and flexible work environment. Although there are various objectives and drivers of workplace change, the common objectives are to reduce costs and to increase efficiency. The changing organisational and external contexts, such as the increasing demand for talented knowledge workers and changing work patterns, have led to the development of new offices that can promote social networks and interaction among employees. The new workplace does not only aim at achieving cost efficiency, but it should also support employee satisfaction and productivity. This PhD research focuses on both themes i.e. performance measurement of workplace change. The aim of this research is to provide a conceptual framework that visualises the impact of workplace change on employees’ responses to the new work environment and to present guidelines on performance measurement of workplace change in different contexts.

There is a growing need for performance management and performance measurement that not only covers all aspects of an organisation, but which can be applied to various situations in a changing internal and external environment. The changing organisational and external contexts, such as the increasing demand for talented knowledge workers and changing work patterns, have led to the development of new offices that can promote social networks and interaction among employees. This PhD research focuses on both themes i.e. performance measurement of workplace change. The aim of this research is to provide a conceptual framework that visualises the impact of workplace change on employees’ responses to the new work environment and to present guidelines on performance measurement of workplace change in different contexts. Two organisations in Thailand and one organisation in The Netherlands were selected to serve as case studies. The impact of culture was explored as a contextual background. Based on literature review an overview of performance measurement systems and measures has been developed. The impact of workplace change was examined using the work environment diagnosis instrument (WODI) questionnaire which evaluates employees’ responses to the changed work environment in three areas: employee satisfaction, perceived productivity support and prioritised aspects (Maarleveld, et al., 2009). The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI; Cameron and Quinn, 2006) was used to assess organisational culture. National culture was measured by using the Value Survey Module 94 (VSM94; Hofstede, 1997). These conceptual frameworks on performance measurement and employees’ appraisals of workplace change can be used as a reference to provide input for further improvement of performance measurement and performance management., Real Estate & Housing, Architecture and The Built Environment

There is a growing need for performance management and performance measurement that not only covers all aspects of an organisation, but which can be applied to various situations in a changing internal and external environment. The changing organisational and external contexts, such as the increasing demand for talented knowledge workers and changing work patterns, have led to the development of new offices that can promote social networks and interaction among employees. This PhD research focuses on both themes i.e. performance measurement of workplace change. The aim of this research is to provide a conceptual framework that visualises the impact of workplace change on employees’ responses to the new work environment and to present guidelines on performance measurement of workplace change in different contexts. Two organisations in Thailand and one organisation in The Netherlands were selected to serve as case studies. The impact of culture was explored as a contextual background. Based on literature review an overview of performance measurement systems and measures has been developed. The impact of workplace change was examined using the work environment diagnosis instrument (WODI) questionnaire which evaluates employees’ responses to the changed work environment in three areas: employee satisfaction, perceived productivity support and prioritised aspects (Maarleveld, et al., 2009). The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI; Cameron and Quinn, 2006) was used to assess organisational culture. National culture was measured by using the Value Survey Module 94 (VSM94; Hofstede, 1997). These conceptual frameworks on performance measurement and employees’ appraisals of workplace change can be used as a reference to provide input for further improvement of performance measurement and performance management., Real Estate & Housing, Architecture and The Built Environment

Purpose: Worldwide organisations have introduced more flexibility in place, time and ways of working. In order to be able to define the added value of workplace change, a clear performance measurement system is needed to measure organisational performance in connection to real estate before and after the change. This paper compares various performance measurement systems from the literature with current performance management in practice in search of opportunities for improvement and prioritization. Methodology: In addition to a review of literature, three case studies were conducted, two in Thailand and one in the Netherlands. Special attention is paid to appraisal of change by the end users i.e. employee satisfaction and perceived productivity support . Findings: Many performance criteria and KPIs from literature are used in practice. However, apart from the Balanced Scorecard no other performance measurement system from literature is literally applied. Regarding most issues, none of the organisations conducted a sound comparison of the impact of their real estate on organisational performance before and after the change. In one case only both ex ante and ex post data were collected about the appraisal of change by the end users. Employees’ appraisals showed to be linked to the location of the building, the office concept, the experience value of the exterior and interior design, and technical equipment. Practical implications: The proposed performance measures can be used as a reference frame for value adding management of facilities. Based on the findings a step-by-step procedure has been developed to facilitate the selection of prioritized key performance indicators. Research limitations: The number of cases is limited. Additional case studies in depth are needed to get a wider picture of practice. Besides, still much work has to be done to operationalize all performance criteria. Originality/value: This research connects the worlds of perfo, Real Estate Management

This paper presents the findings from a case study in Thailand on the use and experience of a new working environment, five months after the organisation moved to a new office building. The purpose of this study is to collect new data about employee satisfaction and perceived productivity after a workplace change, to find out which aspects employees find most important in their work environment, and to explore the impact of national and organisational culture. The data-collection included interviews, observations, analysis of documents, and the use of questionnaires in order to measuring employee satisfaction, perceived support of labour productivity through the work environment, perceived dominant characteristics of the work environment, and key dimensions of national and organisational culture. Results from the Work Environment Diagnosis Instrument (WODI) are compared with similar data from case studies in the Netherlands. As such, this study made it possible to explore the impact of workplace change in different cultural contexts. The research findings reveal many differences in employee satisfaction and prioritized aspects. On most aspects of the work environment the percentages of satisfied employees in the Thailand case are much lower than the corresponding average percentages in the Dutch cases. The Thai employees put much more emphasis on adjacency and locality of spaces, subdivision of the whole building, and sharing own ideas about the work environment, whereas functionality and comfort of workspaces and opportunities for concentration and communication are mentioned much less by the Thai people than by the Dutch people. The preference for a less hierarchical organisation and the quite masculine culture of Thai people may have their impact here. A limitation of the study is the lack of data about organisational culture in the Dutch cases. Additional data collection in Dutch working environments and more in-depth analyses are needed for a further exploratio, Real Estate and Housing, Architecture

This paper presents the findings from a case study in Thailand on the use and experience of a new working environment, five months after the organisation moved to a new office building. The purpose of this study is to collect new data about employee satisfaction and perceived productivity after a workplace change, to find out which aspects employees find most important in their work environment, and to explore the impact of national and organisational culture. The data-collection included interviews, observations, analysis of documents, and the use of questionnaires in order to measuring employee satisfaction, perceived support of labour productivity through the work environment, perceived dominant characteristics of the work environment, and key dimensions of national and organisational culture. Results from the Work Environment Diagnosis Instrument (WODI) are compared with similar data from case studies in the Netherlands. As such, this study made it possible to explore the impact of workplace change in different cultural contexts. The research findings reveal many differences in employee satisfaction and prioritized aspects. On most aspects of the work environment the percentages of satisfied employees in the Thailand case are much lower than the corresponding average percentages in the Dutch cases. The Thai employees put much more emphasis on adjacency and locality of spaces, subdivision of the whole building, and sharing own ideas about the work environment, whereas functionality and comfort of workspaces and opportunities for concentration and communication are mentioned much less by the Thai people than by the Dutch people. The preference for a less hierarchical organisation and the quite masculine culture of Thai people may have their impact here. A limitation of the study is the lack of data about organisational culture in the Dutch cases. Additional data collection in Dutch working environments and more in-depth analyses are needed for a further exploratio, Real Estate and Housing, Architecture

Despite the wealth of material on occupational health and safety (OHS) there remains an ongoing tragic toll on workers. Governments of the more industrialised economies have sought to address this problem through launching a raft of legislative changes. However, implementation of these mandates generally rests with management and whilst procedural regulations are broadly adhered to, more innovative solutions to OHS issues at work have been absent. In this paper we provide a brief overview of developments, debates and studies in OHS and through drawing on the concept of social innovation toward a more holistic organizational model of OHS management.

Despite the wealth of material on occupational health and safety (OHS) there remains an ongoing tragic toll on workers. Governments of the more industrialised economies have sought to address this problem through launching a raft of legislative changes. However, implementation of these mandates generally rests with management and whilst procedural regulations are broadly adhered to, more innovative solutions to OHS issues at work have been absent. In this paper we provide a brief overview of developments, debates and studies in OHS and through drawing on the concept of social innovation toward a more holistic organizational model of OHS management.

Despite the wealth of material on occupational health and safety (OHS) there remains an ongoing tragic toll on workers. Governments of the more industrialised economies have sought to address this problem through launching a raft of legislative changes. However, implementation of these mandates generally rests with management and whilst procedural regulations are broadly adhered to, more innovative solutions to OHS issues at work have been absent. In this paper we provide a brief overview of developments, debates and studies in OHS and through drawing on the concept of social innovation toward a more holistic organizational model of OHS management.