Internal rents and corporate property management: a study into the use of internal rents in UK corporate organisations

Research in the late 1980s showed that in many corporate real estates users were not fully aware of the full extent of their property holdings. In many cases, not only was the value of the holdings unknown, but there was uncertainty over the actual extent of ownership within the portfolio. This resulted in a large number of corporate occupiers reviewing their property holdings during the 1990s, initially to create a definitive asset register, but also to benefit from an more efficient use of space. Good management of corporately owned property assets is of equal importance as the management of other principal resources within the company. A comprehensive asset register can be seen as the first step towards a rational property audit. For the effective, efficient and economic delivery of services, it is vital that all property holdings are utilised to the best advantage. This requires that the property provider and the property user are both fully conversant with the value of the property holding and that an asset/internal rent/charge is made accordingly. The advantages of internal rent charging are twofold. Firstly, it requires the occupying department to ���contribute��� an amount to the business equivalent to the open market rental value of the space that it occupies. This prevents the treating of space as a free good and, as individual profit centres, each department will then rationalise its holdings to minimise its costs. The second advantage is from a strategic viewpoint. By charging an asset rent, the holding department can identify the performance of its real estate holdings. This can then be compared to an internal or external benchmark to help determine whether the company has adopted the most efficient tenure pattern for its properties. This paper investigates the use of internal rents by UK-based corporate businesses and explains internal rents as a form of transfer pricing in the context of management and responsibility accounting. The research finds that the majority of charging organisations introduced internal rents primarily to help calculate true profits at the business unit level. However, less than 10% of the charging organisations introduced internal rents primarily to capture the return on assets within the business. There was also a sizeable element of the market who had no plans to introduce internal rents. Here, it appears that, despite academic and professional views that internal rents are beneficial in improving the efficient use of property, opinion at the business and operational level has not universally accepted this proposition.

The location of executive suites and business centers in the United States: an exploratory analysis

Increasingly, corporate occupiers seek more flexible ways of meeting their accommodation needs. One consequence of this process has been the growth of the executive suite, serviced office or business centre market. This paper, the final report of a research project funded by the Real Estate Research Institute, focuses upon the geographical distribution of business centers offering executive suites within the US. After a brief review of the development of the market, the paper examines the availability of data, provides basic descriptive statistics of the distribution of executive suites by state and by metropolitan statistical area and then attempts to model the distribution using demographic and socio-economic data at MSA level. The distribution reflects employment in key growth sectors and the position of the MSA in the urban hierarchy. An appendix presents a preliminary view of the global distribution of suites.

Generalizability and Applicability of Model-Based Business Process Compliance-Checking Approaches ��� A State-of-the-Art Analysis and Research Roadmap

With a steady increase of regulatory requirements for business processes, automation support of compliance management is a field garnering increasing attention in Information Systems research. Several approaches have been developed to support compliance checking of process models. One major challenge for such approaches is their ability to handle different modeling techniques and compliance rules in order to enable widespread adoption and application. Applying a structured literature search strategy, we reflect and discuss compliance-checking approaches in order to provide an insight into their generalizability and evaluation. The results imply that current approaches mainly focus on special modeling techniques and/or a restricted set of types of compliance rules. Most approaches abstain from real-world evaluation which raises the question of their practical applicability. Referring to the search results, we propose a roadmap for further research in model-based business process compliance checking.

Propuesta de un modelo de sistema de informaci��n interorganizacional: aplicaci��n en el sector de la dom��tica para la gesti��n de servicios del hogar digital

El sector de la edificaci��n es uno de los principales sectores econ��micos en Espa��a y, adem��s, es un componente b��sico de la actividad econ��mica y social, debido a su importante papel como generador de empleo, proveedor de bienes e incentivador del crecimiento. Curiosamente, es uno de los sectores con menos regulaci��n y organizaci��n y que, adem��s, est�� formado mayoritariamente por empresas de peque��a y mediana dimensi��n (pymes) que, por su menor capacidad, a menudo, se quedan detr��s de las grandes empresas en t��rminos de adopci��n de soluciones innovadoras. La complejidad en la gesti��n de toda la informaci��n relacionada con un proyecto de edificaci��n ha puesto de manifiesto claras ineficiencias que se traducen en un gasto innecesario bastante representativo. La informaci��n y los conocimientos aprendidos rara vez son transmitidos de una fase a otra dentro del proyecto de edificaci��n y, mucho menos, reutilizados en otros proyectos similares. De este modo, no s��lo se produce un gasto innecesario, sino que incluso podemos encontrar informaci��n contradictoria y obsoleta y, por tanto, in��til para la toma de decisiones. A lo largo de los a��os, esta situaci��n ha sido motivada por la propia configuraci��n del sector, poniendo de manifiesto la necesidad de una soluci��n que pudiera solventar este reto de gesti��n interorganizacional. As��, la cooperaci��n interorganizacional se ha convertido en un factor clave para mejorar la competitividad de las organizaciones, t��picamente pymes, que componen el sector de la edificaci��n. La informaci��n es la piedra angular de cualquier proceso de negocio. Durante la ��ltima d��cada, una amplia gama de industrias han experimentado importantes mejoras de productividad con la aplicaci��n eficiente de las TIC, asociadas, principalmente, a incrementos en la velocidad de proceso de informaci��n y una mayor coherencia en la generaci��n de datos, accesibilidad e intercambio de informaci��n. La aplicaci��n eficaz de las TIC en el sector de la edificaci��n requiere una combinaci��n de aspectos estrat��gicos y t��cticos, puesto que no s��lo se trata de utilizar soluciones puntuales importadas de otros sectores para su aplicaci��n en diferentes ��reas, sino que se buscar��a que la informaci��n multi-agente estuviera integrada y sea coherente para los proyectos de edificaci��n. El sector de la construcci��n ha experimentado un descenso significativo en los ��ltimos a��os en Espa��a y en Europa como resultado de la crisis financiera que comenz�� en 2007. Esta disminuci��n est�� acompa��ada de una baja penetraci��n de las TIC en la interorganizacionales orientadas a los procesos de negocio. El descenso del mercado ha provocado una desaceleraci��n en el sector de la construcci��n, donde s��lo las pymes flexibles han sido capaces de mantener el ritmo a pesar de la especializaci��n y la innovaci��n en los servicios adaptados a las nuevas demandas del mercado. La industria de la edificaci��n est�� muy fragmentada en comparaci��n con otras industrias manufactureras. El alto grado de esta fragmentaci��n est�� ��ntimamente relacionado con un impacto significativo en la productividad y el rendimiento. Muchos estudios de investigaci��n han desarrollado y propuesto una serie de modelos de procesos integrados. Por desgracia, en la actualidad todav��a no se est�� en condiciones para la formalizaci��n de c��mo debe ser la comunicaci��n y el intercambio de informaci��n durante el proceso de construcci��n. El paso del proceso secuencial tradicional a los procesos de interdependencia rec��proca sin lugar a duda son una gran demanda asociada a la comunicaci��n y el flujo de informaci��n en un proyecto de edificaci��n. Recientemente se est�� poniendo mucho ��nfasis en los servicios para el hogar como un primer paso hacia esta mejora en innovaci��n ya que la industria de los servicios digitales interactivos tiene un alto potencial para generar innovaci��n y la ventaja estrat��gica para las empresas existentes. La multiplicidad de servicios para el hogar digital (HD) y los proveedores de servicios demandan, cada vez m��s, la aparici��n de una plataforma capaz de coordinar a todos los agentes del sector con el usuario final. En consecuencia, las estructuras organizacionales tienden a descentralizarse en busca de esa coordinaci��n y, como respuesta a esta demanda, se plantea, tambi��n en este ��mbito, el concepto de cooperaci��n interorganizacional. Por lo tanto, ambos procesos de negocio -el asociado a la construcci��n y el asociado a la provisi��n de servicios del hogar digital, tambi��n considerado como la propia gesti��n de ese hogar digital o edificio, inteligente o no- deben de ser vistos en su conjunto mediante una plataforma tecnol��gica que les d�� soporte y que pueda garantizar la agregaci��n e integraci��n de los diversos procesos, relacionados con la construcci��n y gesti��n, que se suceden durante el ciclo de vida de un edificio. Sobre esta idea y atendiendo a la evoluci��n permanente de los sistemas de informaci��n en un entorno de interrelaci��n y cooperaci��n dar��a lugar a una aplicaci��n del concepto de sistema de informaci��n interorganizacional (SIIO). El SIIO proporciona a las organizaciones la capacidad para mejorar los v��nculos entre los socios comerciales a lo largo de la cadena de suministro, por lo que su importancia ha sido reconocida por organizaciones de diversos sectores. Sin embargo, la adopci��n de un SIIO en diferentes ��mbitos ha demostrado ser complicada y con una alta dependencia de las caracter��sticas particulares de cada sector, siendo, en este momento, una l��nea de investigaci��n abierta. Para contribuir a esta l��nea de investigaci��n, este trabajo pretende recoger, partiendo de una revisi��n de la literatura relacionada, un enfoque en un modelo de adopci��n de un SIIO para el objeto concreto de esta investigaci��n. El dise��o de un SIIO est�� basado principalmente, en la identificaci��n de las necesidades de informaci��n de cada uno de sus agentes participantes, de ah�� la importancia en concretar un modelo de SIIO en el ��mbito de este trabajo. Esta tesis doctoral presenta el modelo de plataforma virtual de la asociaci��n entre diferentes agentes del sector de la edificaci��n, el marco de las relaciones, los flujos de informaci��n correspondientes a diferentes procesos y la metodolog��a que subyace tras el propio modelo, todo ello, con el objeto de contribuir a un modelo unificado que d�� soporte tanto a los procesos relacionados con la construcci��n como con la gesti��n de servicios en el hogar digital y permitiendo cubrir los requisitos importantes que caracterizan este tipo de proyectos: flexibilidad, escalabilidad y robustez. El SIIO se ha convertido en una fuente de innovaci��n y una herramienta estrat��gica que permite a las pymes obtener ventajas competitivas. Debido a la complejidad inherente de la adopci��n de un SIIO, esta investigaci��n extiende el modelo te��rico de adopci��n de un SIIO de Kurnia y Johnston (2000) con un modelo emp��rico para la caracterizaci��n de un SIIO. El modelo resultante tiene como objetivo fomentar la innovaci��n de servicios en el sector mediante la identificaci��n de los factores que influyen en la adopci��n de un SIIO por las pymes en el sector de la edificaci��n como fuente de ventaja competitiva y de colaboraci��n. Por tanto, esta tesis doctoral, proyectada sobre una investigaci��n emp��rica, proporciona un enfoque para caracterizar un modelo de SIIO que permita dar soporte a la gesti��n integrada de los procesos de construcci��n y gesti��n de servicios para el hogar digital. La validez del modelo de SIIO propuesto, como fuente y soporte de ventajas competitivas, est�� ��ntimamente relacionada con la necesidad de intercambio de informaci��n r��pido y fiable que demandan los agentes del sector para mejorar la gesti��n de su interrelaci��n y cooperaci��n con el fin de abordar proyectos m��s complejos en el sector de la edificaci��n, relacionados con la implantaci��n del hogar digital, y contribuyendo, as�� a favorecer el desarrollo de la sociedad de la informaci��n en el segmento residencial. ABSTRACT The building industry is the largest industry in the world. Land purchase, building design, construction, furnishing, building equipment, operations maintenance and the disposition of real estate have an unquestionable prominence not only at economic but also at social level. In Spain, the building sector is one of the main drivers of economy and also a basic component of economic activity and its role in generating employment, supply of goods or incentive for growth is crucial in the evolution of the economy. Surprisingly, it is one of the sectors with less regulation and organization. Another consistent problem is that, in this sector, the majority of companies are small and medium (SMEs), and often behind large firms in terms of their adoption of innovative solutions. The complexity of managing all information related to this industry has lead to a waste of money and time. The information and knowledge gathered is frequently stored in multiple locations, involving the work of thousands of people, and is rarely transferred on to the next phase. This approach is inconsistent and makes that incorrect information is used for decisions. This situation needs a viable solution for interorganizational information management. So, interorganizational co-operation has become a key factor for organization competitiveness within the building sector. Information is the cornerstone of any business process. Therefore, information and communication technologies (ICT) offer a means to change the way business is conducted. During the last decade, significant productivity improvements were experienced by a wide range of industries with ICT implementation. ICT has provided great advantages in speed of operation, consistency of data generation, accessibility and exchange of information. The wasted money resulting from reentering information, errors and omissions caused through poor decisions and actions, and the delays caused while waiting for information, represent a significant percentage of the global benefits. The effective application of ICT in building construction sector requires a combination of strategic and tactical developments. The building sector has experienced a significant decline in recent years in Spain and in Europe as a result of the financial crisis that began in 2007. This drop goes hand in hand with a low penetration of ICT in inter-organizational-oriented business processes. The market decrease has caused a slowdown in the building sector, where only flexible SMEs have been able to keep the pace though specialization and innovation in services adapted to new market demands. The building industry is highly fragmented compared with other manufacturing industries. This fragmentation has a significant negative impact on productivity and performance. Many research studies have developed and proposed a number of integrated process models. Unfortunately, these studies do not suggest how communication and information exchange within the construction process can be achieved, without duplication or lost in quality. A change from the traditional sequential process to reciprocal interdependency processes would increase the demand on communication and information flow over the edification project. Focusing on home services, the digital interactive service industry has the potential to generate innovation and strategic advantage for existing business. Multiplicity of broadband home services (BHS) and suppliers suggest the need for a figure able to coordinate all the agents in sector with the final user. Consequently, organizational structures tend to be decentralized. Responding to this fact, the concept of interorganizational co-operation also is raising in the residential market. Therefore, both of these business processes, building and home service supply, must be complemented with a technological platform that supports these processes and guarantees the aggregation and integration of the several services over building lifecycle. In this context of a technological platform and the permanent evolution of information systems is where the relevance of the concept of inter-organizational information system (IOIS) emerges. IOIS improves linkages between trading partners along the supply chain. However, IOIS adoption has proved to be difficult and not fully accomplished yet. This research reviews the literature in order to focus a model of IOIS adoption. This PhD Thesis presents a model of virtual association, a framework of the relationships, an identification of the information requirements and the corresponding information flows, using the multi-agent system approach. IOIS has become a source of innovation and a strategic tool for SMEs to obtain competitive advantage. Because of the inherent complexity of IOIS adoption, this research extends Kurnia and Johnston���s (2000) theoretical model of IOIS adoption with an empirical model of IOIS characterization. The resultant model aims to foster further service innovation in the sector by identifying the factors influencing IOIS adoption by the SMEs in the building sector as a source of competitive and collaborative advantage. Therefore, this PhD Thesis characterizes an IOIS model to support integrated management of building processes and home services. IOIS validity, as source and holder of competitive advantages, is related to the need for reliable information interchanges to improve interrelationship management. The final goal is to favor tracking of more complex projects in building sector and to contribute to consolidation of the information society through the provision of broadband home services and home automation.

People management issues in Indian KPOs

Purpose: The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in India is evolving rapidly, and one of the key characteristics of this industry is the emergence of high-end services offered by knowledge processing outsourcing (KPO) organizations. These organizations are set to grow at a tremendous pace. Given the people-intensive nature of this industry, efficient employee management is bound to play a critical role. The literature lacks studies offering insights into the HR challenges involved and the ways in which they are addressed by KPOs. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to fill this gap by presenting findings from an in-depth case study of a KPO organization. Design/methodology/ approach: To achieve the research objective we adopted an in-depth case study approach. The research setting was that of a KPO organization in India, which specialises in offering complex analytics, accounting and support services to the real estate and financial services industries. Findings: The results of this study highlight the differences in the nature of work characteristics in such organizations as compared to call centres. The study also highlights some of the key people management challenges that these organizations face like attracting and retaining talent. The case company adopts formal, structured, transparent and innovative human resource practices. The study also highlights that such enlightened human resource practices stand on the foundations laid by an open work environment and facilitative leadership. Research limitations/implications: One of the key limitations is that the analysis is based on primary data from a single case study and only 18 interviews. The analysis contributes to the fields of KPO, HRM and India and has key messages for policy makers. Originality/value: The literature on outsourcing has in general focused on call centres established in the developed world. However, the booming BPO industry in India is also beginning to offer high-end services, which are far above the typical call centres. These KPOs and their people management challenges are relatively unexplored territories in the literature. By conducting this study in an emerging market (India) and focusing on people-related challenges in KPOs, this study attempts to provide a fresh perspective to the extant BPO literature. �� Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Um sistema de informa����o ��� a solu����o?

Pequenas empresas reconhecem a necessidade de sistematizar os seus procedimentos, por forma, a alcan��arem sucesso nas suas propostas de neg��cio. Esta padroniza����o pressup��e uma avalia����o do enquadramento social e de mercado existente e dos valores, miss��o e objetivos das pr��prias empresas. As constantes inova����es na ��rea tecnol��gica e as mudan��as sociais, refletem-se no desenvolvimento e estrat��gia a seguir pelas organiza����es, que se desdobram num ambiente muito competitivo e din��mico, o que lhes exige uma aten����o constante e ponderada. Ao analisarmos uma micro empresa portuguesa, que desenvolve a sua atividade na ��rea da gest��o e promo����o de im��veis para arrendamento de curta dura����o, verificamos a exist��ncia de lacunas ao n��vel do seu modelo de gest��o operacional. A escassez de meios financeiros e humanos, e o fraco conhecimento das pr��ticas de gest��o organizacional e estrat��gica, s��o fatores limitadores para o bom desempenho da empresa, podendo colocar em causa a sua viabilidade a curto prazo. Esta constata����o foi o ponto de partida para a realiza����o deste projeto que, ap��s as diversas leituras efetuadas, o levantamento dos processos existentes, a an��lise e pondera����o das diversas solu����es poss��veis a aplicar, terminou na proposta de um Sistema de Informa����o - op����o que nos pareceu ser a mais adequada. Esta proposta foi aprovada pela gest��o da empresa e o Sistema de Informa����o ir�� ser implementado. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo ajudar esta organiza����o a melhorar o seu desempenho. Para atingir estes objetivos foi necess��rio elencar os pontos fortes e fracos desta empresa, de forma a ser poss��vel agregar num documento, as necessidades que a mesma demonstrava, para colmatar as falhas existentes e que poderiam ser, num futuro pr��ximo, motivo de desagrega����o da mesma. A metodologia adotada seguiu uma estrat��gia de investiga����o descritiva, utilizando o m��todo de investiga����o-a����o. A recolha de dados baseou-se em entrevistas �� equipa de gest��o e colaboradores da empresa, em documenta����o levantada na mesma relativa aos processos de gest��o e informa����o institucional, cujos conte��dos foram analisados numa perspetiva qualitativa.

Trust, alliance management capability and the alliance management function: A comparative analysis of Portuguese SMEs

Strategic alliances represent a key driver for internationalization and growth, being the purpose of this work project to better understand the intertwined relationship between trust and the existence of an alliance management position. Previous research supports the positive impact of such position in stock market returns. However, little attention has been given to the impact of such position on the level of trust in the collaborative arrangement, which is deemed to be a key driver for alliance success. A qualitative comparative case-study of three Portuguese SMEs is used to draw conclusions from the literature to real life business cases and it demonstrates the positive impact of an alliance management position on trust.

Spatial planning to the test of property rights in Switzerland : an innovative land management approach to coordinate spatial planning goals with property rights interests

In Switzerland, the land management regime is characterized by a liberal attitude towards the institution of property rights, which is guaranteed by the Constitution. Under the present Swiss constitutional arrangement, authorities (municipalities) are required to take into account landowners' interests when implementing their spatial planning policy. In other words, the institution of property rights cannot be restricted easily in order to implement zoning plans and planning projects. This situation causes many problems. One of them is the gap between the way land is really used by the landowners and the way land should be used based on zoning plans. In fact, zoning plans only describe how landowners should use their property. There is no sufficient provision for handling cases where the use is not in accordance with zoning plans. In particular, landowners may not be expropriated for a non-conforming use of the land. This situation often leads to the opening of new building areas in greenfields and urban sprawl, which is in contradiction with the goals set into the Federal Law on Spatial Planning. In order to identify legal strategies of intervention to solve the problem, our paper is structured into three main parts. Firstly, we make a short description of the Swiss land management regime. Then, we focus on an innovative land management approach designed to implement zoning plans in accordance with property rights. Finally, we present a case study that shows the usefulness of the presented land management approach in practice. We develop three main results. Firstly, the land management approach brings a mechanism to involve landowners in planning projects. Coordination principle between spatial planning goals and landowners' interests is the cornerstone of all the process. Secondly, the land use is improved both in terms of space and time. Finally, the institution of property rights is not challenged, since there is no expropriation and the market stays free.

Technical Aspects of Internet-Shopping, Comparative study in Finland/Russia

Isot ja keskikokoiset yritykset harkitsevat s��hk��ist�� kaupank��ynti�� Internetiss��, Internet - kauppojen muodossa. Organisaatiot pyrkiv��t kilpailukykyiseen ja moderniin tyyliin kaupank��ynniss�� sek�� yrityksen eri prosessien automatisointiin. Yrityksen on onnistuttava uusimpien tekniikoiden ja ty��kalujen omaksumisessa kilpailukykyns�� parantamiseksi. S��hk��inen kaupank��ynti on suhteellisen uusi tekniikka, joka mahdollistaa kaupank��ynnin esitt��misen uudessa, s��hk��isess�� muodossa. T��m�� ty�� sis��lt���� katsauksen yrityksen mahdollisiin s��hk��isen kaupank��ynnin eri muotoihin. Ty�� sis��lt���� mahdollisia ratkaisuja Internet-kaupan rakentamiseen, s��hk��isen kaupank��ynnin hallintaan sek�� erityyppisten Internet- kauppojen kuvauksia. S��hk��isen kaupank��ynnin ongelmat ovat my��s tarkastelussa. V��ltt��m��tt��m��t asiat s��hk��isen kaupank��ynnin perustamiseksi on lueteltu. Ty��n kokeellinen osuus sis��lt���� vertailututkimusta s��hk��isen kaupank��ynnin muodoista Suomessa ja Ven��j��ll��. S��hk��isen kaupank��ynnin ongelmat, niiden mahdolliset ratkaisut, eroavaisuudet sek�� samankaltaisuudet molempien maiden v��lill�� on esitetty t��ss�� ty��ss��. Ty��ss�� on arvioitu Internet-kaupan kehitt��mist�� sek�� edist��mist�� esimerkein. Tutkimuksen tulokset on esitetty.

Tiedonhallintaj��rjestelm�� j��tevesiverkoston toimijoiden toiminnanohjaukseen

Suomessa asuu haja-asutusalueilla yli miljoona ihmist��, jotka k��ytt��v��t kiinteist��kohtaista j��tevesij��rjestelm����. Arviolta 350 000-400 000 kiinteist���� joutuu saneeraamaan j��rjestelm��ns�� vuoden 2013 loppuun menness�� vastaamaan Valtioneuvoston asetusta. J��tevesij��rjestelm��n korjaamiseen tarvitaan yleens�� toimenpidelupa ja sen liitteeksi suunnitelma j��tevesien k��sittelyst��. Suunnittelu- ja toteutusprosessin tietohallintaan tarvitaan tietoj��rjestelm��. Diplomity��ss�� perehdyttiin tietokantapohjaisiin Internet-sovelluksiin ja ekstranet-j��rjestelmiin ja suunniteltiin niiden perusteella k��ytt��kelpoisin tietoj��rjestelm��ratkaisu, jonka avulla j��tevesialan toimijat voivat jakaa tietoa, tehd�� j��tevesiselvityksi�� ja -suunnitelmia, v��litt���� toimeksiantoja aliurakoitsijoille ja raportoida tietoja viranomaisille s��hk��isesti. Ty��n tuloksena syntyi selvitys tietoj��rjestelm��n suunnittelun pohjaksi, ja suunnitelma j��rjestelm��n toteuttamiseksi. J��rjestelm��ll�� voidaan tarjota asiakkaalle eli kiinteist��nomistajalle kokonaisvaltainen ratkaisu j��tevesij��rjestelm��n saneeraukseen ja yll��pitoon.

Groupware and Workflow Tools - A Case study of SAP Business Workflow Supporting System Integration in a Global Telecommunication Company

Workflow management systems aim at the controlled execution of complex application processes in distributed and heterogeneous environments. These systems will shape the structure of information systems in business and non-business environments. E business and system integration is a fertile soil for WF and groupware tools. This thesis aims to study WF and groupware tools in order to gather in house knowledge of WF to better utilize WF solutions in future, and to focus on SAP Business Workflow in order to find a global solution for Application Link Enabling support for system integration. Piloting this solution in Nokia collects the experience of SAP R/3 WF tool for other development projects in future. The literary part of this study will guide to the world of business process automation providing a general description of the history, use and potentials of WF & groupware software. The empirical part of this study begins with the background of the case study describing the IT environment initiating the case by introducing SAP R/3 in Nokia, the communication technique in use and WF tool. Case study is focused in one solution with SAP Business Workflow. This study provides a concept to monitor communication between ERP systems and to increase the quality of system integration. Case study describes a way create support model for ALE/EDI interfaces. Support model includes monitoring organization and the workflow processes to solve the most common IDoc related errors.

Kunnallisen tai seudullisen toimitilahallinnon yhti��itt��misen edut ja haitat

Tutkimuksen aihe liittyy kunnallisten toimitilojen yhti��itt��miskysymykseen, joka on ollut esill�� monissa kunnissa useita vuosia ja laajentunut nyt seudulliseksi. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tarkastella, mit�� hy��ty�� tai haittaa kunnallisen tai seudullisen toimitilahallinnosta vastaavan yksik��n yhti��itt��misest�� olisi. Parantaakseen tuottavuutta kunta voi j��rjest���� toimintansa perinteisen kunnallisen organisoinnin sijaan liikelaitoksena tai osakeyhti��n�� silloin, kun toiminnan laatu on liiketoiminnan luonteista. Suurin osa kuntien toimitilakiinteist��ist�� toimii kuntien palvelutuotannon suoranaisena tuotantov��lineen��. Kuntien v��lisen yhteistoiminnan lis����minen voidaan n��hd�� mahdollisuutena julkisella sektorilla. Sen lis����minen edesauttaa tuottavuuden kasvua ja mahdollistaa palvelujen jatkuvan kehitt��misen. Yhti��itt��minen tuo toimintaan mukaan asioita, jotka varmasti tehostavat toimintaa, kuten p����t��ksenteon nopeutuminen, toiminnan joustavuus, joustava ja kilpailukykyinen henkil��st��hallinto sek�� yhti��n toiminnan ja p����t��sten ei-julkisuus jne. Huonoja puolia yhti��itt��misess�� on kuntien kiinteist��menojen mahdollinen nousu k��ytt��talouspuolella sek�� se, ett�� yhti��ll�� olisi k��yt��nn��ss�� vain muutama asiakas. Suomessa kuntien toimitilahallinto on todenn��k��isesti menossa kohti yhti��mallia. Vaihtoehtoina yhti��itt��miselle ovat siis liikelaitosmallin kehitt��minen ja joissain tapauksissa keskin��inen kiinteist��yhti��malli. Joka tapauksessa kuntien toimitilahallintoyksik��iden toimintaa ja toimintamallia pit���� kehitt����, jotta niiden tuottavuus kasvaa sek�� toiminta s��ilyy kannattavana ja j��rkev��n��. Ulkoisten tekij��iden vaikutus kuntien toimitilahallinnon toimintaan kasvaa koko ajan.

Playing to Learn: Business Simulation Games as Leadership Learning Environments

The aim of this dissertation is to investigate if participation in business simulation gaming sessions can make different leadership styles visible and provide students with experiences beneficial for the development of leadership skills. Particularly, the focus is to describe the development of leadership styles when leading virtual teams in computer-��supported collaborative game settings and to identify the outcomes of using computer simulation games as leadership training tools. To answer to the objectives of the study, three empirical experiments were conducted to explore if participation in business simulation gaming sessions (Study I and II), which integrate face-��to-��face and virtual communication (Study III and IV), can make different leadership styles visible and provide students with experiences beneficial for the development of leadership skills. In the first experiment, a group of multicultural graduate business students (N=41) participated in gaming sessions with a computerized business simulation game (Study III). In the second experiment, a group of graduate students (N=9) participated in the training with a ���real estate��� computer game (Study I and II). In the third experiment, a business simulation gaming session was organized for graduate students group (N=26) and the participants played the simulation game in virtual teams, which were organizationally and geographically dispersed but connected via technology (Study IV). Each team in all experiments had three to four students and students were between 22 and 25 years old. The business computer games used for the empirical experiments presented an enormous number of complex operations in which a team leader needed to make the final decisions involved in leading the team to win the game. These gaming environments were interactive;�� participants interacted by solving the given tasks in the game. Thus, strategy and appropriate leadership were needed to be successful. The training was competition-��based and required implementation of leadership skills. The data of these studies consist of observations, participants��� reflective essays written after the gaming sessions, pre-�� and post-��tests questionnaires and participants��� answers to open-�� ended questions. Participants��� interactions and collaboration were observed when they played the computer games. The transcripts of notes from observations and students dialogs were coded in terms of transactional, transformational, heroic and post-��heroic leadership styles. For the data analysis of the transcribed notes from observations, content analysis and discourse analysis was implemented. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was also utilized in the study to measure transformational and transactional leadership styles;�� in addition, quantitative (one-��way repeated measures ANOVA) and qualitative data analyses have been performed. The results of this study indicate that in the business simulation gaming environment, certain leadership characteristics emerged spontaneously. Experiences about leadership varied between the teams and were dependent on the role individual students had in their team. These four studies showed that simulation gaming environment has the potential to be used in higher education to exercise the leadership styles relevant in real-��world work contexts. Further, the study indicated that given debriefing sessions, the simulation game context has much potential to benefit learning. The participants who showed interest in leadership roles were given the opportunity of developing leadership skills in practice. The study also provides evidence of unpredictable situations that participants can experience and learn from during the gaming sessions. The study illustrates the complex nature of experiences from the gaming environments and the need for the team leader and role divisions during the gaming sessions. It could be concluded that the experience of simulation game training illustrated the complexity of real life situations and provided participants with the challenges of virtual leadership experiences and the difficulties of using leadership styles in practice. As a result, the study offers playing computer simulation games in small teams as one way to exercise leadership styles in practice.

Toimintaj��rjestelm��n kehitt��minen kiinteist��- ja toimitilajohdon palveluita tarjoavalle yritykselle

Diplomity�� tehtiin kiinteist��- ja toimitilajohdon palveluita tarjoavalle suomalaiselle rakennusalan yrityksen liiketoimintalinjalle. Ty��n l��ht��kohtana oli kehitt���� kyseiselle liiketoimintalinjalle toimintaa ohjaava ja yhten��ist��v�� toimintaj��rjestelm��. Ty�� koostuu johdannosta, teoriaosuudesta, empiriaosuudesta sek�� johtop����t��ksist��. Johdannossa esitell����n ty��ss�� k��ytett��v��t menetelm��t sek�� kohdeyritys. Teoriaosuudessa puolestaan esitell����n my��hemmin ty��n empiriaosuudessa hy��dynnett��v��t teoriakokonaisuudet. Teoriaosuus koostuu kiinteist��toimialan esittelyst��, laatuajattelusta sek�� prosessijohtamisen l��pik��ynnist��. Empiriaosuus sis��lt���� selvityksen kohdeyrityksen l��ht��tilasta ja suoritetusta kehitysty��st��. Kehitysty�� sis��lt���� sanallisen ja kuvallisen selvityksen rakennetun toimintaj��rjestelm��n eri vaiheista. Ty��n tuloksena syntyi kiinteist��- ja toimitilajohdon palveluille k��ytt��kelpoinen, toimintaa tukeva ja toiminnan johtamista helpottava ty��kalu. Toimintaj��rjestelm�� kehitettiin yhdess�� yksik��n avainhenkil��iden kanssa, jolloin sen rakentamisessa saatiin huomioitua tulevien k��ytt��jien toiveita. Toimintaj��rjestelm��ss�� on keskitetysti muun muassa toiminnan edellytt��m��t tiedot ja dokumentit.