On the nexus of changing public facilities management practices: purposive and co-creative actions across multiple levels
Journal article, 2018

Building on a practice-oriented approach and the theoretical construct of institutional work, the organizational nexus of changing practices for public facilities management is conceptualized in a multi-level framework. To support the conceptual framework, changing management practices are illustrated with the help of real-life experiences gained in a case study of a strategy project in a Swedish public construction client organization with the goal of developing a strategic facilities plan. These real-life examples, captured through interviews and field observations, cohere with the research method of narrative inquiry. The framework envisions projective agencies of various actors, both human and non-human (objects), in change processes. Findings show how key actors, through collaborative co-creation processes, take different complementary roles when promoting new practices into a specific organizational setting. By jointly promoting a set of preferred arrangements they establish proto-institutions. In addition, various objects were attributed rhetorical agency to support new public FM practices in that these served as purposeful non-human actors, triggering and legitimizing actions taken. With focus on emerging institutions in the making and especially projective agencies for institutional change, this research contributes to furthered layered understandings on institutional work related to change in construction in general and specifically in public sustainable facilities management.

Institutional work

renovation

public buildings

case study

practice lens

facilities management (FM)

multi-level framework

Author

Pernilla Gluch

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Service Management and Logistics

Ingrid Svensson

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Service Management and Logistics

Construction Management and Economics

0144-6193 (ISSN) 1466-433X (eISSN)

Vol. 36 5 259-275

Subject Categories

Other Mechanical Engineering

Public Administration Studies

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Building Futures (2010-2018)

DOI

10.1080/01446193.2017.1381751

More information

Latest update

5/3/2018 1