Towards a Sustainable Workplace: A case study of outsourcing firms in Malaysia

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for better facilities performance and services delivery excellence. This requires proactive transformation in outsourcing strategy in order to meet ever changing taste in customers. Promoting excellence and competitive edge require viable strategies and organization adaptability to move beyond the reactive management culture which is obtainable in most firms now. The functional perspective on performance varies greatly, understanding these differences give basis for alignment and improvement in the services delivery quality. This paper tends to address the often fragmented approach to performance issues with the aim to maximize services quality and returns. A total of 185 sets of Questionnaires were sent out to outsourcing services delivery firms in Malaysia and 54 responded. The approach uses analysis of variance and quality control tool to ascertain pattern and strategy performance in the firms. The results have shown that more than half of the sampled population opted for high performance delivery goal; however this vision was not supported adequately by coherent structure. This inflexibility in strategy by most firms gave rise to usurpation and sub optimality, which had failed to take facilities management profession beyond the reactive maintenance culture of the years back. Today savvy customers are looking for more value, reliability, quality services with cost certainty. The workplaces require strategic reforms in order to foster better facilities performance and value. This study introduced a paradigm using influence factors to ensure timeless outsourcing practice. This breach the gap in theory by integrating multiple facets of performance measures as tool which can facilitate effective and sustainable services delivery in a workplace.

Keywords: Facility Management, Strategy, Outsourcing, Performance, Flexibility, Sustainability