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Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationship between satisfaction with buildings, facilities and services and perceived productivity support and to test whether the findings from a similar study of Batenburg and Van der Voordt (2008) are confirmed in a repeat study after 10 years with more recent data. Design/methodology/approach Data were traced from a database with data on user satisfaction and perceived productivity support. These data were collected through the work environment diagnostic tool WODI light. The data include responses from 25,947 respondents and 191 organisations that have been analysed by stepwise multiple-regression analyses. Findings In total 38% of the variation of office employees’ satisfaction with support of productivity can be explained by employee satisfaction with facilities, the organisation, current work processes and personal- and job-related characteristics. The most important predictor of self-assessed support of productivity is employee satisfaction with facilities. In particular, psychological aspects, i.e. opportunities to concentrate and to communicate, privacy, level of openness, and functionality, comfort and diversity of the workplaces are very important. The findings confirm that employee satisfaction with facilities correlates significantly with perceived productivity support. Other factors that are not included in the data set, such as intrinsic motivation, labour circumstances and human resource management may have an impact as well. Originality/value This research provides a clear insight in the relation between employee satisfaction with facilities and the perceived support of productivity, based on survey data collected over almost 10 years in 191 organisations.

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Does comfort in a restaurant influence people's experienced hospitality? Effects of seating comfort and acoustic comfort on the experience of hospitality were examined by means of a 2 x 2 between subjects experiment among 262 customers of a self-service restaurant, using the EH-scale measuring the experiential factors care, comfort and inviting. In line with theory on embodiment, MANOVA and mediation analysis showed that comfortable seating positively influences mental comfort, which subsequently increases the experience of hospitality (comfort factor). Extra ambient sound (acoustic discomfort) cancels out this effect. Also, people's desire to sit matters: people with a low desire to sit interpret comfortable seats as more caring instead of comfort. Regarding the discussion on (dis)comfort: seating comfort, not discomfort, accounted for the effects. Altogether, the hospitality experienced in a restaurant may be enhanced by offering comfortable seats, making customers feel more comfortable, physically and mentally.

Purpose This study aims to explore modern learning (ML) scenarios in Dutch higher education towards 2030 and corresponding consequences for facility management (FM) and corporate real estate strategies (CRES) of universities of applied sciences (UAS). Design/methodology/approach The designing an accommodation strategy model is used to retrieve the match between demand and supply in real estate of Dutch UAS for both present and future. Application of this model resulted in a scenario-planning session with six education experts to determine future demand in education towards 2030. Subsequently, corporate real estate (CRE) managers of nine Dutch UAS were interviewed concerning this subject (one per UAS). Findings The results show that CRES of Dutch UAS is only partly aligned to consequences of ML scenarios towards 2030. Most UAS have real estate portfolios that are only partially flexible, so changes in qualitative and quantitative demand due to ML scenarios are not easy to adapt to. The consequences for FM and real estate of the ML scenarios “institute learning” and “mass customization” seem manageable for Dutch UAS, whereas the other ML scenarios, namely, “navigator” and “natural learning”, would create major portfolio problems. Originality/value There is an ongoing interest in developments in higher education combined with FM and CRES and its alignment with the corporate vision. Previous studies into modern ways of learning mainly focused on the past and present. However, this study is explorative and explores possible future ML scenarios. These scenarios can contribute to awareness amongst UAS in The Netherlands and abroad regarding their long-term vision. Moreover, these scenarios will help Dutch UAS facility and CRE managers to develop a more future-proof strategic real estate strategy aligned with the corporate vision.