Purpose – The study aims to examine how the vicious circle of blame for sustainable buildings can be turned into virtuous loops of adaptation when considering sustainable buildings and what are the drivers for tenants and investors regarding sustainable buildings and gaining insights of investors’ and tenants’ corporate responsibility (CR) actions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper consists of a literature review and two surveys. The literature review concentrates on exploring investors’ and tenants’ CR and sustainability drivers. Empirical evidence was gathered via two specific surveys. The first survey targeted investors, and the second survey targeted tenants to determine the focus areas of sustainability. Findings – The findings of this study indicate that the vicious circle of blame can be turned into one of cooperation with respect to sustainable buildings if the mutual drivers for improving sustainability are linked with investor–tenant collaboration. Based on the survey, the tenants claim that productivity, corporate culture and image are the primary drivers for sustainable buildings, whereas the investors claim that corporate culture and image, tenant demand and marketability are the primary drivers. Both parties mentioned the same sustainability drivers: corporate culture and image and lower operating costs. However, it was found that investors are not communicating their CR actions to public or promoting image and productivity benefits of green buildings to potential tenants. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of this study is the sampling of Nordic countries, as there are indications of different situation in other markets such as the USA. Originality/value – Improving sustainability in the real estate industry is linked to investor–tenant collaboration. In addition to common drivers, both investors and tenants have their own list of benefits and drivers for sustainable buildings. These drivers are linked to each other. Making progress with respect to sustainability in the built environment depends on people in the industry being aware of the importance of and possibilities offered by sustainable buildings, as well as being able and willing to act on this knowledge. Only through partnership can the full potential of the built environment be realised and help deliver an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable future.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to review, evaluate and classify the academic research that has been published in facilities management (FM) and to analyse how FM research and practice are linked. Design/methodology/approach -This paper is based on literature review and qualitative research. Qualitative data have been gathered from academic papers published in FM-related journals (i.e. Facilities, Journal of Facilities Management, and the Nordic Journal of Surveying and Real Estate Research -Special Series) and in conjunction with academic conferences (i.e. European Research Symposium in Facilities Management and the CIB W70 Symposium) between 1996 -2005. Findings -When analysing empirical research in FM, research papers can be classified according to the FM topics examined in them, the type of research performed and data-gathering methods used in the study reported, the background of the authors, research field, and research sector. Evaluation of academic papers indicates that the reporting of the methods used, data collection and limitations is inadequate in many academic papers. However, to draw valid conclusions and align FM research, methodical issues should be clearly delineated in research papers. In order to progress, the FM discipline must increasingly employ hypothesis testing and more robust data analysis techniques.Research limitations/implications -This research offers new insights into the current state of FM research and sheds light on the development steps needed in future. One limitation of this paper is that it does not include all the empirical research that has been done in FM. Originality/value -This paper helps article writers to take into account the important issues brought up in literature when reporting the results of their research in order to improve validity and reliability of their studies.

Purpose – Sustainability in corporate real estate management (CREM) has been lately recognized as an integral part of almost every business. However, its perception might extremely differ in various industries. Sustainable CREM practices have been extensively analyzed in recent studies, yet real estate is an ambiguous field and the practices still lack holistic understanding. This research aimed to summarize and systematize the present sustainable CREM practices and propose a generic sustainability maturity model for CREM. Design/methodology/approach – The research process was implemented in accordance with the grounded theory approach. Research data were collected in semi-structured interviews with major Finnish companies, recognized for their environmental work. The scope of the research was nine interviews. Findings – The result of this research is the generic sustainability maturity model for CREM. It consists of 18 most typical sustainable CREM practices at the companies interviewed. The model demonstrates the value of implementing sustainable CREM. Originality/value – Sustainability maturity model for CREM is an indicative tool for sustainability maturity assessment in CREM. The model demonstrates how CREM contributes to company's sustainability and provides a holistic approach towards the existing sustainable CREM practices. Additional practical implications of the model include sustainable CREM benchmarking and communication with stakeholders.

PurposeThis paper aims to create a deeper understanding of the make or buy decision process, the criteria for the selection of a certain relationship type, and the differences between alternative relationship types in FM services.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on literature review and qualitative research. Empirical data were collected from both clients and service providers using semi‐structured interviews, practical observations, informal discussions and focus group interviews.FindingsWhen FM service activities entail strategically important skills and knowledge and when outsourcing may have a profound effect on the clients' ability to satisfy the end‐users needs, vertical integration is chosen. Respectively, a collaborative approach is recommended in cases where the service is of high importance for the client's or end‐user's business, there is a need to share sensitive or strategic information, the purchasing volume is high or the management of the purchasing situation is difficult because of the complexity of the purchased service package or market conditions. From the relationship management point of view, three different types of relationships (i.e. arm's length relation, operational partnering and strategic partnering) can be recognized in the FM services context.Practical implicationsThe sourcing portfolio model, which can be used as an analytical tool to support the selection of an appropriate governance model for different service packages, is introduced. Additionally, the results aid the development of appropriate action plans for the management of different kinds of relationships.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to creating an enhanced understanding of outsourcing decisions and different types of relationships in the FM services context for both researchers and practitioners.

The aim of this paper is to identify the different elements of the sourcing strategy decision‐making process and to clarify what are the factors that lead to the selection of a certain sourcing strategy in FM services. The study is based on a literature review and a multiple case study, which was conducted with four organizations representing different types of FM service clients. To find the optimal sourcing strategy and understand the consequences of different sourcing options, five decision categories must be analysed: sourcing interface, organizational decision‐making, the scope of service package, the geographical area of sourcing and relationship type. There are also some other elements that must be taken into account in the process of sourcing strategy development such as different elements of business in general and the prevailing market conditions. It is strongly suggested that companies could apply the presented integrated approach as a starting point for the development of sourcing strategies in FM services. In addition, this study shows that companies should view the development of sourcing strategies as an important phase of the procurement cycle.