The state of restroom facilities as a measure of cleaning service quality in an educational institution

Abstract

Purpose Sourcing decisions are important considerations in organizations’ strategic and policy resolutions. Given sometimes conflicting factors such as cost and financial implications, individual perceptions and motivation, health and safety of facility users, and organizational objectives, finding a balance and basis for making such decisions, presently and in future, is crucial. This paper aims to investigate the quality of services delivered by an insourced cleaning service team in a higher learning institution. The objective of the study is to establish the condition of the facilities (restrooms) in the institution, and thus the quality of services delivered by the insourced team. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a descriptive approach including observation and scoring to obtain and analyse information about the state of five restrooms on two campuses of the institution. Findings Findings revealed that the condition of the restrooms inspected over a period of five weeks was good, except for a week where there was low water supply on the sampled campuses. Further findings revealed that restrooms provided in the library were paid more attention to. Practical implications The findings from the study are envisaged to assist facilities management stakeholders and organizations’ management in making decisions on sourcing services and supporting core business functions. Originality/value Better decision-making can be made to improve the quality of services provided by sourcing teams, which will contribute to supporting core strategies and increasing value-add and image of organizations.

Assessment of facilities management sourcing approaches in hotels in Ghana: a study of selected hotels in Wa

“…However, it can also be provided using a mixed sourcing approach (Atkin and Brooks, 2015;Tannor et al, 2021) which has been observed to be the most common approach used by various institutions. Okoro et al (2020) and Tannor et al (2021) posited that the desired level of satisfaction should be achieved regardless of the sourcing approach used. This section presents these sourcing approaches, the context within which they are used, their pros and cons.…”

“…Such contractors focus more on performing their assigned roles in the contract and are not permanently part of the organisation. Outsourcing has also provided greater flexibility in employment strategies (Wickramasinghe et al, 2019;Okoro et al, 2020). Therefore, outsourcing FM can be an excellent strategy for large organisations to reduce operating costs, concentrate more on their core mission and primary activities and improve their competitive position (Oladokun, 2009).…”

“…In terms of limitations, this sourcing approach is associated with poor service quality as a major risk factor, including security concerns and lack of experience (Lok et al, 2018). Other studies have also identified hidden costs associated with making an outsourcing decision, losing control over outsourced activities, failing to plan an exit strategy, ambiguous terms and conditions, possible contract breach and lack of cohesiveness amongst team members as some of the disadvantages associated with outsourcing of FM services (Dekkers, 2011;Driedonks et al, 2014;Okoro et al, 2020). Tannor et al (2022) also found that 88% of multi-tenanted office building owners in Ghana prefer to manage their buildings in-house due to their strategic advantages.…”

An Investigation of the Factors affecting Flexible Manufacturing Competence of Organizations

“…Internal learning refers to the situation where the employees get to learn new skills and knowledge while working as a team or individuals during the execution of routine and challenging tasks. External learning refers to the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and experience that the employees gain while working with suppliers, customers and other third-party service providers [24]. The organization which facilitates learning behaviour among employees develops competitive capabilities to handle a wide variety of scenario that occur in both internal and external environments [25].…”

Teachers’ Perception of Their Work Environment: Evidence from the Primary and Secondary Schools of Bangladesh

“…Teachers' daily experiences in school are shaped in part by students; however, they are far from the only factor influencing their attitudes. Sometimes, the restroom facilities are considered as the level of service quality by the educational institutions [51]. While effective coordination at the school management team level helps reduce the amount of school violence [52], a lack of relational trust among actors and components in school management hampered community participation, which in turn hampered the overall progress of the community [53].…”