Concerns among local government facility managers

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate which concerns are most important for local government facility managers in Norway. Design: We analyze a survey dataset covering about 2/3 of all Norwegian local governments, using descriptive statistics techniques. Findings: The facility managers are most worried about weak fiscal conditions and lack of political priority of facility management. Almost all facility managers report concerns about these issues, and the responses do not vary much across local governments with different characteristics. There is also widespread concern, albeit less serious, about organizational structure and recuitment problems. Local governments with a decentralized facility management are more concerned about the organizational structure than those with a centralized structure, and low-population local governments are more concerned about recruitment problems than those with a high population. Finally, local governments that report that their public buildings are in good condition generally have fewer and less serious concerns, in line with what one could expect. Originality/value: The paper offers insights into which concerns that are most important among local government facility managers.