Beyond strategy: exploring the brokerage role of facilities manager in hospitals.

PURPOSE

Seeks to explore the brokerage role of facilities manager in hospitals, based on the premise that facilities management (FM) is largely concerned with "strategic brokerage". Strategic brokerage is the term coined by Akhaghi to explain the integration of a wide range of support services to ensure the effective operation of the core business of an organization.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research was conducted in the health service sector using a single case study approach to examine the brokerage potential for FM in a hospital in the Sydney Metropolitan area. A social network analysis technique was used to identify and analyse the communication networks of players in a hospital environment. Two general questions guided the analysis. First, what is the brokerage potential within the FM process? Second, where are the opportunities for brokerage?

FINDINGS

The results indicate that identifying relationship linkages between different functional units can create potential brokerage opportunities.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The proposition is made that viewing FM from a brokerage perspective can add value to the delivery of health-care services.