UNLV Management Role of Facilities Management Questions

Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism
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Facilities Management Roles in the Hotel Industry:
The Skills and Competencies Required
K. D. T. Priyangika , B. A. K. S. Perera & Tharindu Lakruwan Wickremanayake
Karunaratne
To cite this article: K. D. T. Priyangika , B. A. K. S. Perera & Tharindu Lakruwan Wickremanayake
Karunaratne (2020) Facilities Management Roles in the Hotel Industry: The Skills and
Competencies Required, Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 21:4, 454-473,
DOI: 10.1080/1528008X.2019.1679060
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2019.1679060
Published online: 17 Oct 2019.
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JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
2020, VOL. 21, NO. 4, 454–473
https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2019.1679060
Facilities Management Roles in the Hotel Industry: The
Skills and Competencies Required
K. D. T. Priyangikaa, B. A. K. S. Perera b, and
Tharindu Lakruwan Wickremanayake Karunaratneb
a
Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka; bDepartment of
Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS
The aim of this study was to identify the roles that are important for facilities management (FM) in the hotel sector along
with the competencies and skills required to perform those
roles effectively. The study consisted of a comprehensive literature review, expert interviews and a questionnaire survey.
Out of the 20 FM roles that were found to be significant to the
hotel sector, the maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules was found to be the most significant role. The study also
revealed the most significant competencies and skills required
to perform each of the 20 significant roles that were identified.
Facilities management; hotel
sector; roles; competencies;
skills
Introduction
Facilities management (FM) in an organization involves operating, maintaining, improving and adapting buildings and other infrastructure of the organization to support its primary objectives (Barrett & Baldry, 2009). Facilities
managers contribute to this task through different means, which include
resource control, supply chain management, service delivery, strategy, culture
and change management (Amaratunga & Baldry, 2002). Hence a facilities
manager has to possess specific competencies to perform the distinct roles
expected of him in all of the eight building life cycle stages, namely strategic
definition stage; preparation and brief stage; concept design stage; developed
design stage; technical design stage; construction stage; handover and close
out stage; and in use stage (Pilanawithana & Sandanayake, 2017).
The contribution of travel and tourism to the world GDP, which was 9.2%
in 2010, is expected to reach 9.6% by 2020 (World Travel and Tourism
Council [WTTC], 2018). Hence effective FM will be very important for the
hotel sector. A facilities manager of an organization in the hospitality industry can play a major role in increasing the efficiency of the organizational
assets; and in enhancing the performance of the organization and the value of
the services it provides (Okoroh, Jones, & Ilozor, 2003).
CONTACT Tharindu Lakruwan Wickremanayake Karunaratne
[email protected]
of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Department
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
455
Sri Lanka is in the process of becoming a major tourist destination of
South Asia. Tourism related employment in the country has spread throughout the economy (Srinivasan, Kumar, & Ganesh, 2012). Tourism has become
the fourth highest foreign exchange earner of the country (Wij, 2011). The
hotel industry is the highest contributor to the economy and because of the
continuously increasing demand that exists for tourist accommodation the
government is ever willing to approve new hotel projects (Price Waterhouse
Coopers (Pvt) Ltd, 2013). The priority of the hotel industry is to provide
entertainment (Jayawardena, McMillan, Pantin, Taller, & Willie, 2013) and
the labor income generated by the industry is higher than that generated by
any of the other industries (Kim & Kim, 2015). The service provided at
a hotel, on the other hand, has to be maintained at the maximum possible
level with minimum interruptions or breakdowns. Thus, FM is a key profession as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, because of its positive influence on the
economic development of the country.
The many FM processes implemented in the hotel industry include engineering, and housekeeping work (Hassanien & Losekoot, 2002). Therefore,
a facilities manager requires both hard competencies and soft competencies
to carry out his work (Sisson & Adams, 2013). Some of these hard competencies include building maintenance, energy management and space planning, while some of the soft competencies include people management,
change management and communications.
There are only few past studies done on FM in the hospitality industry
(Hassanien & Losekoot, 2002). Nevertheless, there is not a single past
study that has focused on the FM roles specific to the hotel industry and
on the skills and competencies that a facilities manager in the industry has
to possess to perform those roles effectively. Since there is interconnectivity among the different FM roles, and the skills and competencies
pertinent to each of those roles, it is important to understand that interconnectivity among the three, as all three are critical for the smooth
operation of the hotels.
Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the most significant competencies and skills required by a facilities manager to perform in the hotel
industry in Sri Lanka. Three objectives were set to achieve this aim, namely
to identify the roles of facilities managers that are significant to the hotel
industry in Sri Lanka, to identify the competencies of facilities managers that
are significant to the hotel industry in Sri Lanka, and to identify the skills of
facilities managers that are significant to the hotel industry in Sri Lanka. The
study also investigated the interconnectivity among the FM roles, competencies and skills that were identified.
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K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
Literature review
Facilities management in the hotel sector
Since the focus of the hospitality industry is more on service quality,
a facilities manager working in the hotel sector needs to possess specialized
knowledge (Akbaba, 2006). Moreover, the use of appropriate FM strategies
helps to properly manage the property and other physical assets of a hotel
(Okoroh, Jones, & Ilozor, 2002; Telfer, 2005). The study done by Penny
(2007) reveals that the FM department in a hotel has to be an integral part of
its organizational setup, since it can help to achieve service quality and
reduce energy cost to reach sustainability while at the same time supporting
the non-core activities of the hotel. By engaging the services of a professional
FM service, a hotel is able to satisfy both its current and potential customers
by maintaining its market share, keeping up with the competitive market,
improving operational efficiency by maintaining corporate image standards,
upgrading itself to a higher category, complying with new technologies and
coping with governmental requirements (Durodola & Oloyede, 2011). All
these indicate the significance of the contribution that can be made by
facilities managers to make the operations of the hotel sector efficient.
Role of the facilities manager in the built environment
A facilities manager working in an organization will have to face business
challenges that influence the organization and help the organization to achieve
an optimum long-term balance among its assets, technology and people in order
to provide it with a competitive advantage (Pilanawithana & Sandanayake, 2017).
According to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA, 2013), the role of
a facilities manager will be spread out among all eight stages of the building life
cycle. The Institute further identifies client, client advisers, project lead, architect,
building services engineers, lead designers, contract administrator, civil and
structural engineers and health and safety adviser as the parties involved during
these stages. Hence a professional facilities manager will be required to play
a critical role throughout the building life cycle to ensure effective building
management (Shah, 2008).
Table 1 presents the 14 different roles of the facilities manager identified by
different authors.
According to Mohd-Noor and Pitt (2009), a facilities manager of a business
will be responsible for its property, health and safety, space, environmental
control, and support services (Myeda & Michael, 2014). He will, therefore,
contribute to the delivery of strategic and operational objectives of the business.
At corporate level, the FM will contribute to the delivery of strategic and tactical
objectives of an establishment, while at day-to-day level, it will contribute to the
proper performance of the establishment by ensuring a safe and efficient
(British Institute of Facilities Management [BIFM], 2018; Langston, Wong, Hui, & Shen, 2008; Lee & Akin, 2011; Lewis & Payant, ; Mbachu et al., 2017; Mohammed & Hassanain, 2010;
Pilanawithana & Sandanayake, 2017; Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors [RICS], 2018; Shah, 2008; Tay & Ooi, 2001; Wang et al., 2013).
Take the decision to build a new facility or to modernize or Establish and agree with the client’s brief
expand an existing old facility in order to expand production
or reduce all relevant costs
Ensure sustainable building design and clear specifications Prepare or contribute to the brief and evaluate its feasibility Influence the design and construction by using
and provide a framework around which the design can be
building information modeling (BIM) for setting
developed
the employer’s information requirements
Prepare outline design proposals, initial budgets and project Understand technical designs and specifications
Take responsibility to develop engineering
programs, provide initial advice on procurement options,
evaluations that will specify the feasibility and
demonstrate and understand the principles and
cost of possible alternate courses of action
responsibilities imposed by law
Decide, within pre-established policy limits, the operating
Ensure the quality aspects of the building services
Carry out the operating and maintenance
and maintenance work that have to be performed on
activities of the facilities
facilities, equipment, and systems
Building services management
Identify the maintenance management requirements of the
building in relation to areas such as statutory and regulatory
requirements, record maintenance, management reporting,
and supply chain management
FM roles in the building lifecycle
Make decisions on whether to rent or buy, extend or sell,
and refurbish or construct facilities
Table 1. FM roles in the building lifecycle.
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
457
458
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
working environment, (Durodola, Ayedun, & Akinjare, 2011; Edum-Fotwe,
Egbu, & Gibb, 2003). European and American industrial and commercial
organizations (including hotels) have used FM as a strategic management
instrument to improve their performance (Telfer, 2005)
When reviewing literature, it became clear that the facilities manager has
to engage in direct roles as well as in roles that involve decision making. The
direct roles include preparing design proposals, preparing budgets, interpreting design briefs and developing engineering evaluations, while the roles
involving decision making include buying, selling or renting a facility.
Taking decisions on appropriate maintenance management strategies is also
another FM decision making role.
Mohammed and Hassanain (2010) stress that the operation and maintenance activities of an organization are important to ensure that the core
business functions of the organization are carried out without any issues.
Operation/maintenance of a facility is a common FM role and according to
Mbachu, Egbelakin, Rasheed, and Shahzad (2017), the cost of such work is
around 70- 80% of the total life cycle cost of the facility. Mangano and De
Marco (2014) stated that to be effective, maintenance management does not
have to be a separate discipline but a part of the overall FM. Hence, the
facilities manager of a building will have a significant role to play in conducting its operational and maintenance activities while keeping the costs as
low as possible.
Using the expertise, they possess, the facilities managers who work in hotels
have a vital role to play in the successful operation of the hotels. Valen and
Buser (2019) have stated that sustainable FM can be helpful to enhance the
operational optimization of hotels and their responsibility toward society.
Proper facilities management can ensure uninterrupted services, which is
essential to the hotel sector. Hassanien and Losekoot (2002) stated that FM
can be used successfully even in the renovation of hotels. Mohd-Noor and Pitt
(2009) stated that these hotel renovations, which involve significant investments and have long term implications, should be undertaken only through
FM and by following a strategic decision making process. The facilities manager can use value management to compare costs and benefits of these hotel
renovations as well as other investments (Okoroh et al., 2003).
Competencies required from a facilities manager
The Project Management Institute (2007) defines competency as a combination
of attitudes, knowledge, skills and other personal characteristics that affect the
main part of a person’s job, while Agnita (2002) considers competency as
a collection of skills, specific knowledge and qualities possessed by people,
a group or an organization. Alternatively, Dada and Jagboro (2015) define
competencies as behaviors, actions or outcomes of a person or as his/her ability
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
459
to move knowledge and skills in new situations within his/her occupational area.
Shafiei and Said (2011), on the other hand, describe competency as a set of skills
that an individual must possess in order to perform a specified job satisfactorily.
Competencies possessed by a facilities manager working in an organization should enable him to manage the key aspects of the built environment of
the organization, such as the building structure; professional management
practices; facility service performance; organizational resource quality; facility
work processes; interior building elements; environmental issues; and change
(Awang et al., 2012).
The FM competencies identified in this study are the competencies considered by professional bodies, such as the British Institute of Facilities
Management (BIFM), International Facilities Management Association
(IFMA), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Institute of
Facilities Management Sri Lanka (IFMSL), as well as those considered by
a few past researchers (Table 2).
Facilities managers require competencies, such as knowledge, qualities,
skills etc., specific to their field in order to perform the different roles
expected from them (Korsten, 2002). These competencies can be categorized
broadly as hard FM competencies and soft FM competencies. Hard FM
competencies of a facilities manager relate to his/her technical capacity,
while his soft FM competencies relate to his/her managerial capacity
(Steenhuizen, Flores-Colen, Reitsma, & Pedro, 2014). Building fabric maintenance; building services management; and energy and utility management
are some of the hard FM competencies, while quality management; procurement and tendering; visual marketing; and project management are some of
the soft FM competencies.
Property management; building services management; environmental management; quality management; and information and knowledge management are the
Table 2. Competencies required by a facilities manager.
Competencies required by a FM
Building fabric
Understanding the structure and
maintenance
behavior of the organization
Understanding the
building design
Space planning and
management
Quality
management
Risk management
FM strategy
development
Logistic
management
Dispute resolution
Financial management
Contract administration
Information and
knowledge
management
Building services
Energy and utility
management
management
Relationships with
Customer service
the stakeholders
management
Visual marketing
Environmental
and branding
management
Building automation Business planning
Professional practice People management
Technology
Team working
Change management
Project management
Value management
Communications
Procurement and tendering
Geographical information systems
Property portfolio management
Documentation
management
(Awang et al., 2012, 2014; BIFM, 2018; IFMSL, 2018; IFMA, 2018; Payne, 2010; RICS, 2018).
460
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
FM competencies commonly identified in the literature. Conversely, the IFMSL
has recognized change management; visual marketing and branding; building
automation; and geographical information systems as the competencies expected
of facilities managers. These competencies can be considered as the competencies
that are specific to FM professionals working in Sri Lanka.
Skills required by a facilities manager
Skill is defined as the proficiency or ability gained or developed through
experience or training (Dada & Jagboro, 2015). Skills are a part of competencies,
i.e., they are included in the competencies (Korytarova & Hromadka, 2010).
A person can develop a skill with experience by practicing it over a long period
of time (James & Chase, 2016). Skills and qualifications are, however, different
(Clarke & Winch, 2006) in that qualifications are external to an individual, while
skills are a part of the individual’s life (James & Chase, 2016).
Various authors have identified the skills expected from different categories of professionals. There are also other authors who have identified
additional skills that are related to these seven types of skills. Table 3 presents
the skills mentioned in the literature as those required by facilities managers.
The seven types of skills identified by Doyle (2017) have also been accepted by
the IFMA, RICS and BIFM. These skills include providing leadership, understanding the business organization, managing people, managing premises,
managing the working environment, managing resources and managing services. This study was also able to identify from the literature, the skills required
by a professional in general. Public speaking skills, flexibility, team work,
personal skills, and time management skills are the skills that a professional
will require in addition to the seven main skills.
Research methodology
The study used a mixed approach consisting of expert interviews and
a questionnaire survey for data collection. The mixed approach combines both
quantitative and qualitative research approaches, and provide complete, informative, balanced, and useful research results (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). It
can validate findings or complement individual findings and can combine
different levels of knowledge, disciplines and skills (Bergman, 2011).
The study used expert interviews to extract from the roles, competencies and
skills of FM professionals that were identified from the literature, those that are
required for the hotel industry. Each of the 15 face to face expert interviews that
were conducted with FM industry experts in Sri Lanka, who were selected using
purposive sampling and who had experience and knowledge about FM practices in
the hotel industry in the country, lasted for 45 minutes on average. Each of the
experts had more than 25 years of working experience in five-star hotels and had
11. Public speaking
11.1 Articulation
11.2 Confidence
11.3 Creating presentation slides
11.4 Poise
11.5 Projection
11.6 Receiving criticism and feedback
11.7 Social skills
10. Team work
10.1 Conflict resolution
10.2 Relationship building
10.3 Team building
10.4 Team management
7.4 Project management
7.5 Operations and maintenance
07. Managing services
7.1 Building services management
7.2 Managing support services
7.3 Customer service management
5.2 Space management
5.1 Environmental issues
4.2 Real estate
3.2 Occupancy and human factors
8.2 Career planning
8.3 Technological creativity
8.4 Creative thinking
8.5 Critical thinking
8.6 Dressing professionally
8.7 Emotional intelligence
8.8 Enforcing boundaries
8.9 Ethics
8.10 Honesty
8.11 Humility
8.12 Integrity
8.13 Perceptiveness
8.14 Competency
08. Personal skills
8.1 Career management
3.7 Persuasion
3.8 Resume writing
3.9 Working with suppliers and specialists
09. Flexibility
9.1 Ability to change one’s mind
9.2 Analysis
9.3 Anger management
9.4 Patience
9.5 Perceptiveness
9.6 Problem solving
06. Managing resources
6.1 Procurement
6.2 Risk management
6.3 Finance and business
6.4 Performance and quality
6.5 Facility information and technology
management
6.6 Sustainability
3.3 Communications
4.3 Understanding building design
3.4 Advocating for oneself and one’s causes 4.4 Building fabric maintenance
3.5 Managing a positive relationship with
4.5 Developing the brief
the employer
3.6 Interviewing, listening, networking
04. Managing premises
4.1 Property portfolio management
03. Managing people
3.1 People management
(British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), 2018; Blondeau, 2018; Doyle, 2017; International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), 2018; Lebowitz, 2018; Mendoza, 2018;
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), 2018; Warren & Heng, 2005; Wilcox, 2018).
12. Time management
12.1 Attention to detail
12.2 Intrinsic motivation
12.3 Meeting deadlines
12.3 Project management
12.4 Punctuality
12.5 Self-starting
12.6 Stress management
1.6 Remaining calm when under
pressure
1.7 Coaching
1.8 Resource coordination
1.9 Decision making
1.10 Goal setting
1.11 Growth mind-set
1.12 Information gathering to
influence
1.13 Management
1.14 Mentoring
1.15 Meeting management
1.16 Planning
1.17 Politeness
1.18 Positivity
1.19 Prioritization
Skills required by a facilities manager
01.Leadership
02. Understanding business organization
1.1 Leadership and strategy
2.1 Understanding the structure and behavior of the
organization
1.2 Professional practice
2.2 Understanding business and organizational
strategy
1.3 Law
2.3 FM strategy development
1.4 Accountability
1.5 Budgeting
05. Managing the working environment
Table 3. Skills required by a facilities manager.
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
461
462
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
more exposure to FM practice than those working in other hotels. NVivo content
analysis software was used to analyze the findings of the expert interviews.
The content of the questionnaire used in the questionnaire survey was first
validated through the expert interviews using the content validity test. Based on the
results of the test, the content that had a low content validity ratio, which was
calculated using Lawshe’s method, was removed from the questionnaire.
Purposive sampling was used to select the questionnaire survey participants. The
sample consisted of 100 professionals working in the engineering, purchasing and
human resource management departments of several five-star hotels located in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. The questionnaires were distributed to them either online or
via e-mail. Sixty-two among the hundred prospective participants returned their
completed questionnaires. The response rate was, therefore, satisfactory, as it
included 30–40% of the total population of the study. Table 4 presents the details
of the respondents.
The survey identified the FM roles significant to the hotel industry and the
competencies and skills required to perform those FM roles. The weighted
mean rating (WMR) was used to analyze the FM roles, and relate to them the
competencies and skills required by a FM professional to carry out those
roles. Since the WMR had been used by (Ekanayake & Perera, 2016) to rank
cuases for delays in road projects, it was considered as the most suitable data
analysis technique for this study too. The following formula was used to
calculate the WMR:
WMR ¼
X5
i¼1
ðFix %RÞ
where WMR = Weighted mean rating; Fi = Frequency of responses for an
attribute (ranging from 1–5); and % R = Percentage response to the rating
point of an attribute.
Table 4. Details of the questionnaire survey respondents.
Main category
Profession
Designation
Experience (Years)
Subcategory
Engineering
Facilities management
Human resource management
Marketing
Chief Engineer
Engineer
Maintenance Manager
Facilities Manager
Facilities Executive
Human Resource Manager
Purchasing Manager
6–10
11–15
16–20
21–25
More than 25
Distributed
45
35
10
10
25
15
20
15
5
10
10
25
30
20
15
10
Received
32
20
6
4
16
10
14
7
3
6
6
15
21
11
9
6
Rate of response
71%
57%
6%
6%
64%
67%
70%
47%
60%
60%
60%
60%
70%
52%
60%
60%
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
463
Research findings
FM roles that are significant to the hotel industry
Table 5 indicates the FM roles that were identified from the questionnaire
survey as being of significance to the hotel industry and their WMRs. They
inlcude the 14 FM roles that were originally identifed from the literature
along with the 6 roles that were identfied through the expert interviews. The
roles coming under the latter category are indicated in bold.
The expert interviews revealed that all of the general FM roles identified
from the literature are applicable to the hotel industry as well. From the
questionnaire survey, it was found that the FM role most significant to the
hotel sector is “maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules”. This role
was, however, not mentioned in the literature. In general, it was seen that the
WMRs of a majority of the FM roles were high, which indicates their
significance to the hotel sector. All roles except Role Nos. 16,17,18,19 and
Table 5. FM roles that are significant to the hotel industry.
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Significant roles
Maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules
Building services management
Operating and maintaining the activities of the facilities
Maintenance management requirements of the building in relation to areas such
as statutory and regulatory requirements, record maintenance, management
reporting, and supply chain management
Understanding technical designs and specifications
Ensuring the quality of building services
Deciding within pre-established policy limits the operating and maintenance work
that have to be performed on facilities, equipment and systems
Maintaining life safety of the building occupants and assets, taking charge
of fire prevention
Asset management
Submitting periodic reports on the efficiency of mechanical, electrical and
plumbing (MEP) equipment
Ensuring sustainable building designs and clear specifications and providing
a framework around which a design can be developed
Being responsible for developing engineering evaluations that will specify the
feasibility and cost of possible alternate courses of actions
Establishing and agreeing with the client’s brief
Preparing outline design proposals, initial budgets and project programs, providing
initial advice on procurement options, demonstrating and understanding the
principles and responsibilities imposed by law
Initiating new technologies and sustainable programs within the premises
Preparing or contributing to the brief and evaluating the feasibility of the existing
facilities
Influencing the design and construction by using building information modeling in
respect of the employer’s information requirements
Analyzing the complaints received from guests and improving the facilities
Taking a decision to build a new facility or to modernize or expand an existing old
facility in order to expand the production or reduce all relevant costs
Making decisions on whether to rent or buy, extend or sell, and refurbish or
construct the facilities
MWR
4.97
4.91
4.73
4.71
Role
Code
R1
R2
R3
R4
4.70
4.65
4.64
R5
R6
R7
4.63
R8
4.62
4.53
R9
R10
4.46
R11
4.20
R12
4.08
4.04
R13
R14
4.00
3.95
R15
R16
3.84
R17
3.82
3.26
R18
R19
3.00
R20
464
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
20, i.e., preparing or contributing to the brief and evaluating the feasibility of
the existing facilities; influencing the design and construction by using
building information modeling in respect of the employer’s information
requirements; analyzing the complaints received from the guests and improving the facilities; taking a decision to build a new facility or to modernize or
expand an existing old facility in order to expand the production or to reduce
all relevant costs; and making decisions on whether to rent or buy, extend or
sell, and refurbish or construct the facilities were rated as being significant
since their WMRs exceeded four. Most of the less significant FM roles are
related to the design stage. According to the interviewees, the contribution of
the facilities manager in the hotel sector is most significant during the
operational stage of the building life cycle.
Competencies and skills of facilities managers that are significant to the
hotel industry
Table 6 indicates the competencies and skills that were found to be significant for the efficient and effective performance of the facilities managers in
each of the roles mentioned in Table 5. These include the competencies and
skills that are required to carry out the new FM roles identified during the
expert interviews and verified through the questionnaire survey.
The interviewees agreed that all the competencies identified from the
literature are valid for the hotel sector as well. For example, FM strategy
development, communications, understanding building design, building services management, energy and utility management, technology, customer
service management, risk management, quality management, information
and knowledge management, dispute resolution and building automation
were identified by all the interviewees as the competencies that are required
to perform FM roles in the hotel industry. The competencies required for
each role were ranked according to their WMRs calculated based on the
responses received from the questionnaire survey. Building services management was found to be relevant to most of the FM roles. Project management,
space planning and management, FM strategy development and quality
management were also found to be important to FM roles. However, experts
were of the view that fabric maintenance, logistic management, communications, visual marketing and branding, and geographical information systems
were of no significance to any of the roles.
The expert interviewees believed that all the skills identified from the
literature would be applicable to the hotel industry as well. They could not
identify any additional skills required for the FM roles in the hotel sector.
It was noted that some of the skills and competencies identified were
overlapping. Thus, the skills that were identified as competencies as well,
were removed from the list of skills used for the questionnaire survey.
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
465
Table 6. Competencies and skills that are significant for a FM working in the hotel industry.
Role
code
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
R8
R9
R10
Competencies required
Documentation management
Team working
People management
Building services management
FM strategy development
Building services management
Building automation
FM strategy development
Quality management
Risk management
Building services management
Dispute resolution
FM strategy development
Information and knowledge management
Quality management
Building services management
Building fabric maintenance
Value management
Understanding building design
People management
Building services management
Technology
Environmental management
Understanding building design
Project management
Quality management
Building services management
Dispute resolution
Documentation management
Customer service management
Building services management
Energy and utility management
Technology
Contract administration
Financial management
Professional practice
Building services management
Dispute resolution
Space planning and management
Value management
Financial management
Building services management
Information and knowledge management
Value management
Understanding the structure and behavior of
the organization
Documentation management
Environmental management
Building services management
Information and knowledge management
Value management
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Skills required
Critical thinking
Punctuality
Resource coordination
Law
Advocating for oneself and one’s
causes
Resource coordination
Law
Confidence
Problem solving
Management
Management
Planning
Technological creativity
Receiving criticism and feedback
Critical thinking
Competency
Law
Integrity
Analysis
Receiving criticism and feedback
Competency
Creative thinking
Technological creativity
Critical thinking
Patience
Creative thinking
Growth mind-set
Resource coordination
Budgeting
Management
Technological creativity
Law
Analysis
Decision making
Confidence
Critical thinking
Interviewing
Competency
Team building
Social skills
Technological creativity
Emotional intelligent
Resource coordination
Decision making
Team building
1
2
3
4
5
Meeting deadlines
Punctuality
Self-starting
Ability to change the mind
Analysis
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
(Continued )
466
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
Table 6. (Continued).
Role
code
R11
R12
R13
R14
R15
R16
R17
R18
R19
R20
Competencies required
Rank
Skills required
Understanding building design
1 Management
Environmental management
2 Planning
Building services management
3 Competency
Project management
4 Critical thinking
Quality management
5 Goal setting
Building services management
1 Resource coordination
Technology
2 Technological creativity
Project management
3 Accountability
Risk management
4 Competency
Professional practice
5 Analysis
People management
1 Listening
Relationships with stakeholders
2 Decision making
FM strategy development
3 Management
Property portfolio management
4 Relationship building
Building services management
5 Coaching
Project management
1 Budgeting
Financial management
2 Law
Procurement and tendering
3 Analysis
People management
4 Prioritization
Dispute resolution
5 Career planning
Technology
1 Technological creativity
Building automation
2 Creative thinking
Environmental management
3 Information gathering to influence
Information and knowledge management
4 Resource coordination
Space planning and management
5 Management
Understanding the structure and behavior of 1 Meeting deadlines
the organization
Building services management
2 Self-starting
FM strategy development
3 Planning
Project management
4 Creative thinking
Quality management
5 Analysis
Information and knowledge management
1 Technological creativity
Project management
2 Managing a positive relationship
with the employer
Understanding the structure and behavior of 3 Decision making
the organization
Understanding building design
4 Critical thinking
Technology
5 Analysis
Customer service management
1 Analysis
Property portfolio management
2 Receiving criticism and feedback
Procurement and tendering
3 Problem solving
Space planning and management
4 Remaining calm when under
pressure
Contract administration
5 Patience
Understanding building design
1 Goal setting
Financial management
2 Creative thinking
Space planning and management
3 Planning
Risk management
4 Technological creativity
Property portfolio management
5 Resource coordination
Building services management
1 Budgeting
Property management
2 Analysis
Project management
3 Accountability
Contract administration
4 Decision making
Space planning and management
5 Growth mind-set
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
467
Technological creativity was found to be the most significant skill required
by a facilities manager working in the hotel industry. Resource coordination,
competency, analysis and decision making were also found to be of high
significance.
FM roles, competencies and skills most significant to the hotel industry
Table 7 presents a summary of the FM roles, competencies and skills that were
identified by the interviewees as being of high significance to the hotel sector.
The five roles presented in Table 7, being functions vital to a hotel facility,
were found to be the FM roles most significant to the hotel sector. The
competencies and skills mentioned were found to be significant if a facilities
manager was to carry out his/her roles effectively and efficiently.
Discussion
The FM roles and their related competencies and skills were first identified in
general from the literature. However, none of the past researchers had
identified the roles, competencies and skills that are specifically significant
to a facilities manager working in the hotel sector. Hence, the focus of this
research was on filling that research gap.
From the literature review, 14 FM roles were identified in general. Authors
such as Pilanawithana and Sandanayake (2017), Mbachu et al. (2017) and
Wang, Wang, Wang, Yung, and Jun (2013) have discussed these roles
extensively. From the expert interviews, six other FM roles relevant to the
hotel industry were identified. These additional roles include maintaining life
safety of the building occupants and assets, taking charge of fire prevention,
analyzing the complaints received from the guests and improving the facilities, submitting periodic reports on the efficiency of MEP equipment,
Table 7. FM roles, competencies and skills most significant to the hotel industry.
Significant
Significant
competencies
skills
Building services
Technological
management
creativity
Building services management
Project management Resource
coordination
Operating and maintaining activities that ensure facilities
Space planning and Competency
management
Maintenance management requirements of a building in relation FM strategy
Analysis
to areas such as statutory and regulatory requirements, record development
maintenance, management reporting, and supply chain
management
Understanding technical designs and specifications
Quality management Decision
making
Significant roles
Maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules
468
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules, managing assets, initiating new technologies and conducting sustainable programs within the premises. The study found that these FM roles fall within the scope of work of
a facilities manager working in the hotel sector. The most significant role
identified from the study is the maintenance of preventive maintenance
schedules. This is a significant finding, as literature has not identified it as
a FM role. Hence, it should be possible to considerably improve the operational efficiency of hotels by including “maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules” in the scope of work of the facilities managers working in
the hotels.
The competencies that were identified from the work of authors like
Awang et al. (2012), Awang, Mohammed, Sapri, and Rahman (2014) and
Payne (2010) and institutions like the BIFM, IFMA, RICS and IFMSL are
applicable to all the industries in general. According to the findings of this
study, these competencies are applicable specifically to the hotel sector.
Similarly, the skills identified by the IFMA (2018), Warren and Heng
(2005), Doyle (2017), Wilcox (2018), Lebowitz (2018), Mendoza (2018) and
Blondeau (2018) as being applicable in general to all the industries are found
to be required by the facilities managers working in the hotel sector as well.
This study focused on the level of significance of skills and competencies
relevant to each FM role, which could not be found in the literature.
However, the applicability and the ranking of each skill and competency
are unique to the facilities managers in the hotel sector. This will be helpful
for the facilities managers working in the hotel sector toward improving their
competencies and skills in order to improve their performance.
Conclusions
The aim of the study was to identify the roles, competencies and skills required
of the facilities manager throughout the building life cycle, with special
emphasis on hotel buildings. From the literature review, it was found that
there are 14 roles that a facilities manager has to perform throughout all of the
8 stages of the building life cycle. Six additional roles specific to the hotel sector
were identified at the expert interviews. The questionnaire survey revealed that
maintenance of preventive maintenance schedules is the FM role that is most
significant to the hotel sector.
The competencies expected of a facilities manager were determined from
the literature and from the guidelines provided by FM professional bodies,
such as the BIFM, IFMA and IFMSL. The competencies recognized by the
IFMSL are different to those recognized by the other professional bodies.
Property management, building service management, environmental management, quality management, and information and knowledge management
are the FM competencies mostly mentioned in the literature. The expert
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
469
interviews revealed that all the competencies determined through the literature review are relevant to the hotel sector. The questionnaire survey helped
to determine the most significant competencies required to fulfill each of the
FM roles identified. While building services management is a competency
relevant to most of the FM roles, building fabric maintenance, logistic
management, communications, visual marketing and branding, and geographical information systems are the competencies that have no significance to
any of the identified roles.
The professional bodies IFMA, RICS and BIFM have defined seven main
skills expected of a facilities manager: providing leadership, understanding
the business organization, managing people, managing premises, managing
the working environment, managing resources and managing services. The
study identified from the literature several other skills that are also required
by a professional. However, the expert interviewees were of the view that all
of the skills identified from the literature and other publications and from the
guidelines provided by the professional bodies are relevant to the hotel
sector. Technological creativity is the most significant skill required by
a facilities manager working in the hotel sector. Resource coordination,
competency, analysis and decision making are also skills that are significant
for a facilities manager working in the hotel sector.
The theoretical contribution made by this study will be useful for defining
the scope of the job of a FM professional working in the hotel sector.
Moreover, the findings will provide a benchmark for the level of competencies and skills that can be expected from a facilities manager working in the
hotel sector. The contribution made by this study to the existing theory will
considerably help the facilities managers working in the hotel sector to
perform more efficiently as well as more effectively. In addition, the study
will promote the re-engineering process in the hotel sector, since facilities
management in the hotel industry, which is an instrument of strategic
change, has been referred to as reengineering by the past researchers.
Hotel industry, being a foreign exchange earner, is crucial to the growth
and development of tourism in many countries, including Sri Lanka.
Economic and business cycles have an influence on the hotel industry.
Hence when businesses undergo difficulties during periods of economic
down-turn, the hotel industry can also get adversely affected. The FM
profession can play a major role under these circumstances.
With the rapid development of the hotel sector, there will be many job
openings for FM professionals in the sector. Hence, it is important to make
use of the right people to perform the work falling within the scope of FM.
The findings of this research study will also be useful for FM professional
bodies for determining the skills and competencies required from future
facilities managers. The findings will also be useful for academic institutions
in improving the curriculum of FM degree programs.
470
K. D. T. PRIYANGIKA ET AL.
However, the findings of this research will be limited to hotels with a fivestar or higher rating. Since the scope of the work of the facilities managers
working in hotels that have lower ratings will be not as wide as that of those
working in five-star hotels, the number of competencies and skills required
by them will also be less. Furthermore, the role of a facilities manager in
developed countries, where sophisticated technologies are available, will also
be different to what has been revealed through this research.
ORCID
B. A. K. S. Perera
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-8890
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