An Evaluation of Office Occupiersí Needs and Preferences

Purpose ñ Office provision is an important component of the property sector. Stakeholders such developers, investors and service providers have a vested interest in establishing office user needs and preferences. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the preferences and needs of office space usersí. Design/methodology/approach ñ The authors evaluates the literature that categorises office occupiersí preferences. The occupier perspective of office provision is fully explored. Office occupier segmentation and analytical tools are identified. Findings ñ This paper establishes that the office environment is more than a just the physical environment. Office space should be viewed from multiple dimensions, not just physical. Increased understanding of the physical, virtual and social elements of the space as well as of the usersí and occupiersí values, needs and preferences form a platform for new kinds of services, products and business opportunities for the various players in the property sector. A deeper appreciation of occupier preferences is developed to include the virtual and social space requirements. Originality/value ñ This paper will demonstrate that a greater understanding of office occupiersí and usersí preferences adds to the organizationsí knowledge. This additional knowledge enables the opportunity to provide space to support the well-being and productivity of the individual space users. Keywords: Workplace, Office evaluation, Occupier perspective Paper Type: Research paper