Development trends and current status of facility management and professionalization of facility services in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose Facility management (FM) is picking up steam in Turkey. However, delays in creating standards and adopting FM as a profession by corporate and public institutions led to an unusual predicament, unlike in Europe and the USA. The purpose of this study is to take an inductive and constructivist approach to explore the extent of maturity in the FM industry within Turkey. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative understanding of the complexity of the Turkish FM sector drives the design used in the study. All data has been collected through an in-depth interview and semi-structured questionnaire with FM stakeholders. Findings The findings revealed the perceptions of stakeholders working in various businesses and research institutions in Turkey, including FM organizations, supply markets and educational institutions, regarding the key challenges and opportunities in the business environment. Practical implications The trend on Turkish FM revealed a slow growth in FM professionalization, which needs the authority’s attention as the professionalization reduces the unemployment rate, reduces cost and enhances the life cycle of the physical property. Originality/value This is the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, on Turkish FM that provides comprehensive studies on Turkish FM professionalization trends to draw the attention of policymakers to the need to enact policies that would improve FM professionalism.