Empirical research indicates that real estate firms that adopt elements of a total rewards strategy perform better than firms that do not. COMPENSATION R e w a r d s

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PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the significance of ownership and firm size as predictors of the prevalence of incentive plans in Swedish real estate firms.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data for two periods (2003 and 2007), a two‐predictor logistic model was fitted to the data to test the relationship between ownership and firm size and the likelihood that a Swedish real estate firm has an incentive plan.FindingsPrivate sector firms are more likely than government sector firms to use incentive plans. The number of employees was not a significant predictor of which firms were likely to have incentive pay.Research limitations/implicationsThere are other determinants of incentive pay that were not covered.Practical implicationsThe absence of incentive pay does not necessarily hamper a firm's ability to attract high‐quality workers if they take a broader view of the concept of reward. In addition, public sector workers may be motivated by factors other than monetary reward.Originality/valueThis is the first study of the determinants of incentive plans for real estate firms in Sweden.

The aim of this study is to evaluate South African stakeholder views of the content of the recently developed postgraduate course in Facilities Management at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. The study was done using a questionnaire survey of a cross-section of professionals registered with the South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA). It covers technical, personal, interpersonal and professional skills as well as the ability to conceive, design, implement and operate business systems. It also highlights the degree of importance of these skills. The findings of this research will enable those designing FM programmes of study to ensure that their curricula are current and relevant to the needs of the relevant stakeholders within their contexts. The paper goes beyond previous research in the built environment in specifying the requisite proficiency levels in terms of the relevant skills and competencies.

Purpose This paper aims to discuss whether alignment between corporate real estate strategy and corporate strategy exists for non-property companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and what effects alignment has on the firms’ financial performance. Design/methodology/approach The study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature, with a specific focus on non-property firms listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. The qualitative part of the study involved the analysis of the firms’ annual reports to determine the presence and use of corporate real estate strategies and their alignment to corporate strategy and the extraction of financial indicator data. The quantitative portion of the study involved the use of multivariate analysis, to distinguish and quantify the relationship, if any, between corporate real estate strategy and the identified financial performance indicators. The independent variables were the CRE strategies employed and the dependent variable was the share price. The methods used in this study have been applied before in European and Asian studies; this assisted in ensuring that validity and reliability was achieved. Findings The study finds that the most used strategy by firms (47%) is that which facilitates production, operation and service delivery. The Consumer Goods, Healthcare and Telecommunications sectors appear to demonstrate the highest level of alignment. Return on Shareholder Funds has a strong significant positive correlation with share price. Flexibility as a corporate real estate strategy also has a significant positive coefficient, which indicates a positive relationship with share price. Research limitations/implications Although consistent with results of studies conducted in Europe and Asia, the results of this research may not be applicable to privately held non-listed firms, state-owned enterprises, non-profits and educational institutions. This study also ignores the dynamic external environment in which firms operate and the necessity of firms adjusting their corporate real estate strategy to their changing business strategy. Practical implications These results suggest that the incorporation of corporate real estate strategy in the firms’ corporate strategy formulation has the potential to enhance shareholder value for South African firms. Real estate developers, landlords and owner occupiers would benefit from better understanding the strategic requirements of corporations to ensure that the solutions they provide increase the likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. Originality/value The role of corporate real estate strategy in the firms’ corporate strategy formulation has the ability to enhance shareholder value. This research adds to the scant literature on corporate real estate management in South Africa.