Advances in communications, combined with lifestyle trends, point to a future workforce that is more productive and more capable than ever before. Employees are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with workplace capabilities as communications and productivity technology advances. Employees feel that their workplace is not smart enough and they are ready for a workplace that can accommodate their changing lifestyles. The past few years have seen an explosion in the use of smart workplace technologies. Interest in exploiting digital workplaces and smart offices is increasing, and deployments are gaining momentum. Yet the adoption rate is slow, and organizations are only beginning to scratch the surface in regard to the potential applications of smart workplace technologies. Implemented properly, the business benefits of digital workplaces can be substantial. This article explores the changing dimensions of the workplace. It highlights the importance of smart workplace technologies, identifies determinants of implementation success, and covers some of the potential benefits. Finally, this study reviews the successful implementation of smart workplace technologies in a small service industry.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore environmental attitudes and how such attitudes, when combined with a specific cost, can affect environmental behavior. Environmental attitudes are important to study due to the rising belief by building occupants that they are owed safe, healthy, environmentally responsible, and comfortable living environments. Universities around the world are responding to such demands as the majority of prospective college students and their parents claim that the environmental record is a determining factor in their selection of a university. Therefore, this study examines the environmental responsibility levels of a sample student population and to explore how these scores, along with gender, impact their willingness to pay for studying and living in green buildings. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey consisting of three parts was administered to undergraduate university students to measure environmental responsibility, willingness to pay and demographic variables. Statistical analyses including ANOVA, t-tests and correlation were conducted to explore relationships among variables. Findings – Results of statistical analyses show a direct correlation between environmental responsibility and willingness to pay for green buildings, as defined by a leading green building assessment system. Results also show that female students are more environmentally responsible than males. Practical implications – Successful generalizations of the findings of this research may lead to better marketing of green buildings to the general public. Originality/value – Findings present a unique opportunity for university administrations to develop more focused messages when communicating their environmental record with current and potential students.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to provide an overview of contemporary supply‐chain management systems.Design/methodology/approachThe paper highlights the examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and speculates about where this movement is headed. Some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest will also be examined.FindingsCollaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is the most recent prolific management initiative that provides supply chain collaboration and visibility. By following CPFR, companies can dramatically improve supply chain effectiveness with demand planning, synchronized production scheduling, logistic planning, and new product design. CPFR will force suppliers to innovate, building on strong one‐to‐one relationships that will drive smarter ways of doing things. Most companies and industries can benefit from CPFR. However, companies that experience variation in demand, buy or sell a product on a periodic basis, and those that deal in highly differentiated or branded products will benefit the most.Practical implicationsPractitioners can gain first‐hand knowledge of the CPFR model, technology and factors influencing adoption. Practitioners can also find examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and study some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest.Originality/valueThe paper is valuable to practitioners interested in implementing CPFR in their organizations.

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In a few years, the Internet has gone from being the communication tool of scientists to a primary route of information exchange for everyone, from fashion designers to financial analysts. The Internet and its related services create an interactive working environment for users. Through the Internet, effective collaboration becomes possible whenever, wherever, and with whomever. Recently, there has been a significant growth in collaborative products and services aimed at small and mid‐sized businesses. The aim of this paper is to discuss the evolution of the collaborative computing technology and address the capabilities of this new managing tool. The trends in collaborative products and services and some of the collaborative computing products generating the most interest will be examined.