ABSTRACT
Facilities management (FM) is a relatively new and broadly multi-disciplinary vocational field with a pedigree of only 30–40 years. Some academic commentators working within the field of FM have even implied that facilities management is best regarded as being a subsidiary subject of other, more clearly defined, areas of intellectual inquiry; for example, service operations management. Facilities management is clearly in the 'functional' area, thus, arguably, strengthening the case for viewing it as simply another subject contributing to general business and management expertise. FM is frequently identified in people's minds with cost-cutting (less pejoratively, savings) via outsourcing, which correctly implies that facilities management services are, for the most part, provided by specialist, usually commercial, companies on a 'business to business' basis. The hotel industry is a conservative one that, despite the march of progress, retains many traditional practices, often in the face of evidence as to their limited utility.
