Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of real estate management. Different operation cost indicators are identified and related to the estates’ social condition. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical material was collected from the company's accounts and by interviews with the staff and is based on a comparison between two similar areas that mainly differed in how much resources the company invested in social projects and maintenance. Findings – The results indicate that CSR leads to approximately 4.5 percent lower annual operating and maintenance costs, which improved the company's profitability, especially if higher maintenance standards made higher rents possible. Other advantages were improved goodwill, which led to new business opportunities. Research limitation/implications – The primary issue of the study is to identify consequences of CSR. However, more research is needed about landlord incentives and economic effects of initiated landlord investments. The evaluation method also needs to be further developed and refined. Originality/value – From a practical perspective, the paper gives a deeper insight into the possible economic advantages of CSR. From the perspective of the scientific community, the paper shows the possibilities in using a comparative evaluation model together with detailed company data in order to identify important indicators and effects.

Rapporten innehåller en beskrivning och analys av ekonomiska effekter relaterade till åtgärder i socialt utsatta bostadsområden. Utgångspunkten har varit att öka förståelsen för olika angreppssätt. I rapporten jämförs relationsförvaltning i Fisksätra, Nacka kommun med traditionell förvaltning i Lindängen, Malmö kommun. Därefter beskrivs och analyseras två strategiska val för några fastigheter i Herrgården på Rosengård, Malmö kommun som innebär (a) stora investeringar eller (b) inga nya investeringar. Rapporten beskriver/analyserar olika företagsindikatorer som hänger ihop med områdets sociala tillstånd för att exemplifiera företagsekonomiska effekter av åtgärder: reparationer vid flytt, grov misskötsamhet vid avflyttning, renhållning av utemiljön, sophantering, klottersanering, förstörda fönster, mekaniskt sabotage/generellt sabotage, städning, hantering av störningar, hantering av obetalda hyror, obetalda hyror och vakanser. För att beskriva områdesrelaterade problem omfattar rapporten även samhällsindikationerna: räddningstjänst- och poliskostnader. Resultatet ska i första hand ses som en vägledning för att förstå vilka effekter åtgärder har på intäkts- och kostnadssidan i en lokal områdesförvaltning samt öka förståelsen för olika strategiska vägval. Åtgärder relaterat till bostadsområdenas sociala situation har visat sig vara ekonomiskt lönsam. Relationsförvaltningen har bedömts ge en kostnadsbesparing på 5 procent av drift- och underhållskostnaden per år för Fisksätra och i Herrgården har sociala åtgärder i kombination med fysiska investeringar bedömts ge en besparing på 16 procent av drift och underhållskostnaden per år. Vid optimistiska antaganden om kostnader och intäkter anses områdesåtgärderna i Herrgården vara företagsekonomiskt effektiva i relation till värden som skapas, ägarens ambitioner och andra strategiska vägval. Bostadsföretagens viktiga roll som samhällsbyggnadsaktör har befästs i exemplet Herrgården. Uteblivna åtgärder har resulterat i en beräknad extra samhällskostnad på 10 000 kr per lägenhet/år för att hantera bränder och kriminalitet när området inte fungerar socialt. I exemplet Herrgården har det även visat sig att alternativ (b), inga nya investeringar kan motiveras ur ett kort företagsekonomiskt perspektiv vid stor efterfrågan på bostäder då en ansvarslös ägare kan ha kvar hyresgäster, lyfta ett positivt driftnetto och därmed få hög, snabb avkastning utan att motsvara fastigheternas behov vilket är förödande för bostadsmiljön och på sikt leder till att fastigheterna blir uttjänta. Av de slutsatser som lyfts fram i rapporten är det särskilt viktigt att påpeka följande: för att nå företagsekonomisk genomförbarhet och hållbar positiv områdesutveckling bör insatser i storskaliga bostadsområden främst inriktas mot att återställa bostadsmiljön istället för storskaliga förnyelseinsatser. Därtill måste de fysiska åtgärderna förenas med kontinuerliga sociala insatser med utgångspunkt i det lokala behovet. Nämnvärt att påpeka är att fastighetsägare som inte sköter (normalt för områdets situation) behov av drift- och underhåll, via en tydligare tillämpning av redan befintlig lagstiftning inte bör ha möjlighet att fortsätta på samma sätt. Ofta framställs områdesproblem som svåra att angripa men med företags-ekonomiskt effektiva åtgärder kan en till synes hopplös situation snabbt förändras.

The purpose of this study was to analyze effects of privatization of public housing in Sweden. Causes of privatization, impact on the housing market and social consequences are discussed. The study is based on a review of research literature concerning issues related to privatization of public housing. The results indicate that the proportion of publicly owned houses has been reduced in attractive areas. Some local communities were adversely affected. A minority sector of the population and a few private landlords have been favored. Situations that justify privatization exist, but landlords need improved incentives to be more responsible and provide better quality. More empirical studies are needed to increase knowledge about the long-term effects of privatization.

The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge of strategic operating work methods in socially disadvantage large housing estates. The primary issue is to describe one housing company’s countermeasures in order to stabilize a run-down neighbourhood and create possible conditions for profitability. Based on a detailed case study material from a socially disadvantage area in Malmö, daily work methods and the changing process are discussed and analyzed. Further detailed research will be carried out to decide the economic profitability of these countermeasures. The value of the study from a practical perspective is a deeper knowledge of difficulties and possibilities to stabilize socially disadvantage housing areas and to find sustainable work methods. From a research perspective it gives information that can be used for studies on comparative management studies.

The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge of how to provide service in municipal housing companies in Sweden, and of various organisational models for the customer-centric organisation. The principal issue of the study is how housing companies can organise their resources in order to create an efficient and customer-centric organisation. The term customer-centric organisation comprises customer service, letting, and local administration. Customer service is often designated as the housing company’s fault reporting service and includes, for instance, the reporting of faults in dwellings, noise problems, complaints etc. Letting incorporates processes connected with estate agency, marketing, taking possession and vacating, internal exchanges, housing strategies, options, and tenant selection. Local administration incorporates processes connected with day-to-day operational administration, i.e. the provision of service with regard to remedying faults and making repairs. The study’s theoretical points of departure have their basis in research into public housing and the field of service management. The empirical supportive data used in the study is a two-year case study of rganisational changes at Malmö municipal housing company, MKB Fastighets AB (MKB), and a supplementary interview study at four other municipal housing companies. The case study was conducted with the help of observations gleaned from MKB’s internal evaluation group, interviews with management and frontline staff, and a questionnaire survey of frontline staff in MKB’s customer-centric organisation. The supplementary study included interviews with both frontline staff and management. MKB’s organisational change can be divided up into two different phases: the test organisation and the team organisation. The departure point of both organisations was area-based customer service, letting, and local administration. The test organisation entailed MKB creating one single function to manage all these activities. Due to higher administration costs, less visible local administration, and recruitment problems, the test organisation was abandoned. In its place, the team organisation was created, which in many respects consisted of the same concept, but differed in that the area-based customer service, letting, and local administration were shared between several people in a joint local work-team. MKB’s new ways of organising its customer-centric organisation are defined in the study as a holistic model, entailing that all contact with customers was self-managed from a local area office. The results show that the team organisation cultivates a proximity to the customers, also improving customer responsibility and collaboration between frontline staff. It can also be pointed out that the customer-centric organisation needs to be developed further. Among other things, the expertise of frontline staff can be further adapted in order to meet customer requirements. At the same time, it is of great importance to the outcome of the organisational change that the organisation’s overarching parts are coordinated in a manner facilitating the work of frontline staff in the provision of service. The same will apply if the housing company uses contractors in, for instance, property maintenance, grounds management, and heating, ventilation and sanitation installations. If the housing company’s aim is to become customer-oriented, then joint resources will have to be concentrated on the customer process and this process will have to take centre stage in the company’s strategic management decisions.

Inom fastighetsbranschen har det inte funnits något eget system för att kvalitetscertifiera enskilda fastigheter. Det ville några engagerade privata fastighetsägare i Malmö och Kristianstad ändra på med hjälp av Fastighetsägarna Syd i samarbete med Hyresgästföreningen och Malmö stad. Resultatet blev ett lokalt pilotprojekt där Ca 20 fastighetsägare prövade att kvalitetscertifiera hyresfastigheter. Totalt certifierades 57 fastigheter inom ramen för pilotprojektet, 2008-2013. Certifieringen byggde på att en kvalitetsstämpel tilldelades fastigheter som motsvarade certifieringskraven och därmed kunde redovisa att lagkrav och myndigheters rekommendationer följdes med mera. Studiens empiriska underlag bygger i huvudsak på enkätsvar från 165 fastighetsägare och intervjuer med 10 fastighetsägare. Författaren har under arbetets gång även haft kontakt med representanter från Malmö stad, Hyresgästföreningen och Fastighetsägarna Syd samt bank och försäkringsbolag. Studien innehåller teorier inom skilda kunskapsfält som syftat till en ökad förståelse för certifieringsmodellens innehåll i relation till fastighetsmarknadens funktion, prissättning- och värderingsmekanismer samt fastighetens lokala betydelse. Studiens resultat visar att pilotprojektet att kvalitetscertifiera bostadsfastigheter kan underlätta för aktörer på hyresmarknaden att i sin värdering kunna urskilja ansvarsfullt skötta fastigheter. Certifieringen av en fastighet kan fungera som ett kvitto på att fastigheten förvaltas ansvarsfullt och också medföra ekonomiska fördelar för fastighetsägaren på lång sikt. Det förbättrade informationsläget som certifieringen ger kan minska risken för investerare att satsa resurser i fastigheten, genom att kapitalet säkras och efterfrågan på fastighetens uthyrningsbara ytor ökar i jämförelse med fastigheter som inte är certifierade. Resultatet av pilotprojektet efter testperioden resulterade inte i någon vedertaget tillämpad modell. En viktig orsak till det var att de lokala hyresgästföreningarna i Malmö och Kristianstad och Fastighetsägarna Syd inte kunde komma överens om certifieringens hyresincitament. Brister i kontrollorganisationens uppbyggnad, avsaknad av ackreditering från SWEDAC och lågt intresse bland fastighetsägarna att betala för att ansluta sig till certifieringen bidrog också till att modellen till slut övergavs. Ett lågt utbud av bostäder gör att det ofta finns få eller inga alternativ för bostadssökande. Av den anledningen kan kvalitetsaspekter få en mindre avgörande roll då bostadssökande väljer sin bostad. På en välfungerande lokal bostadsmarknad där det finns alternativ för bostadssökande kan sannolikt certifieringsmodellen få en betydligt större betydelse för bostadssökande, vilket kan motivera fler fastighetsägare att använda sig av en certifieringsmodell för att undvika vakanser. Till sist bör det påpekas att om lokala myndigheters kontroll av fastighetsägare på orten fungerar effektivt och tillämpad hyressättningsmodell innebär tillräckliga incitament för fastighetsägarna att vinna på att agera ansvarsfullt, minskar det betydelsen av en kvalitetscertifieringsmodell.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate three different models of how to organise services to tenants in municipal housing companies. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data used in this study are gathered from a detailed two-year case study. Findings – Three different functions are identified: customer service (e.g. reporting of faults); the letting process; and caretaking (day-to-day activities and control over in- and outdoor areas). The three models for local administration differ as to which functions are decentralised to a local group and which are centralised, and are evaluated from several different perspectives. The models where more decisions are decentralised leads to better information about the local conditions, makes it easier to coordinate work in an area, creates more motivation for the staff and makes it easier to involve the tenants. The main problem with the decentralised models is moral hazard problems, e.g. that the local team create their own agenda, are pressured by certain tenants to give them advantages and that the result is lack of control and an inconsistent policy in the company. Research limitation/implications – The primary issue of the study is how housing companies can organise their resources in order to create an efficient local administration in large housing estates. Further research is needed to decide if the economic profitability differs between different organizational models in relation to tenants' perceived service quality. Originality/value – The research identifies and analyses different organisation models for local administration in large housing estates more thoroughly than earlier research.

Studien innehåller en företagsekonomisk lönsamhetsanalys av Stena fastigheters relationsförvaltning som är en medveten strategi att satsa ”extra” resurser på sociala projekt i bostadsområden med en social problematik. Två likvärdiga bostadsområden inom Stena fastigheters fastighetsbestånd byggda under samma skede i miljonprogrammet belägna i utkanten av Stockholm (Fisksätra) respektive Malmö (Lindängen) jämförs. Fisksätra har en större satsning på sociala projekt (614kr/lgt) jämfört med Lindängen (146kr/lgt). Förvaltningen i Fisksätra upplever att satsningen på sociala projekt är lönsam och ger mjuka värden i form av förbättrad hyresgästrelation och ökad trivsel. En viktig del saknas dock i form av det ekonomiska utfallet av relationsförvaltningen. Uppföljningen består av en analys av två olika bostadsområdens förvaltningskostnader knutna till områdenas ”sociala tillstånd” kartläggs och sätts i relation till förändringar på intäktssidan. Kalkylerna visar att en satsning på relationsförvaltning leder till mindre förvaltningskostnader då Lindängen (5102kr/lgt) har högre förvaltningskostnader påverkade av området ”sociala tillstånd” än Fisksätra (3533kr/lgt) som i jämförelse har en betydligt mer omfattande satsning. Det betyder en skillnad på 44 procent. I en alternativ kalkyl då Fisksätra förväntas kunna öka hyresnivåerna med två procent ger Fisksätra nettokostnader på totalt (2583kr/lgt) jämfört med en oförändrad nivå för Lindängen. Summan av förändringar i kostnader och intäkter gör att Lindängen ligger 98 procent högre än Fisksätra i alternativkalkylen vilket motiverar en satsning på relationsförvaltning. Sociala projekt som har en direktkoppling till barn och ungdomar ger tydliga effekter för minskning av vandalisering och skadegörelse då kostnaderna för detta är mindre omfattande i Fisksätra jämfört med Lindängen. Det är viktigt att vid sidan om ekonomisk lönsamhet även väga in mjuka parametrar när man utvärderar relationsförvaltningen. En kartläggning av det här slaget innehåller inte enbart en lönsamhetsanalys utan ökar förståelsen för samband mellan åtgärd och utfall. Studien kan även vara ett första steg för en framtida mer detaljerad ekonomisk uppföljning.

This dissertation consists of five papers with different objectives. The overall objective is to improve knowledge of effective policies regarding socially deprived large housing estates. All studies deal with the real estate context from a housing company decision-making perspective. The first two papers focus on organisational issues and the following three papers deal with economic issues related to the development of a specific housing area. The research is based on case studies which involve specific methodologies such as interviews, direct observation and collecting data from company accounts. The main message of this thesis is that landlord policies and resources spent on operation and maintenance contribute to local area development. It is also underlined that there is a need for a paradigm shift in Swedish housing, since the regulatory framework appeared to be inadequate. The experience from this study shows that many problems can be solved within the existing laws and through efficient customised property management, but landlords need more effective incentives to improve their policies further. The first two papers address issues about how to organise local management resources in large housing estates. Three different functions were identified: customer service, (e.g. fault-reporting); the letting process; and caretaking (day-to-day management and control over indoor and outdoor areas). The models where more decisions are decentralised lead to better information about the local conditions, make it easier to coordinate work in an area, create more motivation for the staff and make it easier to involve the tenants. This was particularly valuable for socially deprived estates, but the decentralised model raised some moral hazard problems, e.g. the local team create their own agenda, are pressured by certain tenants to give them advantages and that the result is lack of control and consistent housing policy in the company. The third paper deals with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in housing management. Different types of costs are identified and related to the estates’ social condition. The results indicate that a CSR-based management policy leads to approximately 4.5 percent lower annual operation and maintenance costs which improved the company’s profitability, especially if the higher standard of maintenance, made higher rents possible. The study also identified three other benefits of CSR; improved tenant relationship, goodwill and business opportunities and the study is a first step towards a better understanding of the economic consequences of CSR in a real estate-context. The fourth paper analyses the return of the Swedish slumlords, with a focus on a specific area in Malmö. The tenants stayed even though the rent was higher and the quality was lower than in neighbouring areas because of a combination of three factors; rents were paid by different forms of welfare payment, lack of alternatives because of queues to other areas and because some tenants saw an advantage in the “no questions” asked policy that the slumlord followed. It is further argued that the property owners found this slum strategy as profitable either because they hoped to find a “bigger fool” to sell to or because the decision makers in the company had not invested their own money. The study concludes that both tenants and investors were in the end losers, but not the company managers. The fifth paper is an economic evaluation of renovation in socially deprived housing estates. The empirical data indicates that it is profitable to use a clear and active housing management strategy, especially if the rent levels are affected by the standard of management by the landlord. The results also show that the landlord’s policy had positive social effects, both in the form of tenant welfare and in the form of lower costs for Police and the Fire department. The study also indicates that it can be difficult to justify large scale investment purely from a business perspective.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the profitability of a strategy to increase housing quality in socially disadvantaged large housing estates. The primary issue is to identify costs affected by poor management and neighbourhoods’ social problems. Based on detailed case study material from a socially deprived area in the city of Malmö (Sweden), detailed economic data is discussed and analyzed. The empirical data indicates that it is profitable to have a clear and active housing management strategy. The value of the study, from a practical perspective is a deeper knowledge of difficulties and possibilities to stabilize these housing areas and to find sustainable work methods. From a research perspective this provides information that can be used for improved knowledge of comparative management studies.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to try to explain how long-term mismanagement of a housing estate could arise in a country with a strong legal framework aimed at preventing such situations. Design/methodology/approach – Assuming that both tenants and landlords are rational, the paper presents a set of hypotheses that is consistent with the information available. Findings – It is argued that the tenants stayed even though the rent was higher and the quality was lower than in neighboring areas because of a combination of three factors: rents were paid by different forms of welfare payments; lack of alternatives because of queues to other areas; and because some tenants saw an advantage in the “no-question” asked policy that the slumlord followed. It is further argued that the property owner found this slum-strategy profitable either because he hoped to find a “bigger fool” to sell to and/or because the decision makers in the company had not invested their own money. Both tenants and investors were, in the end, losers, but not the company managers. Social implications – The Swedish legal framework is, to a large extent, based on the idea that tenants should take action when there are problems. For several reasons the tenants in the area did not do that and it indicates that a more active role for the local authorities is necessary. Originality/value – The paper focuses on an interesting case that most people thought could not occur and tries to explain this within a framework of rational actors.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to explore how knowledge contributes to value adding activities within real estate organisations. More specifically, the study aims to investigate; (1) how knowledge sharing activities are perceived in real estate organisations, (2) what motivates individuals to share knowledge and what incentives are used to support them, and (3) if employees in these organisations have experience of insufficient knowledge sharing activities resulting in additional project costs. Approach: The study includes a literature study and the findings from a questionnaire survey of 71 representatives of real estate organisations in Sweden are presented. Results: Knowledge sharing activities were perceived to be insufficient between different subunits in the organisation. Employees’ main motivation for learning was to achieve a good job for their customers. Rarely did any of the organisations use incentives to increase knowledge sharing activities. Almost every respondent acknowledged that a lack of knowledge and knowledge sharing resulted in additional project costs: a majority rated it as 10% of total project cost. Practical Implications: The contribution of the findings is an increased understanding of how employees in real estate organisations perceived knowledge sharing between organisational units. Sensible knowledge management can possibly facilitate the organisation’s ability to improve its profitability.