The Leader - January/February 2009 - (Page 53)

i ndus t ry p ro f il e : as c e nd as real estate services, including development and project management, property and estate management, renovation, consulting, business networking, venture acceleration, and training in real estate management.” The magazine also observed that Ascendas manages listed and private real estate funds. Ascendas has strategic partnerships with many local government organizations and MNCs in the markets it operates in. In fact, the company mission is to create total business environments that inspire people to excel. The company culture is set around the belief that innovation and business space solutions are tied together. Today, business space is beyond providing a roof over four walls and the standard utilities, it is the essence of the Ascendas view of how workplace, sustainable practices and talent form a triad of connected forces that reflect new ways for companies to do business. They also represent a sort of “business eco-system” wherein real estate can align with the entire enterprise. “Business space is constantly evolving, with the introduction of new business needs as well as new industries,” Ascendas relates. “As new knowledge industries emerged in the 1990s, high quality business space and infrastructure that cater to the needs of IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) operations were in demand.” The resulting migration from that point has been nothing short of remarkable. Secure and ever-higher speed broadband, wireless, mobility, virtual collaboration, distributed work and many other advances have transformed business models and the nature of work. “One of the key motivators for adopting alternative workplace strategies is technology,” Ascendas advises. Advanced “info-com” technologies have accelerated the pace at which businesses operate,” as the company views it. “With improved accessibility, there’s a greater expectation for quick and efficient response to ensure business continuity and productivity.” One way this is being reflected is in Singapore, where the available talent pool is smaller than most other global regions, and thus talent with high-level competencies is greatly valued. The so-called “War for Talent” means that companies are starting to use the “new age business space” Ascendas is helping to define. But workplace transformations – along with finding and keeping talent – also require proactive change-management initiatives to ensure the best outcomes for employees and the enterprise. That’s one reason why Ascendas also knows at the same time, “There is a need to assist employees in maintaining a healthy balance between work and family, which motivates some companies to adopt more flexible workplace strategies to retain highperforming talent.” For example, Ascendas’ HR policies allow for staff who have to spend more time taking care of children or their parents to opt for a “permanent part-time” work arrangement. In such cases, internet and telecommunication connections enable employees to stay in touch with the company even during their days off. It enables companies to achieve the same, if not higher, levels of productivity and responsiveness from the employee. Variables like culture and geography can influence the degree of individuals’ responsiveness. There is some feeling among workplace industry observers that Asia may face certain cultural barriers to flexible workplace practices like the use of unassigned space. For example, it’s thought that in Asia, an assigned office is a sign of status and credibility. But Ascendas holds a different view of the issue, as it shows through its own progressive HR policies. “Instead of being barriers,” Ascendas insists, “certain factors relevant to Asian culture have helped persuade businesses of the need to provide flexible work strategies and programs to maintain productivity and efficiency.” The region is “a melting pot of different cultures and belief systems, so there is a strong emphasis on the family unit in Asia. The need to provide solutions ensuring staff’s healthy work-life balance, together 2 0 0 9 th e le ade r 53 january / february

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - January/February 2009

The Leader - January/February 2009 Contents Leadership Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Mergers and Aquisitions Assessing Green Building Performance Measuring Space You Actually Use Global Trends in Sustainable Real Estate Whirlpool’s Lee Utke Northmarq’s Kevin Farrell Plastics: Hoping for Resiliency in Resins Regional Profile: Heartland Holding Strong Industry Profile: Ascendas Brings New Age Business Space to Asia-Pac Industry Tracker From the Applied Research Center Discovery Forum Findings Capital Corner Career Development Young Leader Economic Development in the News Learning Spotlight Connect With CoreNet Global Index of Advertisers A Look Ahead In our Next Issue Calendar of Seminars

The Leader - January/February 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.