A Delphi Technique Analysis of Drivers of Outsourcing Decisions Among Multi-Tenanted Shopping Mall Owners in Ghana

The purpose of this study was to assess the drivers of outsourcing decisions of multi-tenanted shopping mall owners for facilities management in Ghana. The study was conducted using nine owners of multi-tenanted shopping malls in Ghana with a history and experience in outsourcing retail properties to third party facility management firms (n = 9) and facilities managers who are experts in providing outsourced services (n = 5). Using the Delphi technique, five surveys were conducted (Delphi polls) using questionnaires that were sent out to the participants via an online survey tool (Survey Heart). The surveys sought to build a consensus from the respondents on the factors that drive their decision to outsource FM in their properties and they were conducted over a period of 9 months. The results showed that the outsourcing decisions of multi-tenanted shopping mall owners in Ghana is driven by the strategic advantages, cost-saving benefits and the service quality-related benefits that outsourcing gives them. Among these broad factors, the ability to focus on core competencies for competitive advantage, and avoid the fixed cost associated with paying the salaries and other entitlements of in-house staff were the main reasons for their decisions to outsource. The results also showed that the owners are of the view that third-party services providers deliver quality FM services than in-house teams. The study shows the factors that drive the decision of multi-tenanted shopping malls in Ghana to outsource FM services in their buildings. The findings of the study will be useful to prospective investors into retail properties in Ghana as well as facilities management service providers and further research into facilities management.