Defining Critical Success Factors for Interaction on Dutch Campuses

In the Netherlands, many universities are opening up their campuses to companies. Universities design interactive places where different campus users can meet, such as faculty, company employees, and students. It is pre-supposed that increasing interaction between these campus users will lead to more cooperation and knowledge sharing, resulting in more innovations and knowledge valorisation. A campus spaces and services have a significant impact on interaction. These may block or facilitate interaction between different campus users. Some studies identified critical success factors (CSFs), but no study has yet included the perceptions of facility directors (FDs). FDs are of particular interest as their objective is to integrate people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the productivity of the core business (NEN/ISO 41011). Expectedly, they are the gatekeepers of the current campus design policies, developing their own CSFs in practice, as opposed to CSFs identified in the literature. FDs of the 13 Dutch universities were interviewed. Interviews were conducted first in an office setting (to ensure confidentiality) and continued in a walkthrough location chosen by the FDs. The interviews focused on the identification of practice-based CSFs for interactive spaces and services. After transcription and coding in Atlas.Ti, an inductive thematic analysis was conducted. This approach allowed for comparison between empirical and previous theoretical findings. Main findings show six clusters: constraints, motivators, designing spaces, designing services, building community, and creating coherence. The campus is seen as a system containing subsystems, and is itself part of a wider system (environment), forming a layered structure. Constraints and motivators are part of the environment but cannot be separated from the other four categories, as they influence their applicability. This placement of CSFs in a systems thinking approach creates a relevant addition of empirical to theoretical findings. This study provides a comprehensive overview and comparison of CSFs from both literature and practice, allowing more effective application of CSFs in campus design policies. A framework for future studies on CSFs for interaction on campuses is provided.