Total Productive Maintenance Application Framework to Improve the Green Office Building Operation and Maintenance

Lai, Hai Chuan (2026) Total Productive Maintenance Application Framework to Improve the Green Office Building Operation and Maintenance. Doctoral thesis, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Despite the increasing adoption of green certification frameworks such as the Green Building Index (GBI), many green office buildings (GOBs) in Malaysia continue to experience challenges related to declining operational performance, rising maintenance costs, and difficulties in sustaining green certification during the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase. These issues indicate that existing O&M practices have not fully supported the long-term performance outcomes expected of certified GOBs. This research developed an integrated O&M framework for GOBs by incorporating Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) principles and occupant engagement (OE) to improve operational performance and support green certification renewal (GCR). In order to achieve this aim, the study sought to identify the key challenges associated with the operation and maintenance of certified GOBs, examine the influence of TPM practices and OE on O&M performance and GCR, and synthesise the findings into an integrated framework that addresses both technical and human dimensions of building management. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight professionals involved in managing GOBs certified under GBI, Malaysian Carbon Reduction and Environmental Sustainability Tool (MyCREST), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and Green Mark to explore O&M challenges. A questionnaire survey was then administered to facility management personnel with experience in managing GOBs, yielding 102 usable responses. Descriptive statistics, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyse the quantitative data, while follow-up interviews with facilities managers and green building (GB) consultants were conducted to explain the quantitative results. The findings reveal that TPM, as an aggregated construct, has a significant influence on O&M performance and GCR. At the pillar level, certain TPM pillars show stronger effects, while others function as supportive elements that strengthen implementation and sustainability outcomes. It was also found that OE directly contributes to GCR by encouraging sustainable behaviour and compliance with operational objectives, although its influence on technical O&M performance is constrained by organisational and cultural factors. Qualitative findings further indicate that gaps in coordination between maintenance practices and occupant behaviour can limit the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives during the operational phase. The novelty of this research lies in the development of an integrated O&M framework for GOBs that combines TPM principles with OE. This framework represents one of the first attempts to holistically integrate technical maintenance practices and human behavioural factors within the context of certified GOBs in Malaysia. The framework assists facilities managers in identifying critical practices that influence longterm building performance and provides guidance for policymakers in strengthening O&M strategies to support the sustained performance and certification of GOBs.