Strategic positioning and performance: facilities management adoption in owner-occupied office buildings, Dar es Salaam

Purpose In Tanzania’s unique economic context, global facilities management (FM) theories often fail to account for structural rigidities and resource scarcities, leading to a persistent performance gap. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine how the adoption of FM practices influences service performance in owner-occupied office buildings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and assess how the strategic or tactical positioning of the FM function within an organization affects this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey of 418 facility managers and employees from five organizations was conducted using stratified, purposive and convenience sampling. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression (IBM SPSS v26) to examine links between facility management activities, practices and service performance, ensuring validity and ethical integrity. Findings The findings of this study show that increased adoption of facility management practices enhances service performance up to an optimal level, after which gains decline. A balanced strategic–tactical approach outperforms purely operational focus. Public organizations perform lower than private ones because of structural constraints, and adoption–positioning interactions display complex, non-linear effects. Originality/value This study offers new empirical evidence on facility management in Tanzania, revealing a non-linear relationship between FM adoption and performance. This study challenges assumptions from developed economies and provides practical guidance for optimizing FM in resource-constrained contexts such as Sub-Saharan Africa.