THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ON PROJECT SUCCESS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

This research assessed how Sustainable Project Management (SPM) practices impact project success on a megaproject (large-scale infrastructure project), in this case, the Riyadh Metro. Theoretical contexts relevant to this is the project management triangle which expands traditional cost-time-scope analysis with environmental and stakeholder dimensions. This study identified an important gap in the literature about the almost non-existent empirical research connecting a limited number of SPM strategies, often referred to as green project management, to planning outcomes in megaprojects in the Middle East. Adopting a deductive, positivist approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 100 engineers, contractors, managers, and authorities. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS software. This helped assessing the associations between SPM initiatives and performance measures (planned versus actual time, planned versus actual budget, perceived quality and stakeholder satisfaction). The findings reveal that different strategies have already been considered while following SMP such as long-term cost, local community. Implementing SPM helped to improve costs, time efficiency and stakeholder communication. On the contrary, resistance, initial expense, lack of technologies are some of the key factors that acts as barriers. For overcoming the barrier, the research identified that managers should provide incentive, training and maintain balance in between cost and sustainability Recommendations include using mixed-methods designs to track perceptions over time and conducting longitudinal survey measures with multiple phases. It is necessary to seek explicit stakeholder engagement within SPM strategies to boost response rates. Future research could investigate qualitative dimensions of cause-and-effect as well as test interventions that reconcile initial investment with sustainable benefits at scale.