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ScienceDirect
International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103 – 1119
www.elsevier.com/locate/ijproman

Critical success factors (CSFs) for integration of sustainability

into construction project management practices in developing
countries
Saeed Banihashemi a,⁎, M. Reza Hosseini b , Hamed Golizadeh c , Shankar Sankaran d
a
Department of Building and Construction Management, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Australia
b
School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
c
Department of Construction and Project Management, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
d
School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Ultimo, NSW, Australia

Received 17 March 2016; received in revised form 17 January 2017; accepted 18 January 2017
Available online 2 February 2017

Abstract

This study looks at the critical success factors (CSFs) affecting integration of sustainability into project management practices of construction
projects in developing countries. Having innovation diffusion theory as the theoretical point of departure, CSFs pertaining to the triple bottom line
of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) were identified through a comprehensive review of literature. These were customised for the
context of developing countries by conducting 16 semi-structured interviews and were presented in form of a conceptual model. The model was
validated through a survey returning 101 completed questionnaires with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) as the
method of analysis. This study contributes to the field by presenting one of the first studies in its kind focusing on CSFs for integration of
sustainability into project management practices for construction projects within the context of developing countries.
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd, APM and IPMA. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Critical success factors; Sustainability; Project management; Integration; Developing countries; Construction industry

1. Executive summary factors (CSFs) to integration of sustainability into practices of

project management in delivery of construction projects in
Sustainability concerns in delivering construction projects have developing countries. Second, the present study attempts to
come to the fore in advanced economies. Yet, developing encapsulate the identified CSFs into a framework for delivery
countries have put economic development above meeting of construction projects through the lenses of innovation
sustainability requirements. The need for economic growth in diffusion theory. To this end, a mixed method; ‘sequential
developing countries has fuelled a huge demand for construction exploratory design’ is utilised. CSFs to sustainable delivery
projects, hence environmental concerns being overshadowed. pertaining to the triple bottom line of sustainability are
Project managers in developing countries are still lagging in identified through a comprehensive review of literature with a
integrating the concept of sustainability into core practices of special focus on existing studies in developing countries
managing projects. alongside well-known publications and checklists. Identified
With this in mind, the primary objective of this study is CSFs are customised for the natural context of developing
twofold. First, the study aims at discovering the critical success countries through conducting 16 semi-structured interviews
with project managers. Considering the novelty of sustainable
⁎ Corresponding author. practices for projects in developing countries, CSFs are
E-mail address: Saeed.Banihashemi@canberra.edu.au (S. Banihashemi). attributed to the requirements for adoption of an innovation

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.01.014
0263-7863/00/© 2017 Elsevier Ltd, APM and IPMA. All rights reserved.
1104 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

on a project. The findings are validated through a survey 2014). In essence, understanding the CSFs associated with
questionnaire of project managers from Iran as a testbed of sustainability is a prerequisite for integration of sustainability
developing countries with 101 completed questionnaires. into project management practices for construction projects in
Accordingly, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model- developing countries (Pade et al., 2008). Nevertheless,
ling (PLS-SEM) is implemented to assess the strength of integration of sustainability into project management practices
associations among different CSFs. The revised model in has remained an overlooked area (Dobrovolskienė and
dialogue with innovation diffusion theory provides a frame- Tamošiūnienė, 2016; Martens and Carvalho, 2016, 2017). In
work that illustrates the most influential CSFs for developing particular, a review of literature reveals a conspicuous absence
countries. of studies on identifying CSFs of sustainable delivery of
The findings reveal that role of clients, knowledge construction projects in developing countries.
management, high quality workmanship, strategic direction To address such a gap in the body of knowledge, the
and health and safety protocols, project managers' knowledge, objective of this study is to discover the CSFs to integration of
skills and abilities and tighter control over construction sustainability into practices of project management in delivery
activities are the most influential CSFs. These CSFs are of construction projects in developing countries. The study
discussed in view of the identification, evaluation, commit- encapsulates these identified CSFs into an integrated model
ment, preparation and implementation phases of sustainability through the lens of innovation diffusion theory as the
integration into construction project management practices. The theoretical point of departure.
clear message is, integration of sustainability into project The remainder of the study is organised as follows. First, the
management practices will not occur in absence of support background to the research problem, the process of collecting
from policy makers. Besides, changes in clients' demands and a CSFs from the literature and the innovation diffusion theory as
serious systematic enforcement of existing environmental the theoretical point of departure are discussed. Afterwards, the
regulations play a pivotal role in transition to a sustainable research methods and the design of the study are explained.
project management in developing countries. Next comes presenting the findings of the study followed by a
This study contributes to the field by presenting one of the discussion on these findings. The study concludes with
first studies on CSFs to sustainable delivery of construction outlining the contributions of the study, acknowledging the
projects within the context of developing countries. Based on limitations and suggesting future research potentials.
an established theory namely innovation diffusion, the study
findings incorporate perceptions of projects managers. As such, 3. Research background
findings have implications for project governance in develop-
ing countries. That is, the findings assist integration of According to World Bank (2015), countries with Gross
sustainability into practices of project management through National Income (GNI) per capita of 12,475 USD or less are
presenting a number of CSFs which are customised and classified as developing countries. The human development
contextualised for the natural context of developing countries. report released by the United Nations (UN) indicates that
2. Introduction around 85% of the world's population live in developing
countries (Klugman, 2011). In view of such importance and to
The prevailing trend towards economic growth in develop- serve the primary objective of this study, concepts are discussed
ing countries has resulted in a huge demand for delivering below with a focus on developing countries.
construction projects (Zhang et al., 2014), which in turn has
overshadowed sustainability concerns (Chang et al., 2016). 3.1. Sustainability/project management
Consequently, project managers in developing countries are
lagging in embracing the concept of sustainability in managing In recent decades, the governments of developing countries
projects (Abidin and Pasquire, 2007). Yet, sustainable con- have allocated substantial amounts of capital budgets to
struction has become the new ‘Zeitgeist’ in recent years (Zhang infrastructure, transportation and residential projects (Chang et
et al., 2014) with project managers worldwide including in al., 2016; Gan et al., 2015; Zhang et al., 2014). Construction
developing countries being expected to deliver projects in a projects in developing countries have profound impacts on
sustainable manner (Dobrovolskienė and Tamošiūnienė, 2016; communities, the environment and social features (Van
Du Plessis, 2007; Ortiz et al., 2009). Marrewijk et al., 2008) with an immense weight within the
To address such a challenge, Silvius et al. (2012) outlined economy (Chang et al., 2016; Ghoddousi and Hosseini, 2012).
the principles of sustainability to be integrated into practices of The above facts underline the considerable importance of
project management. Nevertheless, due to the sociocultural and integration of sustainability into delivery of construction
economic idiosyncrasies of developing countries (Elkhalifa, projects in such countries (Chang et al., 2016; Du Plessis,
2016), context-specific critical success factors (CSFs) need to 2002).
be developed to assist project managers (Gan et al., 2015; Nonetheless, a wide range of challenges such as unstable
Othman and Ahmed, 2013; Pade et al., 2008). CSFs play a economy, lack of data and transparency (Elkhalifa, 2016) and
crucial role in enabling and smoothing the process of corruption affect the construction industry in developing
integrating sustainability into project management practices countries (Othman and Ahmed, 2013; Perera et al., 2014).
(Chang et al., 2016; Martens and Carvalho, 2017; Zhang et al., Added to these, lack of the formal education on sustainability,
 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119 1105

financial and political constraints and sociocultural challenges (1) Applicability to developing countries,
impede the adoption of sustainability (Hakiminejad et al., 2015; (2) Applicability to TBL of sustainability and
Pade et al., 2008). Furthermore, the dearth of financial (3) Relevance to project management practices.
incentives and obstructive policies are among the challenges
inherent to developing countries when it comes to the 3.3. Theoretical point of departure
sustainable delivery of construction projects (Chang et al.,
2016; Gan et al., 2015). Innovation is defined by Mahajan and Peterson (1985 p. 8) as
According to Othman and Ahmed (2013), the main “… any idea, object, or practice that is perceived as new by
challenges influencing the sustainable delivery of projects in members of the social system …”. For the construction context,
developing countries come under five major groups. These are Slaughter (2000) described an innovation as the actual use of a
technical, human development, managerial, political and triple non-trivial alteration in terms of an enhancement in a system or
bottom line (TBL) with TBL referring to environmental, social working procedure that is new to the corresponding organisa-
and economic challenges. Of these, managerial challenges have tion. Sustainability is not a widely-experienced practice within
been found to be the most influential (Othman and Ahmed, the context of developing countries (Gan et al., 2015), thus is
2013). Of particular interest should be unsustainable project regarded as an innovative concept for the construction industry
management practices, found to be among the major barriers to in these countries (Boons and Lüdeke-Freund, 2013). Integra-
the sustainable delivery of projects (Dobrovolskienė and tion of sustainability into management systems has to be treated
Tamošiūnienė, 2016; Martens and Carvalho, 2016, 2017). as an innovation diffusion process (Tsoutsos and Stamboulis,
Against this backdrop, available studies that outline the 2005). Likewise, the integration of sustainability into project
guidelines and checklists for integrating sustainability into management practices of the construction industry in develop-
project management practices such as the study by Silvius and ing countries could be approached through the lenses of
Schipper (2014) come from developed economies. Developing innovation diffusion theory (Johansson, 2012; Mollaoglu et
countries have been forced to follow such guidelines (Mollaoglu al., 2016). Use of innovation diffusion theory to explain the
et al., 2016) where due to the challenges as discussed, course of developing and implementing new ideas will increase
developing countries require context-specific agendas (Pade et the capacity of construction companies to harness the advan-
al., 2008). tages of innovative methodologies (Slaughter, 2000). Besides,
this gives investigators and practitioners a powerful tool to
predict behaviours, assess capabilities, identify influential
3.2. Integration of sustainability into project management variables and evaluate their impacts on the process of
practices introducing an innovative method (Mahajan and Peterson,
1985). When it comes to identifying CSFs for an innovation in
Integration of sustainability into project management prac- the construction context, use of the innovation diffusion theory
tices is defined in this study in line with the definition proposed is particularly beneficial as it brings structural clarity and
by Silvius (2013). This refers to the comprehensive and facilitates establishing a hierarchical order for prioritising in
harmonised assimilation of social, economic and environmental decision making (Liu et al., 2016). In view of the arguments
principles (TBL of sustainability) into effective project delivery above, innovation diffusion was selected as the theoretical point
systems. For this study, factors associated with enhancing of departure for this study and the basis for development of the
sustainability in construction projects delivery and project conceptual model as discussed below.
management practices were identified through a comprehensive
review of literature. This resulted in a list of 332 factors 3.4. Conceptual model
extracted from previous studies. For the sake of brevity, this list
is illustrated in Appendix A. For the construction context, the primary stages associated
The 332 identified factors covered a wide range of areas with the integration of an innovation could be divided into five
associated with sustainability in the construction industry and consecutive stages as suggested by Slaughter (2000). These are
project management. The next stage of review of literature is identification, evaluation, commitments, preparation and imple-
termed by Levy and Ellis (2006) as evaluating “the applicability mentation. According to the theoretical lenses of the study, the
of literature”. Testing for applicability of literature entails extracted CSFs were to follow the same trend. As such, these
assessing the outcome collated from previous studies and CSFs affect the five stages. The nature of CSFs in each stage
retaining only the pieces of information which are applicable to should be in line with the definitions provided by Slaughter (2000)
the objective of the study and support the theoretical arguments for the factors affecting each stage. This resulted in creation of the
(Levy and Ellis, 2006). This resulted in creating a list 56 factors conceptual model of the study as illustrated in Fig. 1.
in view of the three criteria below. These criteria were defined to As posited by Slaughter (2000), the identification stage is
reflect the objective of the study and the context under questions affected by the strategic objectives of the organisation, the
(developing countries). Selected 56 factors were then regarded regulatory environment surrounding the organisation and the
as potential CSFs (as hereafter mentioned) associated with the support from key decision makers in identifying the benefits of
integration of sustainability into project management practices an innovation. Even more, innovation integration in the
in developing countries as illustrated in Table 1. construction context strongly depends on the policies put into
 1106
Table 1
Pool of potential CSFs extracted from previous studies.
No. Potential CSFs References

(Songer (Jefferies (Chan et (Duy (Belout (Fortune (Du (Ogunlana, (Ahadzie (Taylor, (Saqib (Bakar et (Li et al., (Tabish (ISO, (Silvius et (Gudienė (Yong (Ihuah (Liu
and et al., al., Nguyen and and Plessis, 2008) et al., 2008) et al., al., 2011) and 2012) al., 2012) et al., and et al., et al.,
Molenaar, 2002) 2004) et al., Gauvreau, White, 2007) Thailand 2008) Worldwide 2008) 2010) Singapore Jha, Worldwide Worldwide 2013) Mustaffa, 2014) 2016)
1997) US Australia Hong 2004) 2004) 2006) South Ghana checklists Pakistan Malaysia 2011) checklists checklists Lithuania 2013) Nigeria China
Kong Vietnam Canada UK Africa India Malaysia

1 Knowledge and awareness of ✓

sustainable project delivery in the
Project Management Team (PMT)
2 Dominance of constructive relationships ✓ ✓

S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

within project stakeholders
3 Implementing an effective strategic ✓ ✓
planning regime
4 Emphasis on high quality workmanship ✓ ✓
5 Strong commitment to sustainable ✓ ✓ ✓
project delivery from project
stakeholders
6 Client's commitment to the needs of the ✓ ✓
other stakeholders
7 Compliance with anti-corruption rules ✓ ✓
and regulations in the decision-making
process
8 Project managers leadership style ✓ ✓ ✓
9 Needs assessment of people ✓ ✓
10 Public acceptance towards the project ✓
11 Economic and Political stability ✓ ✓
12 Positive organizational culture in ✓ ✓ ✓
support of sustainable project
management
13 Enacting required policies in supporting ✓
sustainability principles establishment
in construction projects by
governmental and professional bodies
14 Clearly defined goals and prioritize of ✓ ✓ ✓
all stakeholders
15 Strategic alignment of project goals with ✓
stakeholders' needs
16 Comprehensive contract documentation ✓ ✓ ✓
17 Well-defined scope of work and project ✓ ✓ ✓
constraints
18 Effective tendering method ✓ ✓
19 Project manager's experience and ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
competence
20 Availability of resources (fund, ✓ ✓ ✓
machinery, materials, etc.) as planned
throughout the project
21 Multidisciplinary/competent project ✓ ✓ ✓
management team
22 Transparent and competitive ✓ ✓
procurement process
23 Creating accountabilities, expectations, ✓
roles and responsibilities for the
organization
24 Support and cooperation of Project ✓ ✓ ✓
Management Team (PMT) in
delivering a sustainable project
25 A high degree of trust within the PMT ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
26 Effective and open share of knowledge ✓
among PMT
No.

Potential CSFs References

(Songer (Jefferies (Chan et (Duy (Belout (Fortune (Du (Ogunlana, (Ahadzie (Taylor, (Saqib (Bakar et (Li et al., (Tabish (ISO, (Silvius et (Gudienė (Yong (Ihuah (Liu
and et al., al., Nguyen and and Plessis, 2008) et al., 2008) et al., al., 2011) and 2012) al., 2012) et al., and et al., et al.,
Molenaar, 2002) 2004) et al., Gauvreau, White, 2007) Thailand 2008) Worldwide 2008) 2010) Singapore Jha, Worldwide Worldwide 2013) Mustaffa, 2014) 2016)
1997) US Australia Hong 2004) 2004) 2006) South Ghana checklists Pakistan Malaysia 2011) checklists checklists Lithuania 2013) Nigeria China
Kong Vietnam Canada UK Africa India Malaysia

27 Commitment to systematic ✓ ✓
methodologies of project management
28 Adaptability to amendment in project ✓ ✓
scope
29 Implementing an effective decision ✓ ✓
making process by the PMT
30 Implementing an effective quality ✓ ✓
control and quality assurance regime
31 Implementing an effective project ✓ ✓
monitoring and feedback methodology

S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

32 Deploying updated and realistic project ✓ ✓
cost and time estimates by the PMT
33 Implementing an effective project risk ✓ ✓
management by the PMT
34 Implementing an effective change ✓ ✓
management system
35 Implementing effective communication ✓ ✓
and data exchange protocols at all levels
of decision-making within the PMT
36 Use of lessons learnt in previous ✓ ✓
projects by the PMT
37 Effective allocation of resources ✓ ✓ ✓
38 Implementing effective health and ✓ ✓
safety protocols by the PMT
39 Use of up to date construction ✓
technology and methods for execution
of the project
40 Environmental impacts management by ✓ ✓
the PMT
41 Water and noise pollutions ✓
minimization
42 Waste management ✓
43 Support of client's team for ✓ ✓
sustainability
44 Top management support ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
45 Effective management of changes in the ✓ ✓
scope of work during construction
46 Effective use of facts and data to support ✓
actions at all levels of decision-making
47 Effective Project Control ✓ ✓
48 Continuing involvement of stakeholders ✓ ✓
in the project
49 No social and political interference ✓ ✓
50 Absence of bureaucracy from the work ✓ ✓ ✓
place
51 Community involvement ✓ ✓ ✓
52 Transparency in the procurement ✓
process
53 Competitive procurement ✓ ✓
54 Comprehensive pre-tender investigation ✓ ✓
on project
55 Providing adequate design details and ✓ ✓
specifications
56 Regular quality control and quality ✓ ✓
assurance activities

1107
1108 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

Fig. 1. Conceptual model of the study.

effect by the government (Aouad et al., 2010). As such, CSFs project management practices on construction projects. It is
having these attributes are the CSFs affecting the identification essential to understand the perceptions of project managers
stage as illustrated in Fig. 1. with regard to the integration of sustainability into the practices
Subsequent to identification, approval for integration of any they use (Ebbesen and Hope, 2013). That is because, project
innovation requires project managers to evaluate the advan- managers stand at the centre of selecting measures for
tages and risks (Bhatt and Ved, 2013). They should deploy delivering projects with a great influence on project stake-
decision making methodologies to effectively evaluate avail- holders (Robichaud and Anantatmula, 2010). Project managers
able alternatives of an innovation (Slaughter, 2000) and assess should consider sustainability as another success criterion
the difficulties and the benefits associated with it (Au and alongside the iron triangle (time, cost and scope), if sustain-
Enderwick, 2000). CSFs associated with these concepts are ability is to be integrated into the practices they utilise (Ebbesen
identified as the CSFs affecting the evaluation stage. and Hope, 2013). CSFs will be of the highest practical
The next stage in the integration of an innovation is influence if the critical factors for integrating sustainability in
commitment which is influenced by the outcome of evaluation delivering projects are explored through the lenses of project
of the innovation and includes the organisation's/project's managers (Robichaud and Anantatmula, 2010).
commitment to the innovation and allocation of essential Available options for collecting data from respondents are
resources. A number of CSFs affect the commitment stage and qualitative, quantitative or a combination of both using
are associated with it. Preparation then refers to all activities mixed-methods (Creswell et al., 2003). Of these, the
geared towards preparing. A major focus at the preparation stage mixed-methods approach is regarded as the most effectual for
would be on having the team and skilled personnel in place with conducting research in the fields of management and
adequate knowledge to facilitate implementing the innovation organisational studies as argued by Creswell et al. (2003). As
(Slaughter, 2000). This occurs at two levels comprising in the illustrated in Fig. 2, the design of the mixed methods approach
organisation as well as on the project (Murphy, 2014). As a for this study followed the qual → QUAN design. This was
result, CSFs affecting preparation come in two groups. Those comprised of conducting a preliminary qualitative-driven study
affecting preparation at project level and the others that affect to serve and enhance the findings of a subsequent quantitative
organisation preparation activities. A key aspect of implemen- approach (as the primary method), which was termed by
tation would be managing the required change in processes and Creswell et al. (2003) as “sequential exploratory design”.
revising the procedures in order to increase the level of benefits
obtainable out of implementing the innovation (Slaughter, 4.1. Stage 1 (qualitative meta-analysis)
2000) with a number of CSFs affecting this stage.
Arranging CSFs based on the stage on which they were In order to conceptualise and synthesise the existing body of
influential and following the sequence outlined by the knowledge of CSFs for the construction industry, the
innovation diffusion process to delineate these stages, engen- qualitative meta-analysis approach was applied to collect
dered the conceptual model of the study as illustrated in Fig. 1. appropriate publications and professional standards
(Sandelowski and Barroso, 2006). The keywords used to
4. Research methods explore the literature were critical success factors, construction
industry, project management practices, sustainable construc-
As discussed, the overarching aim of this research study is to tion, sustainable project management and sustainable devel-
unearth the CSFs affecting the integration of sustainability into opment. Applicable publications were identified through
 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119 1109

Fig. 2. Research design (sequential exploratory design).

screening the title/abstract/keyword within major databases experts were invited by phone or email out of which 16 experts
including ScienceDirect®, ASCE®, Google Scholar®, etc. The agreed to participate in the study as illustrated in Table 2. The
abstract and introduction sections of the selected documents sample was deemed representative of a rich variety of expertise.
were subsequently analysed by the research team and Interviews were conducted from August to October 2015 with
applicable items (fitting clearly with at least two of the all the interview sessions recorded. Having 16 interviewees was
keywords) were retained. More than 30 relevant publications, deemed to provide an acceptable sample size according to
checklists and standards were identified to form the foundation Bertaux (1981), who maintained that 15 interviews is the
to create the initial pool of CSFs for further refinement. These minimum acceptable for qualitative studies.
CSFs are illustrated in Table 1.
4.3. Stage 3 (PLS-SEM)
4.2. Stage 2 (interviews)
The Iranian construction industry was deemed an appropri-
This stage covered the customisation of the preliminary list ate context for exploring the CSFs for integration of
of identified CSFs in stage 1 within the context of developing sustainability into the project management practices for
countries (matched with TBL of sustainability) through developing countries. This decision was made based on
conducting semi-structured interviews with experts. To single considering several features as discussed below.
out potential interviewees, the ‘purposive sampling’ strategy According to Pournader et al. (2015), the amount of
was used (Bazeley, 2013). Targeted interviewees included investment and the size of the construction industry in Iran
professionals with adequate experience in managing construc- provide an acceptable sample for developing countries. The
tion projects in which sustainability practices were adopted annual turnover of the Iranian construction industry was
alongside academics with extensive experience in conducting accounted for US$38.4 billion with the estimated growth rate
research on sustainability in the construction field. In total, 27 of 4.4% over a four-year period of 2008–2012 (Pournader et

Table 2
Profile of interview participants.
ID Experience (years) Role Organisation Nature of project
Interviewee 1 24 Academic University N/A
Interviewee 2 20 Project manager Construction contractor Infrastructure
Interviewee 3 15 Academic Construction contractor N/A
Interviewee 4 11 Project manager Construction contractor Buildings
Interviewee 5 19 Project manager Construction contractor Residential
Interviewee 6 8.5 Project manager Construction contractor Residential
Interviewee 7 14 Academic University N/A
Interviewee 8 12 Project manager Consultant Buildings
Interviewee 9 10.5 Project manager Client Infrastructure
Interviewee 10 12 Project manager Client Infrastructure
Interviewee 11 11 Project manager Consultant Buildings
Interviewee 12 15 Academic University N/A
Interviewee 13 22 Academic University N/A
Interviewee 14 8 Project manager Consultant Infrastructure
Interviewee 15 15 Project manager Consultant Residential
Interviewee 16 13 years Project manager Construction contractor Infrastructure
1110 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

al., 2015). Forecasts indicate 1.4% year-on-year growth in the collected data. Given the relatively small sample size,
delivery of construction projects for 2015, and an average of novelty of the conceptual model and capability in analysing
3.1% over the next five years (Dusek, 2016). Besides, Iran's models focused on exploration and prediction of associations
economic future is closely linked to delivery of infrastructure among a number of constructs, PLS-SEM was deemed the most
and construction projects (Ghoddousi and Hosseini, 2012) with appropriate as recommended by Hair et al. (2014).
an unsustainable construction industry being the major issue
toward sustainable development in the country (Hakiminejad et 5. Findings of the study
al., 2015). As a result, Iranian construction project managers,
academic circles and the state are actively engaged in the 5.1. Customised list of CSFs (interviews)
recognition and investigation of potential measures to make the
construction industry sustainable (Hakiminejad et al., 2015). The interviewees were first provided with two important
Furthermore, due to the familiarity and experience of the documents; Agenda 21 for sustainable construction in devel-
authors within the Iranian construction industry and the ease of oping countries (Du Plessis, 2002) and six principles of
access to reliable data, the research team had a prime sustainability (Silvius et al., 2012). The former is the document
opportunity to collect information and analyse. As a result, approved and advised by the United Nations Environmental
Iran as the context met all the criteria for providing quality data Program (UNEP) to promote sustainability in developing
on the topic including accessibility, relevancy of outcome, countries and the latter is the core concept of project
timeliness and the ease of understanding by the research team. management integration with sustainability. These documents
According to the data quality taxonomy proposed by Strong et were utilised in assisting the interviewees to acquire an accurate
al. (1997), these point to a case capable of providing quality understanding of the concepts investigated in this study. This
data for research studies. was to make sure all the respondents have a common
The questionnaire used was designed in two parts. The first comprehensive understanding of the topic of the study and
part included the overarching aims of the research project and their appreciations of the meanings of terms, concepts and
the definitions for sustainability alongside a number of requirements are analogous. Interviewees were provided with
questions to cover the demographics. The second part included the list of CSFs (Table 1) and were asked to think loudly about
the CSFs finalised as the outcome of the qualitative stage (see the items. They were asked to express their views about each
Fig. 2). The respondents were asked to indicate their level of item in three levels being agree, disagree or detailed
agreement with regard to the level of influence of CSFs on modification advice including; add, delete or combine. This
integration of sustainability into project management practices. process resulted in modifying the list as discussed below.
A five-point Likert-scale was used to elicit the level of The factors “transparency in the procurement” and “com-
agreement where (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = petitive procurement process” and “multidisciplinary project
neutral, 4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree). management team” and “competent project management team”
The list of certified companies was downloaded from the were combined together. The factor of “absence of bureaucracy
data bank of licensed construction companies. The company from the work place” was also omitted since the experts pointed
names of the list were sorted alphabetically. Afterwards, a out that removing this factor may be reasonable in the current
random selection was done by using a non-replacement random state of developing countries due to the risk of anarchism and
selection technique as explained by Ghoddousi and Hosseini losing any organisational boundaries. Besides, “implementing
(2012). Eventually, 421 invitations to participate were sent by an effective project monitoring and feedback methodology”
email and post to the list of selected companies asking them to was changed to “implementing an effective project monitoring
distribute the questionnaire among their project managers. and feedback methodology to evaluate the current state of
Follow up calls resulted in receiving 101 duly completed sustainability and rectify any discrepancy and/or deviation” and
questionnaires (a response rate of around 24%). The process of “strategic alignment of project goals with stakeholders' needs”
preparing the list, data collection and entering data took was replaced with “strategic alignment of stakeholders' needs
4 months and was completed at the end of January 2016. with project sustainability goals”. In addition, a number of
The conceptual model of the study as illustrated in Fig. 1 factors such as “comprehensive contractors' portfolio investi-
suggests a number of associations between concepts included gation in terms of their level of awareness of the sustainability
in the model. In such conditions where the hypothesis of the concept and their previous records of sustainable projects
study investigates the associations between variables and the implementation” were added based on the agreement among
strength of such associations, an appropriate method for data the interviewees. As the outcome, a list of CSFs comprised of
analysis is “multivariate regression” (Ho, 2006). Structural 43 items was finalised as the customised list of CSFs for
Equation Modelling (SEM) is an effective method for developing countries (see Table 3).
conducting multivariate regression for both confirmatory and Afterwards, interviewees were provided with the conceptual
exploratory research questions (Ho, 2006). There are two broad model of the study as illustrated in Fig. 1 and were asked to
methods of conducting SEM being covariance-based assign each CSF in the final list to different stages of the model.
(CB-SEM) and partial least squares (PLS-SEM) (Hair et al., The stage assigned to each CFS was the one on which majority
2014). The selection of the most appropriate method is of respondents agreed. The allocation of the CSFs to the stages
contingent upon the objectives of the study and the nature of of the model (see Fig. 1) is illustrated in Table 3.
 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119 1111

Table 3
The list of CSFs assigned to consecutive stages according to the conceptual model of the study (see Fig. 1 as well).
No ID CSF Innovation
diffusion stage
1 Ide1 A high degree of trust within the project management team (PMT) Identification
2 Ide2 Commitment to systematic methodologies of project management Identification
3 Ide3 Enacting required policies in supporting sustainability principles establishment on construction projects by governmental and Identification
professional bodies
4 Ide4 Clearly defined goals and prioritising all stakeholders Identification
5 Ide5 Well-defined scope of work and project constraints Identification
6 Ide6 Client's commitment to the needs of other stakeholders Identification
7 Ide7 Compliance with anti-corruption rules and regulations in the decision-making process Identification
8 Ide8 Implementing an effective strategic planning regime Identification
9 Eva1 Effective and open share of knowledge among PMT members Evaluation
10 Eva2 Knowledge and awareness of sustainable project delivery in the PMT Evaluation
11 Eva3 Public acceptance towards the project Evaluation
12 Eva4 Economic and Political stability Evaluation
13 Eva5 Positive organisational culture in support of sustainable project management Evaluation
14 Eva6 Strategic alignment of stakeholders' needs with project sustainability goals Evaluation
15 Eva7 Dominance of constructive relationships among project stakeholders Evaluation
16 Eva8 Needs assessment of people Evaluation
17 Eva9 Implementing an effective decision making process by the PMT Evaluation
18 Com1 Availability of resources (fund, machinery, materials, etc.) as planned throughout the project Commitment
19 Com2 PMT's adaptability to amendment in project scope and plan Commitment
20 Com3 Support and cooperation of PMT in delivering a sustainable project Commitment
21 Com4 Effective allocation of resources by the PMT Commitment
22 Com5 Strong commitment to sustainable project delivery from project stakeholders Commitment
23 Com6 Emphasis on high quality workmanship Commitment
24 Pre_org1 Transparent and competitive procurement process Preparation-Org
25 Pre_org2 Creating accountabilities, expectations, roles and responsibilities for the organisation Preparation-Org
26 Pre_org3 Comprehensive contract and specification documentation Preparation-Org
27 Pre_org4 Effective pre-tendering and tendering investigations Preparation-Org
28 Pre_org5 Implementing effective health and safety protocols Preparation-Org
29 Pre_pm1 Project manager's experience and competence Preparation-PM
30 Pre_pm2 PMT formation based on competency and transparency Preparation-PM
31 Pre_pm3 Tenure of project managers Preparation-PM
32 Pre_pm4 Implementing an effective quality control and quality assurance regime by the PMT Preparation-PM
33 Pre_pm5 Deploying updated and realistic project cost and time estimates by the PMT Preparation-PM
34 Pre_pm6 Implementing an effective project risk management by the PMT Preparation-PM
35 Pre_pm7 Implementing an effective change management system during design and construction by the PMT Preparation-PM
36 Pre_pm8 Implementing effective communication and data exchange protocols at all levels of decision-making within the PMT Preparation-PM
37 Pre_pm9 Use of lessons learnt in previous projects by the PMT Preparation-PM
38 Imp1 Comprehensive contractors' portfolio investigation in terms of their level of awareness of the sustainability concept and their Implementation
previous records of sustainable projects implementation
39 Imp2 Use of up to date construction technology and methods for execution of the project Implementation
40 Imp3 Environmental impacts management by the PMT Implementation
41 Imp4 Water and noise pollutions minimisation during execution Implementation
42 Imp5 Effective management of waste during execution phase Implementation
43 Imp6 Implementing a particular project monitoring and feedback methodology to evaluate the current state of sustainability and Implementation
rectify any discrepancy and/or deviation

5.2. PLS-SEM analysis housing and companies involved in procurement activities on

projects.
As illustrated in Fig. 3, the calculated proportion of Construction companies in Iran are categorised in five
respondents in terms of their length of experience was 25.7% classes based on the company size, size of the projects
with fewer than 5, 29.7% with 5–10, 21.78 with 11–20 and completed and their technical capabilities (Ghoddousi and
22.77% with more than 20 years. Hence, around 75% of Hosseini, 2012). According to the common criteria for defining
respondents had more than 5 years of experience in delivering the size, construction companies having below 20 employees
sustainable projects while around 43% had above 11 years of are small, companies employing between 20 to 199 employees
such an experience. The proportion of respondents with regard are classified as medium-sized while companies with more than
to the role of their company in the construction industry was as 200 employees are large-sized (Hosseini et al., 2016). As such,
follows. Among the respondents, 56.75% were project class 1 companies could be regarded as large-sized, classes 2
managers in contractor companies while 21.21%, 18.18% and and 3 are medium-sized and classes 4 and 5 are small
4% were working as project managers for designer, urban companies within the Iranian context (Ghoddousi and
1112 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

Fig. 3. Profile of respondents (questionnaire survey).

Hosseini, 2012). According to Ghoddousi et al. (2011), around aspects are captured (Hair et al., 2014). Therefore, all the
350 large-sized construction companies are active within the identified CSFs (see Table 3) were included as formative items
Iranian construction industry. As illustrated in Fig. 3, close to for the constructs based on the outcome of the qualitative stage
86% of the respondents were working for small and as illustrated in Fig. 4. The associations between the constructs
medium-sized (SMEs) whereas about 14% were working for were defined based on the conceptual model of the study as
large-sized companies. illustrated in Fig. 1 that provided the origin for specifying the
The profile of respondents was regarded as an evidence of model as illustrated in Fig. 4.
their adequate knowledge of strategic and operational features Following the submission of data to SmartPLS, a number of
of the Iranian construction industry (in view of the years of requirements about the data and the specified model should be
experience, variety of roles and sizes of companies included in met in order to ensure that the results of formative models are
the sample). Thus, respondents were deemed adequately reliable. The highest priority should be given to the assessment
knowledgeable on the topic of the inquiry. of collinearity which means that two or more formative
indicators in a block capture exactly the same information in
5.2.1. Measurement models them. A recommended measure to evaluate collinearity is
SmartPLS v.3.2.1 as introduced in length by Hair et al. Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) calculated according to Eq. (1)
(2014) was used to run the analysis. Models in SEM are where x represents variables utilised as formative indicators.
comprised of two main categories of variables being observable For calculating Rx 2, the indicator x is taken and regressed on all
or manifest variables (measured through the questionnaire) the remaining indicators of the same block. Rx 2 is the
alongside latent variables showing the underlying constructs proportion of variance of x associated with other indicators.
associated with manifest variables (Ho, 2006). The associations
between manifest variables and the constructs could be 1
VIF x ¼ ð1Þ
specified in formative models where it is assumed that 1−Rx 2
indicators cause the construct, as each one of the indicators
captures one of the aspects of the construct. Taken jointly, the In case that the level of collinearity for formative indicators
indicators determine the meaning of the construct. As a result, of a construct is very high (VIF ≥ 5) , the variable should be
breadth and comprehensiveness of the indicators domain is removed from the model prior to conducting any further
central to ensure that a construct is adequately covered and all analysis. The results of the analysis showed that VIF for the
 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119 1113

Fig. 4. Initial model (t-values for outer weights based on 5000 subsamples bootstrapping).

block of CSFs associated with commitment ranges from 1.39 to Nevertheless, a number of CSFs such as Eva1 showed
1.79. Similarly, the VIF ranges were; for identification t-values below the cut-off point (1.03 b 1.96). For these
(1.27–2.46), for evaluation (1.52–2.73), for preparation indicators, the level of outer loadings will define if the indicator
constructs (1.57–3.28) and for implementation (1.32–3.00). is to be removed or retained. That is, any variable with a
These were found to be well below the acceptable range non-significant outer weight but an outer loading of above 0.5
(VIF b 5) and established that there is no issue with collinearity. has to be retained (Hair et al., 2014). This was investigated as
In case, no critical levels of collinearity are observed in the illustrated in Appendix B in which the outer loadings and their
model, SEM-PLS analysis should be performed to analyse the significance levels were compared against the non-significant
significance of outer weights and interpret the formative outer weights. As presented in Appendix B, all CSFs with
indicators' relative and absolute contribution to their underly- non-significant outer weights (highlighted with t-values below
ing constructs. Researchers should test if the outer weights 1.96) had outer loadings above 0.5, thus were retained in the
calculated in formative models are significantly different from model.
0 through conducting bootstrapping. To this end, bootstrapping Based on the results illustrated in Appendix B, the model
function in SmartPLS was utilised with the algorithm option of required no modification and was deemed fit for interpretation
no change sign and 5000 bootstrap subsamples as a of the relative and absolute contribution of each CSF on
conservative configuration to calculate the significance of corresponding constructs of the model. In essence, values of
outer weights (Hair et al., 2014). The t-values were calculated outer weights have to be considered as the relative contribution
after running the bootstrapping as illustrated in Fig. 4. of the indicators on their construct while the outer loadings
The critical value for significance level of 5% (∝ = 0.05) is show the absolute contribution levels for each indicator in the
1.96 (Hair et al., 2014). As shown in Fig. 4, outer weights for a absence of other indicators (Hair et al., 2014). As a result, CSFs
large number of CSFs in the model were well above 1.96 which with non-significant outer weights but high outer weights have
indicated that these have to be maintained in the model as they low relative contribution but acceptable absolute contribution
were found to be significantly different from 0. Thus, for such (independent contribution).
CSFs (see Fig. 4), the findings established the significance of Since all the CSFs showed an acceptable level of quality,
outer weights at 0.05(∝ level). Fig. 5 was used to discuss the importance of CSFs for the
1114 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

Fig. 5. Final model (relative contribution of CSFs on the constructs alongside path coefficients).

defined constructs in the model. This was to identify which The third ranked factor was found to be implementing an
CSFs should be focused on to yield higher levels of effective project risk management by the PMT (Pre_pm6).
sustainability integration into project management practices. As illustrated in Fig. 5, a significant weight is given to the
For the identification stage, results as illustrated in Fig. 5 CSF associated with water and noise pollutions minimisation
indicate that client's commitment to the needs of other during execution (Imp4). Moreover, contractors' comprehen-
stakeholders (Ide6) stands out as the most important CSF. sive portfolio investigation in terms of their level of awareness
Enacting required policies in supporting sustainability princi- of the sustainability concept and their previous records of
ples establishment in construction projects by governmental sustainable projects implementation (Imp1) was found to be
and professional bodies (Ide3) and clearly defined goals and significantly influential within the implementation stage.
prioritising all stakeholders (Ide4) are the second and third most Furthermore, implementing a particular project monitoring
important CSFs respectively. and feedback methodology to evaluate the current state of
As illustrated in Fig. 5, knowledge and awareness of sustainability and rectify any discrepancy and/or deviation
sustainable project delivery in the PMT (Eva2) and constructive (Imp6) was among the most effective CSFs as illustrated in Fig.
relationships among project stakeholders (Eva7) were the two 5 with regard to the implementation stage.
most important CSFs affecting the evaluation stage. Strong
commitment to sustainable project delivery from project 5.3. Structural model
stakeholders (Com5) was found to be the most influential in
the success of commitment stage. Fig. 5 also reveals the Once it has been confirmed that indicators of constructs are
importance of high quality workmanship (Com6) to drive the reliable and valid, the next stage involves assessing the
integration of sustainability into project management practices. predictive capability and associations among the constructs
The most influential CSFs for preparation in organisation included in the model. Unlike CB-SEM, there is no overall
were creating accountabilities, expectations, roles and respon- goodness of fit for PLS-SEM (Hair et al., 2014). In essence, the
sibilities for the organisation (Pre_org2) and implementing model is assumed to be correct on account of how well the
effective health and safety protocols (Pre_org5) as illustrated in model predicts the endogenous constructs. This is established
Fig. 5. As for the construct of preparation on project as through assessing the significance of path coefficients,
illustrated in Fig. 5, the outcome of analysis showed that project evaluating collinearity issues (among constructs), the values
manager's tenure, experience and competence as reflected in of R2 and the effect size f2 for formative models (Hair et al.,
Pre_pm3 and Pre_pm1 are the CSFs with the greatest effects. 2014).
 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119 1115

Table 4 (2014), values around 0.02 show a small effect from the
f2 values for the structural model. predictor to its corresponding endogenous construct further
1 2 3 4 5 6 attesting to the low significance assigned to ‘preparation in
1: Identification 4.199 organisation’ as perceived by the project managers in this
2: Evaluation 3.591 study.
3: Commitment 0.844 3.298
4: Preparation in organisation 0.096
5: Preparation on project 0.530 6. Discussion of the findings
6: Implementation
The findings of the study reveal the crucial role of a number
of CSFs affecting the integration of sustainability into project
To test the collinearity, only implementation had two management practices alongside the entities responsible for
predictor constructs (i.e. ‘preparation on project’ and ‘prepara- these factors. Table 5 illustrates an overview of the results as
tion in organisation’). Utilising Eq. (2) and through calculating discussed below and compared against the findings of previous
the share of construct in terms of Rconstruts 2 , VIF value was studies.
below the threshold of 5 as specified in Eq. (2) (both have equal
VIF as only two constructs are involved).
6.1. Role of clients in identification
1 1
VIF constructs ¼ ¼ ¼ 2:89b5 ð2Þ As illustrated in Table 5, the findings of the study
1−Rcontructs 2 1−0:655
highlighted the crucial role of the CSFs associated with role
Considering the t-values illustrated in Fig. 4 and path of clients for the identification stage. This is generally in line
coefficients on Fig. 5, it could be inferred that all path with observations in previous studies. That is, clients of
coefficients were significant with t-values well above the construction projects as major financial providers play a key
threshold (1.96). Coefficients of determination (R2) values role in integration of innovative ideas into existing practices of
provide another criterion showing the goodness of the model. construction projects (Slaughter, 2000). Nevertheless, the
As illustrated in Fig. 5, all the constructs had R2 values close to findings of the present study exclusively focus on the central
0.75. This shows that constructs have been described role of clients in the identification stage. Such salience was
substantially well in the model. One exception was the observed in China with regard to role of clients in identification
construct of ‘preparation in organisation’ with a R2 value of of practices to make construction projects sustainable (Gan et
0.458 showing a moderate level of explanatory power for the al., 2015). Incorporating the needs of all stakeholders to make
model. This implied the lower importance of the mentioned stakeholders happy with the outcome of a project as put by
construct in the model. Silvius and Schipper (2016) is also a responsibility for clients.
The decision could be made utilising the value of effect size If the clients identify the demand for sustainability to be
f2 that indicates if a predictor construct has a substantive integrated into project management practices and provide the
impact, as illustrated in Table 4. According to Hair et al. required supports, alternations on project management practices

Table 5
The most influential CSFs to consider and responsible entities (see Fig. 5 as well).
Stage CSF Responsible entity
Identification Client's commitment to the needs of other stakeholders • Client
Enacting required policies in supporting sustainability principles establishment in construction projects • The Government
by governmental and professional bodies • Professional bodies
Clearly defined goals and prioritising all stakeholders • Client/PMT
Evaluation Knowledge and awareness of sustainable project delivery in the PMT • PMT
Dominance of constructive relationships among project stakeholders • Client/PMT
Commitment Strong commitment to sustainable project delivery from project stakeholders • Stakeholders
Emphasis on high quality workmanship • The Government
• Professional bodies
• Client/PMT
Preparation in organisation Creating accountabilities, expectations, roles and responsibilities for the organisation • Stakeholders
Implementing effective health and safety protocols • Client
Preparation on project Tenure of project managers • Project managers
Project manager's experience and competence • The Government
• Professional bodies
Implementation Comprehensive contractors' portfolio investigation in terms of their level of awareness of the • Clients
sustainability concept and their previous records of sustainable projects implementation • Project managers
Water and noise pollutions minimisation during execution • PMT
Implementing a particular project monitoring and feedback methodology to evaluate the current state of
sustainability and rectify any discrepancy and/or deviation
1116 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119

will occur. However, to succeed in developing countries, this regulations, clients and a PMT that favour quality concerns
transition requires supportive regulations and financial incen- over time and cost constraints in delivering construction
tives introduced by authorities (Chang et al., 2016; projects (see Table 5).
Hakiminejad et al., 2015). This points to the role of the
government and associated professional bodies as illustrated in
Table 5. 6.4. Strategic direction/ health and safety protocols (in
organisation)
6.2. Knowledge management in evaluation
Focusing on preparation activities in an organisation is
Innovative ideas are typically analysed and evaluated with perceived as a prerequisite for harnessing innovative practices
regard to their potential applicability and functionality against on construction projects (Murphy, 2014). The findings of the
key criteria such as cost and long term performance (Slaughter, present study however point to the central role of having a
2000). Evidence shows that construction companies in strategic direction and incorporating health and safety protocols
developing countries change their unsustainable practices only in an organisation for integration of sustainability into project
if there is a proven return on investment (Du Plessis, 2007; Gan management practices. This view resonates with the findings
et al., 2015). On the contrary, the findings in the present study by Luu et al. (2008) and Ghoddousi and Hosseini (2012) who
draw attention to the crucial role of knowledge and sharing of stated that fierce competition in the market overshadows
knowledge among team members with regard to sustainability strategic planning and health and safety concerns. As a result,
practices within the evaluation stage. That is, the most concepts including transparency and accountability with regard
influential CSFs were closely linked with the knowledge and to sustainability remain literally ignored (Silvius, 2013) where
awareness of the PMT and establishing constructive relation- sustainability is all about transparency and accountability as
ships among stakeholders (see Table 5). This is in line with the argued by Silvius and Schipper (2016). As illustrated in Table
statements by Silvius and Schipper (2016) who stressed the role 5, the responsible entities in charge are clients and influential
of knowledge and involvement of stakeholders in delivering stakeholders who have to ask for transparency, accountability
sustainable projects. The findings could also be justified in and implementing health and safety protocols in an organisa-
view of the severe lack of knowledge on sustainability practices tion involved on a project. On the other hand, the organisation
among construction practitioners in developing countries (Gan should be open to accepting accountability and transparency. In
et al., 2015; Hakiminejad et al., 2015). essence, a necessary element for sustainability is “being willing
and available to be held accountable for decisions and actions”
6.3. Commitment to high quality workmanship (Silvius and Schipper, 2016, p. 11).

This finding as illustrated in Table 5 indicated that

commitment to high quality workmanship and having stake- 6.5. Project managers' knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs)
holders who support sustainable delivery are central to the
success of integrating sustainability into project management The most influential CSFs for preparation on projects were
practices. The findings corroborated the observation in found to be the tenure of project managers as well as their
previous studies on the problems associated with the lack of experience and competence as illustrated in Table 5. This could
an experienced and well-trained workforces in the construction be translated to the crucial role of project managers KSAs in
industry in developing countries (Tabassi and Bakar, 2009; line with previous studies (Martens and Carvalho, 2017). Even
Tabassi et al., 2012). Nevertheless, the detrimental impacts of more, sustainability has been mentioned by well-known project
such problems were recognised here with regard to impeding management standards such a Project Management Institute as
the integration of sustainability into project management an area of professional responsibility for project managers
practices on construction projects (Banihashemi et al., 2014). (Silvius and Schipper, 2016). This finding brings to light a
This is understandable because construction practitioners in major barrier to integration of sustainability into project
developing countries give top priority to time and cost management practices in the construction industry in develop-
requirements of projects (Martens and Carvalho, 2016) for ing counties. That is, evidence shows that many project
which they are prepared to sacrifice quality requirements managers in such countries do not possess the required KSAs
(Ghoddousi et al., 2015). The clear message here is that enabling them to utilise resources efficiently (Ghoddousi and
harnessing the sustainable alternatives of project management Hosseini, 2012). Besides, less developed countries only focus
practices is to be flowed through a steady stream from on technical KSAs for recruiting project managers and ignore
committed clients and stakeholders towards high quality skilled soft skills such as those associated with sustainability (Ahsan et
workforce on construction projects. Such a workforce should al., 2013). For developing countries, this makes the transition to
be licensed and trained through enforcing policies by the sustainability challenging and calls for enforcing policies by the
government that is assisted by professional bodies as illustrated government for recruiting licensed project managers at least on
in Table 5. Training will make the workforce innovative and publicly-funded projects. Professional bodies also have to
receptive to new ideas (Tabassi et al., 2012) including address this barrier by providing necessary training and skill
sustainability. These will not occur in the absence of development programs as illustrated in Table 5.
 S. Banihashemi et al. / International Journal of Project Management 35 (2017) 1103–1119 1117

6.6. Tighter control over construction activities clients and designers. Furthermore, CSFs were explored merely
from the perspective of project managers, thus might be biased
Constructing activities are notorious for being among of the toward the role of project managers. These limitations warrant
primary sources of waste generation, material depletion, noise, further investigation by validating the model in other contexts
water and environmental pollutions in developing countries and using larger samples that cover different sizes and various
(Chang et al., 2016; Hakiminejad et al., 2015). The findings types of companies. Exploring the CSFs incorporating the
emphasised the crucial role of water and noise pollution (Table viewpoints of a wider range of project stakeholders might add
5), yet waste management was found to be of lesser influence. value to the findings presented here as another fertile ground
This was in sharp contrast to the arguments proposed by for future research studies.
previous studies (Hwang and Tan, 2012; Marcelino-Sádaba et Supplementary data to this article can be found online at
al., 2015) that give a top priority to waste management when it http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.01.014.
comes to sustainability on construction projects. As a novel
insight, the findings point to a strategic plan to make Conflict of interest
construction activities sustainable. Operational features such
as waste management become the by-products expected of such The authors of this article certify that they have no
a strategic plan. Of particular interest should be imposing a affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity
tighter control on operational activities on projects to reduce with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter
risks (Silvius and Schipper, 2016). This includes focusing on or materials discussed in this manuscript.
the selection process of contractors to identify companies
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