Success Traits for a Construction Project

Ensuring a successful outcome in a construction project has always been the aim of the construction project manager, and project management is used as a tool to achieve this goal. On the basis of the assumption that the project success is repeatable, researchers have indicated certain attributes/factors, which, when present in a project, are likely to make it successful. Traditionally, schedule, cost, and quality compliances, commonly referred to as the iron triangle, have been accepted as the most widely used criteria to define success. In this study, it is hypothesized that project success is influenced by success traits. Success traits have been defined as second-order constructs composed of two latent constructs, human factors and management actions. This study finds that human factors play a decisive role in making a project successful. The observed variables under these constructs were taken from a past study. The structural equation modeling technique has been used to test the hypothesized positive interrelationships between success traits and project success. The approach used in this study could be a good value addition in the field of construction management. In addition, the results would enable practitioners to focus on fewer factors rather than attending to numerous factors without getting commensurate returns. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000538. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.