Antecedents and Consequences of Sustainable Project Management: Evidence from the Construction Industry in China

SPM (sustainable project management) is vital to enhancing the success of projects. Despite several studies dealing with the connection between SPM and project success, this nexus is still insufficiently addressed. Steered by institutional theory and resource-based value theory, the purpose of this article is to investigate not only the link between SPM and SPS (sustainable project success), but also the mediating effect of SPP (sustainable project planning) on this connection, and the antecedent role of the institutional pressures (mimetic isomorphism pressure, MIP; normative isomorphism pressure, NIP) on SPM. To test the proposed hypotheses, this article applies PLS-SEM (partial least squares structural equation modeling) and recruited 365 project professionals who have experience in participating in SPM projects in China's construction industry. The results confirm that both MIP and NIP significantly affect SPM, with NIP being the most significant. Moreover, the findings evidence that SPM had a significantly positive impact on SPS and SPP, and SPP had a significantly positive effect on SPS. Furthermore, the results also evidence that SPP mediates the effect of SPM on SPS. These findings provide empirical evidence for construction companies to understand SPM in the Chinese construction industry. They may also help policymakers to formulate proper policies to promote SPM to achieve sustainable development.

Automated summary

This article investigates the link between sustainable project management (SPM) and sustainable project success (SPS) in the Chinese construction industry. The results show that both mimetic isomorphism pressure (MIP) and normative isomorphism pressure (NIP) significantly influence SPM, with NIP being the most significant. Furthermore, SPM has a positive impact on both SPS and sustainable project planning (SPP), and SPP also has a positive effect on SPS.