Phung, Q; Erdogan, B and Nielsen, Y (2026) Influence of sustainability adoption on the success of construction projects. Building Research & Information, 54(3), pp. 345-358. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
While many studies report the success of sustainable buildings, there remains considerable debate regarding their practical effectiveness. Critics often cite higher initial costs, increased financial risks, longer payback periods, and conflicting priorities between long-term users and short-term decision-makers as key concerns. This research investigates the impact of sustainability adoption on the success of construction projects, with particular emphasis on contemporary definitions of success and stakeholder satisfaction. A conceptual model was developed from an extensive review of sustainability in construction, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 201 professionals across the UK. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results show strong and significant relationships, indicating that achieving economic (p = 0.431) and social sustainability adoption (p = 0.354) can enhance project success, whereas environmental sustainability did not demonstrate a significant contribution. These findings suggest that environmental sustainability may require more strategic integration into project delivery. The study recommends redefining project success criteria to explicitly incorporate environmental goals, supported by policy reforms, strengthened professional standards, and transparent public accountability. Further research is needed to assess and refine these strategies in practical settings.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction projects; project management; project success; stakeholder satisfaction; sustainability |
| Index terms: | project management, project delivery, social sustainability, stakeholder satisfaction, effectiveness, project success, environmental sustainability, construction project, integration, sustainable building, questionnaire, payback, structural equation modelling, strategy, accountability, survey |
| Subjects: | management, performance management, project management theory and practice, organizational analysis, statistical analysis, data collection methods, participation process, project delivery, health safety and environment, production management, sustainable construction, communities and social development, liability law, economic analysis |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Procurement, Project Management, Health and Safety, Quality Management, Legal Issues, Stakeholder Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here