Exploring Characteristics of Sustainability Stimulus Patterns of Project Managers

Abstract

The role of projects in the transition of organisations towards sustainability is addressed in a growing number of studies, and “sustainable” project management is considered one of the most important project management trends today. As sustainability is a normative concept based on subjective values and beliefs, project managers are bound to experience different stimuli and inhibitors for the consideration of sustainability in their projects. Earlier studies identified three distinct stimulus patterns: Intrinsically motivated, Task-driven, and Pragmatic. However, little is known about these three groups of project managers’ personal and professional characteristics and their work environments. Following up on earlier studies, this paper explores the social-demographic and professional-related characteristics that the three stimulus patterns represent in a quantitative, survey-based study on a sample of 433 project managers. Analyses of descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, and Cronbach’s alpha) and inferential statistics (chi-squared, t test, and ANOVA) were used. The findings of the study support the conclusion that sustainability is a personal trait based upon the individual’s attitude towards sustainability. The study also reveals that the stimulus patterns of project managers significantly differ over industries and types of projects. The study intends to help organisations implement sustainability strategies by deepening their understanding of project managers’ stimulus to consider sustainability in their projects. The study contributes to the emerging knowledge on sustainable project management and specifically to the understanding of stimulus patterns of project managers.

Exploring the Project Owner’s Behaviour of Addressing Sustainability in Project Assignment and Governance

“…A manager will align his or her behaviour not only with the organisation's strategy, but also with his/her "self-identity" [56] or attitude towards the behaviour. In line with this, the different studies that explored the factors that stimulate project managers to address sustainability in their projects, found that the basic attitude of the project managers towards sustainability was a strong influencer of sustainability-friendly behaviour [7,[14][15][16]57].…”

“…Much more than the project managers in the studies of Silvius and Graaf [13], Poon and Silvius [14], Marnewick et al [16], and Magano et al [15], the project owners in this study were stimulated to address sustainability by their organisational context. Marnewick et al [16] concluded that most project managers were intrinsically motivated to consider sustainability, and this motivation did not depend on the type of project, industry, or organisational context they were working in.…”

“…In the past years, several studies, most notably [7,[13][14][15][16], focused on the factors that stimulate or influence project managers to consider sustainability in their projects. These studies showed that the consideration of sustainability by the project manager is also enabled, or limited, by the project assignment and the governing role of the project owner.…”

Project Management in the Biotech Context: Exploring the Interrelation between Maturity and Sustainable Project Management

“…There has been a growing body of literature that addresses the relationship between project management and sustainability, suggesting that the integration of sustainability considerations into project management is essential for sustainable projects [22] and for increasing organizational value, reducing risk, improving project outcomes, and strengthening competitive advantage [23]. Embodying sustainability practices into project management can contribute to project success [24,25].…”

“…In this regard, Mishra et al [40] identify ethics as the fourth dimension of project management by adding it to the project management iron triangle and conclude that it will contribute to sustainable project management. Earlier studies found that the project manager s behavior towards sustainability is most of all a personal trait [22,41,42], which implies that, to a certain extent, the human factor is decisive to embedding sustainability in project management. Many decisions at the project level are subsequently of a moral nature, relying on the project manager's competence and behavior toward sustainability [42].…”