Sustainability integration in the management of construction projects: A morphological analysis of over two decades’ research literature

A Construct Validation Approach for Exploring Sustainability Adoption in Pakistani Construction Projects

“…The definition of sustainable development as stated in the document "Our Shared Future" [22], is the development that meets the needs of the present without sacrificing the needs of future generations. The ubiquitous definition is basically, focused on three dimensional integration, i.e., economic, environmental, and social sustainability, also well-known as the Triple-Bottom Line Similarly, scholars have shown a growing interest in Corporate Responsibility, including corporate financial responsibility, corporate environmental responsibility, and corporate social responsibility [5,23]. According to Marcelino-Sádaba et al [4], projects managed with a sustainable approach is the most effective strategy to achieve the overall goal of corporate sustainability.…”

“…This significantly contributes to environmental degradation and disturbs the ecosystem [33]. Apart from this, construction work environs are unsafe, hazardous, and dirty [5,34]. Moreover, in order to compete in the highly competitive industry, construction enterprises tend to focus more on the returns of investments and profitability with lesser attention directed towards environmental protection or well-being of the labor force and communities [14,30,35,36].…”

“…How a construction firm practically implements sustainability practices while delivering projects is of vital importance and, so far, very little is known about the sustainability practices of constructions firms, particularly those operating in developing countries. Another important aspect is that research on SPM is being reported, predominantly, from developed countries and very little is known so far about the SPM practices in developing countries which host almost 85% of the world's population [5]. Therefore, owing to the sheer differences found in socio-economic structure, culture, and prevalent resource scarcity, as compared to developed countries, a different approach for SPM is needed in those settings [6,7].…”

“…For instance, while developed countries approach sustainability in construction from a technology dominated perspective, this is unreasonable for developing economies due to the lack of technical know-how and resources. As a result, the literature on sustainable construction aptly suggests creating a body of knowledge on SPM in developing economies through context-specific conceptual (as well as empirical) studies [5,8]. On the other hand, the operational contours of SPM are debatable and there is diverse opinion found in the literature regarding the operational definitions of SPM, the measurement design of the construct of SPM and how to link it with well-grounded theoretical foundations.…”

“…On the other hand, the operational contours of SPM are debatable and there is diverse opinion found in the literature regarding the operational definitions of SPM, the measurement design of the construct of SPM and how to link it with well-grounded theoretical foundations. More research on these aspects would help in translating this important concept into achievable goals and objectives [5,9]. From a theoretical perspective, the extant literature on SPM encompass the three pillars of sustainability, also called the triple bottom line theory, which refers to addressing economic gains, social well-being, and environmental sustainability, all at the same time.…”