Enablers for Considering Sustainability in Projects; the Perspective of the Supplier

Abstract Companies are integrating sustainability in their strategies, processes and actions. In the implementation of strategies, projects play an essential role. However, there is still a gap between the literature on sustainability in project management and what is carried out in practice. A logical enabler for the consideration of sustainability in projects may be the demand of the client in the project, although the supplier’s strategy may also be an enabler of sustainability. This paper therefore reports a study into the enablers of the integration of sustainability in projects as perceived by project suppliers. The study used Q-methodology to explore different subjective patterns of perceived enablers. Based on the factor analysis of 19 Q-sorts, we discovered three distinct patterns of enablers of the integration of sustainability, that we classified as “Benefits driven”, “Demand and intrinsic motivation driven” and “Demand and Strategy driven”.

[1]  R. Klassen,et al.  Drivers and Enablers That Foster Environmental Management Capabilities in Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Suppliers in Supply Chains , 2008 .

[2]  P. Stenner,et al.  Doing Q methodology: theory, method and interpretation , 2005 .

[3]  John S. Dryzek,et al.  Reconstructive Democratic Theory , 1993, American Political Science Review.

[4]  Sara Marcelino-Sádaba,et al.  Using project management as a way to sustainability. From a comprehensive review to a framework definition , 2015 .

[5]  Herman Mooi,et al.  Sorting out the essence of owner–contractor collaboration in capital project delivery , 2015 .

[6]  N. W. Smith,et al.  Current systems in psychology : history, theory, research, and applications , 2001 .

[7]  Casper Boks,et al.  Exploration of the Barriers to Implementing Different Types of Sustainability Approaches , 2016 .

[8]  A. K. Siti-Nabiha,et al.  Barriers to and enablers of sustainability integration in the performance management systems of an oil and gas company , 2016 .

[9]  Andreas Økland,et al.  Gap Analysis for Incorporating Sustainability in Project Management , 2015, CENTERIS/ProjMAN/HCist.

[10]  Tuomas Ahola,et al.  Project sustainability strategies: A systematic literature review , 2017 .

[11]  Peter Oluwole Akadiri.  Understanding barriers affecting the selection of sustainable materials in building projects , 2015 .

[12]  H. Mooi,et al.  Considering sustainability in project management decision making; An investigation using Q-methodology , 2017 .

[13]  Z. Rahman,et al.  Sustainability adoption through buyer supplier relationship across supply chain: A literature review and conceptual framework , 2015 .

[14]  Johnny Wong,et al.  Facilitating effective green procurement in construction projects: An empirical study of the enablers , 2016 .

[15]  A. J. Gilbert Silvius,et al.  Sustainability in project management: A literature review and impact analysis , 2014 .