Driving Sustainable Project Success Through Sustainable Project Management: Unveiling the Roles of Stakeholder Engagement and Organizational Culture

Abstract

Sustainable project management has become essential for delivering long-term economic, environmental, and social value. However, limited evidence explains how sustainable project management translates into sustainable project success, particularly in emerging economies. Drawing on stakeholder theory and contingency theory, this study examines the direct effect of sustainable project management on sustainable project success, the mediating role of stakeholder engagement, and the moderating role of organizational culture in Pakistan’s construction industry. Data were collected from 350 construction professionals using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro. The results show that sustainable project management significantly enhances sustainable project success, both directly and indirectly through stakeholder engagement, confirming stakeholder engagement as a key explanatory mechanism. However, organizational culture does not significantly moderate either the relationship between sustainable project management and stakeholder engagement or the indirect relationship between sustainable project management and sustainable project success. This study contributes to the sustainable project management literature by integrating stakeholder theory and contingency theory into a unified framework and providing evidence from an emerging economy. The findings offer practical guidance for strengthening sustainable project outcomes through sustainability-oriented management practices and effective stakeholder engagement.