Dissertation working title:
Competency requirements for project managers to balance sustainability-related tensions in projects
Brief introduction and research problem
Professions are undergoing a significant shift in how they integrate environmental and social objectives into their core values. It´s now more crucial than ever to play an active role in promoting sustainability. Sustainability stands as one of the most essential priorities in contemporary business operations.
The challenges project managers face when addressing sustainability objectives reveal that conflicts connected to sustainable aims—such as goal timing, organizational barriers, and restricted influence—are only effectively managed when justified by an economic rationale. During project execution, it proves highly difficult to establish a set of targets that fully embrace the broad concept of sustainability, which includes environmental, social, and economic dimensions simultaneously. Within this framework, sustainability demands that managers concurrently tackle multiple beneficial yet frequently conflicting economic, environmental, and social objectives at both organizational and societal levels.
A limited overall understanding and awareness of sustainability among different project team members—an issue not solely attributable to the project manager—results in a perceived lack of control among those managing projects. Therefore, it is essential for professionals to cultivate a thorough understanding of sustainability. Unfortunately, some practitioners report insufficient training opportunities due to the scarce availability of relevant courses and modules at university level. Integrating sustainability elements introduces tensions within projects that reflect differing timeframes related to sustainable goals, as well as challenges present within the organizational or project context. Project managers also experience feelings of limited control stemming from gaps in technical knowledge and institutional backing, a situation explained by their intermediate position within the hierarchy. These conflicts drive professionals to adopt defensive strategies.
My research is focusing on examining how project managers perceive Sustainable Project Management and the approaches they use to navigate the uncertainties and tensions arising from sustainability requirements. This is particularly important when these requirements are compared with traditional project performance targets and evaluation criteria, as well as in identifying which additional competencies project managers need to effectively implement sustainable project management practices. The current body of knowledge highlights a significant gap concerning the necessary competencies for project managers to manage sustainability-related tensions in projects, as it remains unclear which specific abilities are essential for addressing these challenges.