Development of a Framework for Sustainability Management in the Construction Industry Approaching Both Organizational Structure and Processes Management

Abstract

The construction industry faces considerable challenges with sustainability issues due to the significant contribution to environmental and social impacts of this field. The diversity of standards, certifications, and other materials for helping to consolidate and approach sustainable practices in this area makes task management arduous and affects the way that construction projects are managed. Moreover, it is challenging to translate broad sustainability goals into specific and clear targets in the construction field. This study considers two levels of project management: the level of organizational strategy—called Sustainability Organizational Practices, SOP, in this research—and the level of specific management practices—called Sustainability Management Processes, SMP, here. First, to assist translating the broad sustainability goals into specific targets, this research performed a meta-analysis study considering a large number of rating systems and international sustainability organizations framework for identifying the sustainability indicators in the construction field. The indicators were analyzed according to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and categorized according to the quadruple perspectives of sustainability management: economic, environmental, social and ethical. Second, to develop a framework for sustainability management for the construction industry, this research analyzed various management models such as business models, project management models, construction management models, sustainability management models, sustainability management standards, and sustainability rating systems. Third, to identify the connection between the SOP and SMP, this research interviewed eight professionals from four different construction organizations. In conclusion, this study provides an understanding of sustainable impacts of the construction field through sustainability indicators and a framework for sustainability management for the construction industry approaching both organizational structure and process management.

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