Redefining the Use of Sustainable Development Goals at the Organisation and Project Levels—A Survey of Engineers

Paul Mansell, Simon P. Philbin and Efrosyni Konstantinou
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Paul Mansell: Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Simon P. Philbin: Nathu Puri Institute for Engineering & Enterprise, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK
Efrosyni Konstantinou: Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK

Administrative Sciences, 2020, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-39

Abstract: The United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to deliver an improved future for people, planet and profit. However, they have not gained the required traction at the business and project levels. This article explores how engineers rate and use the SDGs at the organisational and project levels. It adopts the Realist Evaluation’s Context–Mechanism–Outcomes model to critically evaluate practitioners’ views on using SDGs to measure business and project success. The study addresses the thematic areas of sustainability and business models through the theoretical lens of Creating Shared Value and the Triple Bottom Line. A survey of 325 engineers indicated four primary shortfalls for measuring SDGs on infrastructure projects, namely (1) leadership, (2) tools and methods, (3) engineers’ business skills in measuring SDG impact and (4) how project success is too narrowly defined as outputs (such as time, cost and scope) and not outcomes (longer-term local impacts and stakeholder value). The research study is of value to researchers developing business models that address the SDGs and also practitioners in the construction industry who seek to link their investment decisions to the broader outcomes of people, planet and profit through the UN SDGs.

Keywords: sustainability; governance; UNSDG; project success; business-society; business models; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); sustainable development; infrastructure projects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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