Ranking and grouping of critical success factors for stakeholder management in construction projects

Abstract

ABSTRACT Diverse sets of critical success factors (CSFs) have been proposed in the literature, emphasising various facets of stakeholder management. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the ranking and groupings of these factors. This paper seeks to uncover CSFs related to stakeholder management in construction projects in Pakistan and explore their ranking and underlying relationship. A literature study revealed the existence of 18 CSFs. A questionnaire comprising these 18 CSFs was distributed to construction professionals in Pakistan, and 89 completed surveys were recouped. “Formulating the project mission”, “Communicating with stakeholders properly and frequently (instituting feedback mechanisms)”, and “Carefully identifying and listing the project stakeholders” were identified as the top three ranking factors for stakeholder management. Utilizing factor analysis and considering the significance of the factor “Formulating the project mission”, the 18 CSFs were organized into four categories: Stakeholder Interests and Relationships, Refining Goals and Managing Stakeholder Needs, Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders, and Stakeholders’ Social Responsibilities. A framework is proposed for successful stakeholder management in construction projects incorporating these four components and their relationships. These findings elucidate thigh priority aspects and may also be utilized as a tool for evaluating the success of stakeholder management, hence facilitating the identification of areas for improvement.