A qualitative study on construction project success factors in dynamic project environments: A Delphi approach

Abstract

Success represents the ultimate goal of business endeavors. The definition of success is often emblematic of the purpose of business. In a quantitative field like construction, success is simply defined as the product of initially defined goals within the constraints of a project scope, its cost, and the time spent achieving the defined or modified goals and objectives. Performing construction activities in dynamic or unstable project environments may lead to a redefinition of success to reflect the programmatic or mandatory minimum expectations of project sponsors to the marginalization of typical project success measures. This research explored the common factors that influence the probability of success in infrastructure and construction development programs in dynamic project environments. The study involved construction subject matter experts drawn from the unstable project environments of Nigeria and Afghanistan. The Delphi study was conducted over six weeks by using iterative questionnaire queries to determine common critical success factors from two culturally and economically disparate but dynamic environments. The results across environmental contexts indicate that while important project success factors continue to include strategies related to contract procurement, project delivery, organizational structure, employee motivation and training, evidence-based management, risk management, project type and selection, the most contentious continue to revolve around those grounded on ethics: approaches to leadership and eradicating corrupt practices.