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Stakeholder management challenges and strategies for sustainability issues in megaprojects: case studies from Australia

Sepani Senaratne (School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia)
Abhishek KC (School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia)
Siryana Rai (School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia)

Built Environment Project and Asset Management

ISSN: 2044-124X

Article publication date: 25 August 2023

Issue publication date: 19 June 2024

773

Abstract

Purpose

Megaprojects are financially large and complex in scope, which require engagement of stakeholders from various institution and communities. With increased concerns from stakeholders on sustainability related issues, from environmental to socio-economic perspective, managing megaprojects has become quite challenging. Hence, there should be proactive approaches in active engagement of stakeholders from the start of the projects to overcome such issues. Currently, there is a knowledge gap on stakeholder management strategies specific to megaprojects on managing sustainability issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This research has adopted review of secondary data from case studies to identify stakeholder management challenges and strategies in megaprojects around Sydney area. The documents related to three different projects were reviewed and data were collected through qualitative content analysis and coding with use of NVivo software for within case analysis and was followed by thematic approach for cross case analysis.

Findings

Every case study project's sustainability-related stakeholder issues are more similar than different to others. Differences are mostly in terms of intensity of impact of any issue in a particular project, and/or intensity of impact at certain phase of any project. Moreover, significant sectors and strategies have been identified for key focus to manage environment and socioeconomic issues. Whatever be the strategies, in case of megaprojects, they need to be mostly proactive.

Originality/value

This research has extended the knowledge on stakeholder management, in relation to managing sustainability-related issues of megaprojects during their design, construction and operation phases. This research offers useful strategies for project teams of megaprojects to develop a proactive stakeholder management plan, addressing unavoidable sustainability challenges.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is an extension of a conference paper published for the 10th World Construction Symposium, June 2022 at Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Citation

Senaratne, S., KC, A. and Rai, S. (2024), "Stakeholder management challenges and strategies for sustainability issues in megaprojects: case studies from Australia", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 414-431. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-11-2022-0183

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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