Sustainable Project Management and the Role of Integrated Communications (IC)

Abstract

When research and development projects fail, it is basically due to insufficient – and thus non-sustainable – communication within and outside the project organization. The concept of Integrated Communications, which literature discusses as a principle of Sustainability Communications, provides approaches to more effectively master certain challenges of project communications. In this respect, literature argues, for example, that integration of contents, form, and timing, both within project communication and between project and corporate communication, is a prerequisite to ensuring companies are on the same page, hence consistent, when communicating about project contents. Taking the success factors of Integrated Communications identified in previous empirical studies as a starting point, this contribution will investigate, based on university projects, whether these factors can also be applied to project communications and to what extent they influence the success of project communications. Finally, the conclusion offers recommended action to facilitate sustainable project communications and provides recommendations for further research in this area.