Unlocking sustainable project management: The role of project managers' competencies in resource bricolage from a stakeholder engagement perspective

Abstract

Sustainable project management practices have garnered increasing attention in recent years. Consequently, in the age of digitalization and globalization, numerous studies extensively explore the relationship between digitalization and sustainable practice. While optimism abounds, there is insufficient research into how and what types of project managers effectively manage resources to enhance the sustainability of projects when stakeholders are engaged. Therefore, we aim to address this gap by analyzing a sample of 211 Chinese project managers involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Our findings indicate that project managers with digital literacy and experience are effective at managing existing resources to promote sustainable project management practices, while project managers with financial literacy do not directly exhibit sustainable practices. Furthermore, digitally literate managers are more likely to engage in bricolage (effective resource management), whereas experienced project managers are less likely to do so in the presence of stakeholder engagement. Moreover, stakeholder engagement does not appear to moderate the relationship between project manager financial literacy and bricolage. Based on these findings, our research recommends that organizations focus on employing digitally literate and experienced project managers to effectively manage their limited resources for sustainable project management. Further practical implications are discussed.