critical success factors for construction projects a literature review

Critical Success Factors for Construction Projects: A Literature Review

12th International Conference on Business Management (ICBM) 2015

19 Pages Posted: 6 Dec 2015

G. A. Silva

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

B.N.F. Warnakulasooriya

Bhadra arachchige.

University of Sri Jayawardenepura

Date Written: December 7, 2015

Project success factors have been very popular and lists of critical success factors have been identified but there is no general agreement. Studies on critical success factors are too generic and pose a question of applicability on a specific industry such as construction.Construction industry,by its nature,is a complex, project oriented, high risk, and competitive business. It is one of the major contributors to the national economy and has a multiple impact on a county. Construction project failures are increasingly reported around the globe and achieving success of construction projects is becoming extremely difficult in today’s turbulent environment. According to heresy evidence, construction project failures are abundant in Sri Lanka as well. With rapid changes happening in the construction industry, it is curious whether previous research findings have become obsolete and unable to reflect on the current position.It is agreed across literature that the study of project success and critical success factors are means to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of projects.Determining key success factors in different project context is a challenge and it is extremely important for the industry professionals and academics. Therefore, this paper attempts to identify critical success factors through a literature review withspecial attention on project execution stage of construction projects.34 success factors were identified from recent papers and 19 factors are repeated in 3 or more papers. More researchis needed on the relationship between critical human resource management factors and project success.Findings are instrumental for professionals and academics and will add to the construction project management body of knowledge.

Keywords: Construction Industry, Critical Success Factors, Project Management, Project Success, Sri Lanka Construction Industry

JEL Classification: M19

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

G. A. Silva (Contact Author)

University of sri jayewardenepura ( email ).

Nugegoda Gandodawila Gangodawila, Nugegoda 10250 Sri Lanka

University of Sri Jayawardenepura ( email )

Gangodawila, Nugegoda Sri Lanka

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• DOI: 10.2139/SSRN.2699890
• Corpus ID: 112675233

Critical Success Factors for Construction Projects: A Literature Review

• G.A.S.K. Silva , B. Warnakulasooriya , B. Arachchige
• Published 7 December 2015
• Engineering, Business

13 Citations

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Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN : 0969-9988

Article publication date: 3 February 2022

Issue publication date: 24 May 2023

This study intends to review studies on the success criteria and critical success factors (CSFs) for mega infrastructure construction projects (MICPs) from journal articles between 2000 and 2018 to (1) identify the publication trend of success criteria and CSFs for MICPs; (2) explore distributions of selected papers, including the distribution of journals, authors’ origin/country and publications by country or region focus; and (3) summarize the findings of success criteria and CSFs studies of MICPs.

Design/methodology/approach

A methodical and systematic analysis of 38 selected journal articles was conducted using descriptive analysis to obtain the annual trend of publications, distributions of publication sources, contributors’ origin/country, regions/countries of research focus, methods involved in publications and thematic analysis to identify and categorize success criteria and CSFs for MICPs.

Australia, the USA, UK, China and Hong Kong had been the leading contributors for publications on success criteria and CSFs for MICPs; meanwhile, China, Australia and the UK have been the countries of focus for most studies on this specific topic. This review identified 20 success criteria grouped into 5 constructs and 36 CSFs grouped into 5 categories and, respectively, integrated them into two conceptual frameworks. The top five CSFs were adequate resource availability, partnering/relationships with key stakeholders, adequate communication and coordination among related parties, public support or acceptance and clear strategic vision. Three implications, namely, evaluation indicators, relationships between CSFs and the success of MICPs and human-related factors, are highlighted in future research.

Originality/value

The identified success criteria and CSFs provide a basis for evaluating the success possibility of MICPs and serve to identify areas for further improvement. Additionally, the CSFs checklist and framework have been established, which could help to conduct further empirical studies. Finally, the holistic analysis identifies gaps in the body of knowledge, revealing avenues for future research.

• Success criteria
• Critical success factors
• Mega infrastructure
• Project success

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 71971161 and 71801083] for the financial support of this research. There is no conflict of interest.

Wang, T. , Xu, J. , He, Q. , Chan, A.P.C. and Owusu, E.K. (2023), "Studies on the success criteria and critical success factors for mega infrastructure construction projects: a literature review", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management , Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 1809-1834. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-12-2020-1042

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Assessment of critical success factors for building projects through the literature  †.

1. Introduction

2. success/failure of construction projects, 3. critical success factors for a construction project, 4. critical success factors in building projects, 5. conclusions.

• Project success and the critical factors contributing to it have been a subject of discussion for a considerable time. However, there is no widely agreed-upon or standardized definition of project success, nor a single comprehensive list of Critical Success Factors. This paper suggests the importance of compiling a prioritized list of Critical Success Factors that must be taken into account to ensure the successful performance of construction projects.
• In the context of project success, scholars have consistently emphasized that the foundational elements contributing to success in construction projects encompass cost (budget), time, quality, and proficient management. It is essential to recognize, though, that there is a growing recognition of the significance of additional facets, such as safety, technology, and satisfaction, among others, in this ongoing discourse.
• When a construction project is concluded within the predetermined time and budget and meets the quality criteria, it inherently is deemed a success; consequently, these conventional Critical Success Factors (CSFs) will continue to play a crucial role as indispensable metrics for assessing the probability of future project success.

Author Contributions

Institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Share and Cite

Zahoor, M.H.; Ali, M. Assessment of Critical Success Factors for Building Projects through the Literature. Eng. Proc. 2023 , 53 , 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/IOCBD2023-15988

Zahoor MH, Ali M. Assessment of Critical Success Factors for Building Projects through the Literature. Engineering Proceedings . 2023; 53(1):45. https://doi.org/10.3390/IOCBD2023-15988

Zahoor, Muhammad Hamza, and Majid Ali. 2023. "Assessment of Critical Success Factors for Building Projects through the Literature" Engineering Proceedings 53, no. 1: 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/IOCBD2023-15988

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