Stakeholder Power Dynamics, a Key to Sustainably Win the Sustainability Game in Construction

Kayvan Koohestani¹, Mani Poshdar¹, Johan Ninan², Ali Bidhendi¹, Sarow Saeedi³

1. Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
2. TU Delft
3. University of Texas

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 1475 to 1483. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_140.

Abstract

Enhancing sustainability in construction is a challenging endeavour, as it requires close collaboration among multiple stakeholders within a turbulent environment. This challenge is further complicated by the existing power dynamics among these stakeholders. This study aims to explore the implications of stakeholder power dynamics for solutions designed to enhance construction sustainability. Through a review of peer-reviewed journals and conference literature, followed by thematic analysis of qualitative data, we found that stakeholder power dynamics substantially influence both the implementation and post-implementation phases of interventions intended to promote sustainability within construction projects. Additionally, the introduction of these initiatives often alters the dynamics of power within project networks, necessitating continuous monitoring and analysis of the power relationships among the stakeholders. Therefore, while it is crucial to assess how stakeholder power dynamics can inhibit or facilitate the implementation, it is equally important to understand how these power relationships will be affected post-implementation and how the new dynamics may impact the long-term sustainability of the solutions. Consequently, we identify stakeholder power dynamics as a key to sustainably win the sustainability game in construction.

Keywords

Session

Presented in Track M, Saturday 9 November 2024, 16:15 to 18:15, room WA 224 A, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Dr Esther Aigwi.

How to Cite

Koohestani, K., Poshdar, M., Ninan, J., Bidhendi, A., & Saeedi, S. (2025). Stakeholder Power Dynamics, a Key to Sustainably Win the Sustainability Game in Construction. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 1475–1483). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_140

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.