Cadre conceptuel pour l'intégration de la durabilité dans la gestion de projet

Thesis Abstract

As the global push towards sustainable development intensifies, integrating sustainability considerations into project management practices has emerged as a critical challenge for organizations across various sectors. This study addresses the persistent gap in theoretical frameworks that effectively embed sustainability into project management processes, seeking to develop a comprehensive conceptual model that guides practitioners in aligning project objectives with environmental, social, and economic sustainability principles. The primary aim is to construct a robust framework that operationalizes the integration of sustainability into project management, grounded in existing theories and empirical evidence. Specific objectives include examining the existing theoretical underpinnings of sustainable project management, identifying key enablers and barriers to integration, and formulating a conceptual model that delineates the relationships among critical variables influencing sustainability outcomes in projects. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study combines qualitative exploratory approaches with quantitative validation. The qualitative phase involves semi-structured interviews with fifty project managers and sustainability officers from construction, manufacturing, and information technology sectors to explore current practices, perceptions, and challenges related to sustainability integration. Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s methodology, is utilized to identify recurring themes and conceptual elements. The quantitative phase applies a survey instrument developed from qualitative insights, distributed to a sample of 300 project professionals selected through stratified random sampling. Data are analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the relationships proposed in the preliminary conceptual framework, ensuring a rigorous examination of the hypothesized enablers and barriers affecting sustainability integration. The expected findings suggest that organizational culture, leadership commitment, stakeholder engagement, and availability of sustainability metrics significantly influence the effective incorporation of sustainability into project management. The study anticipates confirming that constructs such as organizational readiness and project complexity serve as mediators or moderators within the proposed model. The findings aim to demonstrate that a well-structured framework enhances project outcomes by systematically embedding sustainability considerations from initiation through closure, thereby contributing to the theoretical advancement of sustainable project management scholarship. This research contributes to existing knowledge by providing a context-specific, empirically validated conceptual framework that integrates theories such as the Stakeholder Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior within the sustainability and project management domains. The framework offers practitioners a structured approach to embed sustainability into project workflows, facilitating better decision-making and resource allocation aligned with sustainable development goals. Additionally, the study advances the academic discourse on sustainability integration by identifying key factors and pathways that influence successful implementation in diverse organizational contexts. The principal conclusion underscores the necessity of strategic alignment, stakeholder participation, and organizational capacity in fostering sustainable project management. It recommends that organizations adopt tailored frameworks grounded in the developed conceptual model to enhance sustainability outcomes, monitor progress continuously, and adapt practices dynamically. Furthermore, the study advocates for capacity-building initiatives and policy interventions aimed at cultivating leadership and cultural shifts conducive to sustainability integration. Suggestions for future research include longitudinal studies to assess the implementation effectiveness of the proposed framework across different industries and regions, as well as the exploration of digital transformation’s role in facilitating sustainability in project management practices. Overall, this study offers a significant step toward operationalizing sustainability within project management, thereby supporting the broader agenda of sustainable development at organizational and societal levels.