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This thesis explores construction project manager’s perception about their stakeholder
engagement with different communication skills during the phases of a project. As the
construction industry is focusing on green building projects in recent years, the job of the project
manager becomes more complex as he/she has to balance the interests of various stakeholders in
order to create sustainable development within his/her project. Therefore this study is exploring
how the project manager as a leader is communicating with the different stakeholders in order to
reach the sustainable goals of his/her project. For that matter primary data was collected via a
questionnaire that was sent to project managers from different countries, that are working with
projects focusing on implementation of sustainability in their projects and project managers that
are not focusing on sustainability in their projects. A comparison between the answers of the
different project managers was made, in order to determine in each phase of the project, if there
is a difference in the stakeholder engagement and use of communication skills, when it comes to
This study provides some indications to answer the questions regarding what communication
skills a project manager should use and what stakeholder he should engage in each phase, in
order to reach the sustainable goals of his project. Based on theories and our experience in the
field we provide an explanation on an occurring pattern of the behavior of the project managers
Table of content
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
1.5 Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………...……… 11
2. Pre-understanding……………………………………………………………………………...…… 13
3. Methods…………………………………………………………………………………...…...…… 29
3.3.1 Reliability……………………………………………………………...…………...…….. 32
3.3.2 Validity…………………………………………………………………...………………. 32
4. Data Description………………………………………………………………………...…………… 35
4.1 General Description for the sustainability awareness and the project implementation of 35
sustainability…………………………………………………………………………...……………
4.4 Correlation description between stakeholders and communication skills in each phase of the 44
project…………………………………………………………………………………...…………..
4.5 Individual responses capture for sustainability aware project manager and implementing 47
sustainability in their project in each phase…………………………………………...………….....
5. Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………………...……......... 49
5.2 Correlation analysis between stakeholders and communication skills in each phase of the 55
project…………………………………………………………………………………...…………..
5.3 Analysis for the individual response capturing for the 13 project managers who are aware and 59
implementing sustainability in their projects………………………………………...……………...
6. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………...…………… 63
References……………………………………………………………………………….……………... 69
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………….…………... 74
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List of figures
Figure 1: Some of the 60 countries that either has or developing green building assessment system.. 2
List of tables
Table 2: Description for the project managers with high sustainability awareness……………….. 36
Table 3: Description for the project managers with low sustainability awareness………………... 37
Table 4: Detailed description for project managers with high sustainability awareness in term of 41
stakeholders involvement…………………………………………………………………………..
Table 5: Detailed description for project managers with high sustainability awareness in term of 41
the communication skills…………………………………………………………………………...
Table 6: Significant and insignificant correlation between the stakeholders involvement and the 46
communication skills used in each phase…………………………………………………………..
Table 7: Individual highest responses for sustainability aware project managers implementing 48
sustainability in their projects……………………………………………………………………...
Table 8: Interesting differences between the responses of the PM with high sustainability 50
awareness in term of stakeholders…………………………………………………………………
Table 9: Interesting differences between the responses of the PM with high sustainability 50
awareness in term of communication skills………………………………………………………..
Table 10: Individual responses capturing for the 13 PMs who are aware and implementing 59
sustainability in their projects in term of stakeholders……………………………………………..
Table 11: Individual responses capturing for the 13 PMs who are aware and implementing 61
sustainability in their projects in term of communication skills…………………………………...
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1. Introduction
This section introduces the topic of sustainability in the construction industry and the
project manager’s role in achieving its goals. The construction industry is focusing on green
building in recent years, due to increased awareness about the benefits of sustainable
construction project, through effective communication with the various stakeholders. Following
firmness and delight which is equivalent to usefulness, stability and beauty, but nowadays we
must add a fourth direction or dimension which is harmony, which means to create balance
between buildings and the building environment (Charles J. Kibert, 2012). For the last two
decades there has been a significant effort in integrating sustainability to the building
environment, the resulting sustainable construction movement has gained stability and power.
This movement nowadays is international in scope with about 60 national green building
councils (fig. 1) that promote, develop, supervise and evaluate the performance of the
construction organizations against the environmental, economic and social requirements (Charles
J. Kibert, 2012).
2
Figure 1. Some of the 60 countries that either has or developing green building assessment system
Moreover, some localities currently are providing grants for matching funds to encourage green
building, but on the other side grant programs focus on a measurable results, such as energy
Due to the increased awareness about sustainability among stakeholders, green building
certification (ex. LEED certifications) and eco-labels are becoming a necessity in construction
projects, because they provide a core information about the quality and the performance of the
project in relation to sustainability (Fuerst F et al., 2014). Using sustainable concepts and
materials can help the construction companies in terms of having more freedom in the future to
protect their buildings from future restrictions that might occur. Green buildings incorporate
energy and water efficient technologies that are not available in traditional buildings. These
3
technologies create a healthier and more comfortable environment, as they utilize renewable
energy, reduce waste and decrease heating and cooling expenses (Fuerst F et al., 2014).
Green building stands for the quality and the attributes to which buildings are constructed
using the conventions and techniques of sustainable construction. It also reflects a healthy
Kibert, 2012). On the other hand the term sustainable construction is dealing with environmental,
economical and social issues of the construction project within the building environment. In
general it is about constructing a healthier building with a healthier environment, which takes
into consideration an efficient resource plan and environmental design (Charles J. Kibert, 2012).
widely spread and very often used. It defines sustainable development as meeting the
needs of the present generation, without compromising those of future generations and
without jeopardizing the natural ecological systems, which effects life on earth.
Sustainable development is still a very general concept and that is interpreted in different
ways (Hopwood, Mellor, & O'Brien, 2005). In regard to sustainability in business, many
different approaches can be found. Elkington (1997) simplified the definition in the
context of any business, by introducing the triple bottom line concept (3BL). The concept
economic prosperity, environmental quality and social justice. Furthermore, the 3BL
states that there is a need to create balance between these three pillars (Elkington, 1997).
Social challenges
Sustainability is an active factor in the social level having the capacity to provide access
to good education, creating goodwill, improving community consultation and promoting interest
in various fields (Said I. et al., 2010). The impact of the rising cost, which results from
construction markets towards more expensive building. Which also leads to clients segregation
in terms of the fact that sustainable building ca be for rich people only. In the same context the
satisfaction of the end users cannot be negotiated, because it is important for the attainment of
social sustainability (Said I. et al., 2010). Construction buildings are likewise part of our living
environment, contributing to our living situations, social prosperity and health. This is why it is
an important challenge to explore environmentally and economically with sound design and
advanced mechanisms to guarantee that the construction industry is socially sustainable, healthy
and affordable (Majdalani Z. et al., 2005). Thus the industry faces pressure to increase the
sustainability of its work processes, which is to implement sound modifications and changes in
the industry’s understanding of the societal and customer needs of society and practice changes
Economical challenges
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The guiding path for any responsible business should be to be profitable. Programs that
work in the name of CSR and sustainability and ignore profits, lead to business failure, job losses
etc. (Werther and Chandler 2011). The main question for Said I. et al. (2010), is how to sustain
economical growth of every country (Raynsford, 1999; Seaden & Manseau, 2001). In general to
Environmental challenges
Global warming is seen as a very important challenge for the construction industry that
heating, ventilating and air conditioning (Ortiz O. et al., 2009). Moreover, land use, acidification,
crystallization, stratospheric ozone depletion, biological resources and human toxicity effects are
common in the construction industry. The main effects of climate change are emissions of
greenhouse gases (Ortiz O. et al., 2009). Long term effects from the greenhouse gases are
considered to be one of the main reasons for the environmental problems and the severely
competitive construction firms may find it tough to change their work process, in order to
address that (Said I. et al., 2010). The construction industry also produce a gigantic amount of
waste that pollute the environment. Reports by the Environmental Protection Department in
Hong Kong shows that in 2006 the construction waste reached 29,884 tons per day (Robin C. &
Poon C., 2009). This is a huge amount of waste that requires a separate sustainable project that
will help its management. But what comes first to mind when a new construction idea pops up is
the area it will consume in addition to the natural resources (Majdalani Z. et al., 2005). Buildings
need cement and other building materials, some of which are extracted from quarries that need to
be transported over long distances, which in return exerts pressure on the roads (Majdalani Z. et
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al., 2005). In general construction leads to less green spaces and to more consumption of natural
resources.
These challenges have a great impact on the success of construction projects. Therefore, the
construction organizations need to assign very capable project managers that can address these
challenges and lead the project to success using their technical, human and conceptual skills.
Project managers (PMs) have the goals of the project they are leading as their own. They
posses certain skills and expertise that allows them to direct the project team towards a shared
purpose within the organization. Change and complexity in dynamic environments are some of
the everyday challenges they are facing. Furthermore, project managers are perceived to be
leading diverse teams with little direct control over the team members (Cleland and Ireland,
2002).
In this section we are examining the role of project managers as managers. Moreover, we will
examine the project manager's role from leadership perspective and the importance of motivating
the individuals in the project team and creating an effective working environment in order the
project team to meet its goals. In the context of project management, good leaders need to
address the relationships within teams, communicate their values, and at the same time pay
The skills of a good project manager are essential for managing the unexpected obstacles a team
can face on a daily basis. A good project manager encounters obstacles and removes them from
the path of his/her followers (Remarkable Leadership, 2007), but the project manager can
encounter obstacles when trying to help his/her team. One of these common problems that a PM
encounters when directing their teams is ineffective communication (PMI’s Pulse of the
Profession, 2013).
In construction projects, managers should be armed with different skills to establish successful
communication that indicates what types of leaders he/she is. The survival of any project
depends on the ability of a project manager to communicate with the team and with all
stakeholders included (Zulch B, 2014). Moreover, Zulch B. (2014) states that effective projects
horizontal communication between colleagues and diagonal communication with the project
stakeholders. Thus a leader or a project manager should adopt a leadership style that influence
project success through effective and efficient communication with stakeholders. Project
managers need to be flexible throughout the project development phases which require different
However, when a project manager works with sustainability, his/her role becomes even more
complex, because in relation to the triple bottom line (3BL) the social, environmental and
value can be achieved (Elkington,1994). The same rule applies in the construction field, as
sustainability adds another dimension to the already complex role of project manager, who has to
balance the interests of various stakeholders, as well as find a way to realize the actual
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construction of the building on time and in the frame of the initial budget, while considering
various factors.
The different roles of a project manager have one thing in common and that is the fact that a
project manager has to communicate with the different parties involved in the project, in order to
reach the goals of the organization. Therefore it is important to describe why communication is
important in a project.
In the context of the construction industry, the quality of communication plays a big role in the
success of construction projects (Nielsen & Erdogan, 2007). This is supported by the fact that
poor communication is identified by the project managers, as one of the most common project
risks in construction (Ceric, 2014). Furthermore, poor communication in construction can cause
lower performance and a higher turnover of staff (Dainty, Moore, & Murray, 2006). In the
construction projects where the expenses are already higher than expected and the time is
unnecessary expense. However, communication difficulties during the projects can increase
unnecessary expenditure and affect the time progress and quality of the outcome (Anumba,
Communication is often described as crucial because it is the job of the project manager. This is
supported by the fact that 80 percent of the manager’s time is spent on interpersonal
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communication (Klauss and Bass, 1982). Furthermore, it is discussed the importance of inter-
organizations and organizational segments that must deal with uncertainty, that are complex and
that have a technology that does not permit easy reutilization. Complexity and uncertainty
increases the need for communication. It is essentially the communication process of a PM with
different stakeholders that effects the performance of the project. That is why it is essential for a
PM to know which stakeholders to involve in his communication process during the different
stages of a project.
in order to deliver better project results. For example stakeholder identification is a critical
component of the initial scoping phase and should occur before an engagement plan is
formulated and consultations begin. As each stakeholder usually has their own interest in the
project which may cause different priorities, conflicts and dramatically increase the complexity
of the situation (Karlsen et.al, 2008). If a project manager learns how to manage the different
stakeholder engagement processes it can help all stakeholders to reach the goal of the project that
can be to increase quality of life, while decreasing negative environmental impacts and
increasing the economical sustainability of the project. Stakeholder engagement should therefore
be taken as a core element of any “sustainable development” plan. Furthermore, the success of
a construction projects relies on meeting the needs and expectations of stakeholders (Cleland,
1995). The ability of a project manager to manage relationships with stakeholders can help to
deal with changing stakeholder needs. Furthermore, this ability will allow a PM to respond more
efficiently to the difficulties that may arise or issues that need to be resolved. Therefore a project
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is more likely to be successful in the long term, if it takes into consideration the needs of all
stakeholders.
In order a project manager to be flexible with his/her communication with different stakeholders,
throughout the phases of a project, he needs to possess certain skills that are going to help to
Communications skills are essential for addressing the sustainable aspect of a construction
project, because it is more complex. Therefore communication is essential for solving the
sustainable challenges of a project. From the above mentioned it becomes central to discuss
We found that the construction industry is turning more and more towards green building
and adopting sustainable solutions in their work processes. This turning over is due to the
increased awareness about the potential benefits from sustainable solutions in the long term
(Fuerst F et al., 2014). Here comes the role of project manager in the construction project as a
leader and coordinator to promote sustainable thinking within the building environment. In every
project communication is incorporated throughout all stages in each process, as the job of a
project manager is considered communicating (Klauss and Bass, 1982). Furthermore, we found
communication as a key factor that affects the perception of sustainability among different
stakeholders. Therefore in order to achieve the sustainable goals of a project, the project manager
needs to successfully communicate the goals to the key stakeholders. But in order to do that
he/she needs to possess skills on three levels of communication (Zulch B., 2014) that can
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alter the perception of sustainability of the involved parties in relation to the project. Moreover,
we believe that the communication skills that a project manager uses should be flexible
From the literature we found plenty of information about the communication role of the project
manager in the construction industry and for the relation between leaders and communication.
But in terms of defining how project managers use communication to achieve the goals of a
sustainable construction projects among different stakeholders, we found a gap in the practical
information that explores this issue. Based on the aforementioned, the relation between the
projects and stakeholder engagement during the phases of a construction project has been
identified as a research gap. Therefore we are analyzing this research gap further through a
1.5 Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the essential communication skills that project
managers use with key stakeholders to successfully incorporate sustainability within construction
How are project managers engaging stakeholders and using communication skills to
In line with our social constructivist perspective we have conducted a survey using a
In line with our previous experience and observation within the field of communication in
projects and construction projects, the aim and purpose of this research has been created based
on our previous working experience in projects from the view of a project manager or just as a
member of a project. Thus an inductive approach has been applied to guide the research in the
paper.
According to 6 & Bellamy, the aim and purpose of a inductive research approach is to develop a
statement from a position in which we have no real idea of what might turn out to be relevant,
plausible or helpful to a subject (6 & Bellamy, 2012), which in this case will be to explain which
are the communication skills in a sustainable construction project that are central to its success.
We base our research design on a case study, as well as a quantitative data from our survey. Thus
the analysis has been conducted based on primary data created through a systematic analysis of
the response of project managers in construction industry, based on their experience with
communicating sustainability in projects. A quantitative survey has been selected, due to our
descriptive and explorative inference, which we are using to investigate the relation between
2. Pre-understanding
In this section we are presenting theories that are supporting the purpose of this study and
are contributing to the analysis of our data. Furthermore, we are examining who are the
stakeholders that the project manager is trying to engage in the different phases of a construction
project and what communication skills he/she is using to accomplish that. Also, we are
engagement theories, leadership theories that are further defining the role of a project manager in
Good project managers are trained to have good oral and written communications skills
in order to set clear directions and achieve unity and positive attitude in the team. Sustainability
is an important aspect of our lives. That is why more project managers are setting sustainability
as a goal of their projects. They contribute to that by integrating sustainability into their
corporate communication, marketing, annual reports and their actions (Silvius, 2015). The
sustainable development of a team that can last and learn how to deal with obstacles on their own
both personal and professional development. Team leaders will be influenced by the coaching
and counseling skills of the team leader and when the team leader is a positive role model. These
insights can help employees improve their own communication skills. Strong team
communication skills can also help team members learn how to manage conflict on their own.
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According to Grensing Pophal (2011), we have a tendency to avoid conflict, and by learning how
to respond to conflict in positive ways, both employees and companies can benefit.
in order to deliver better project results. For example stakeholder identification is a critical
component of the initial scoping phase and should occur before an engagement plan is
formulated and consultations begin. As each stakeholder usually has their own interest in the
project which may cause different priorities, conflicts and dramatically increase the complexity
of the situation (Karlsen et.al, 2008). If a project manager learns how to manage the different
stakeholder engagement processes it can help all stakeholders to reach the goal of the project that
can be to increase quality of life, while decreasing negative environmental impacts and
increasing the economical sustainability of the project. Stakeholder engagement should therefore
be taken as a core element of any “sustainable development” plan. Furthermore, the success of
a construction projects relies on meeting the needs and expectations of stakeholders (Cleland,
1995). The ability of a project manager to manage relationships with stakeholders can help to
deal with changing stakeholder needs. Furthermore, this ability will allow a PM to respond more
efficiently to the difficulties that may arise or issues that need to be resolved. Therefore a project
is more likely to be successful in the long term, if it takes into consideration the needs of all
stakeholders.
how it will contribute to the interests of the company (Deloitte & Touche, 1992). After all
sustainability is not just something nice to do for the people and the environment, but also needs
to be aligned with the economic purpose of the business. According to the Triple Bottom Line,
the social, environmental and financial aspects of a business need to be taken into consideration,
15
so maximum economical value can be achieved (Elkington, 1994). Only through effective and
thorough communication can these aspects be addressed properly and play a role in achieving a
sustainable solution for the business. Therefore in the context of sustainability it is essential to
successfully communicate the goal of a project, because a sustainable project has to be accepted
According to Werther and Chandler (2011), stakeholders have been identified as key
elements of an organization’s environment and can affect and are also affected by the
achievement of the organization’s objectives. To illustrate that they divided the stakeholders into
(suppliers, clients, end users, competitors) and societal (government, regulators) see fig.(Werther
& Chandler, 2011). In the construction industry the project manager needs to communicate
effectively in order to reach the goals of the project. However, he or she has to consider different
aspects and approaches when communicating with the key stakeholders. In this section, we will
that can benefit the most from effective communication with the project manager and we will
give examples, by describing their characteristics and what the project manager has to consider
The communication skills of a project manager are critical for ensuring the success of the team
effort, whether the team is charged with coming up with a new product or service, making
17
improvements, or planning an event. Strong team communication skills can help build
relationships, ensure the creation of new ideas (Contemporary Project Management, 2011).Team
Teams come in many different configurations and are tasked with performing different types of
objectives. A project manager may encounter different type of competent subordinates, but in
order to ensure an effective team performance from them, he or she has to know them very well
(Cox et al., 1991). A project manager has to know how to manage cultural differences. The
knowledge of the different cultural backgrounds of the project manager’s followers can ensure
an advantage when directing the team. After all a good leader knows his/her followers strengths
and weaknesses, so he or she can get the most of their competencies in a project.
According to Caproni (2011), good project managers enhance communication across cultures not
which can contribute to the development of a sustainable team. That way they show respect,
avoid misunderstandings and build common ground. Caproni (2011) also argues that men and
women have different communication styles, like for example men are more likely to express
Studies on communication in the construction industry are usually focused on the briefing of the
goals of the project and construction processes. During these processes, builders often experience
changes in information that can create misunderstanding and distort the time frame (Higgin and
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Jessop, 1965). On the other hand building clients and users sometimes are presented unclear
visualization techniques (Barrett and Stanley, 1999) that can cause confusion and building clients
and architects rely on implicit cost information that quantity surveyors gave them (Bowen and
Edwards, 1996).
The aim of communication is to ensure that the receiver reacts in the way the sender expects
(Feldberg, 1975). E-mail and web-based communication through the internet are the most
common way for fast and easy exchange of information, but they have limited opportunities to
influence receivers' responses. That is why the constant use of technologies for communication,
may become a threat to receivers who are unable to respond immediately due to lack of
Clowes (2000) argues, that lack of information is a significant factor, which contributes to poor
knowledge sharing and poor communication between different parties can cause problems, such
as allocating the right problem to the right contractor and simultaneous handling of data (Ali et
al., 2002). Having these factors in mind, communication to clients is central, in order to
understand and set clear goals of a project, that will meet the expectations of clients.
Construction projects are dependent on the quality and price of the materials that are provided by
outside suppliers. For example if the wood, nails, bricks, concrete etc. are not according to the
necessary specifications of the building, it can lead to quality control problems. Furthermore, if
19
the materials from outside suppliers are delivered late, are in short supply or of poor quality, then
the price of the project may rise from the original prediction, the project will be delayed and it
Depending on the complexity of the project, managing contractor and supplier relationships can
take a lot of the project manager’s time. It is something that a good project manager needs to
learn how to do, because it involves a sophisticated skill set like negotiating, managing conflicts
Usually the buying firm engage in supplier development efforts to improve the performance or
capabilities of its supplier (Krause et al., 1998), which are important to examine because of their
impact on the buying firm’s performance and competitive strategy (Krause et al., 2000, Wagner
2006a).
Some of the supplier development activities include supplier evaluation and feedback, supplier
training, sharing and transfer of employees from one firm to another and other related activities
(Monczka et al., 1993, Wagner 2006b). It is important to note, that these activities incorporate
various forms of communication. The explicit part of communication is easily codified and
exchanged, while the tacit one is complex and more difficult to convey (Daft and Lengel, 1984;
Fulk and Boyd, 1991; Prahinski and Benton, 2004; Sako, 2004).
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Project managers that are working in heavily regulated environments like the construction
industry, have to deal with government regulators and departments. These can include all or
role, because in relation to the 3BL (Elkington, 1994), he has to balance the interests of various
stakeholders, which adds extra responsibilities to his role. Therefore, we are examining the
project manager’s role in construction projects using the 3BL to examine his/her responsibilities
considered in the construction industry the operation phase is the most significant. This is
because of the higher environmental loads emitted into the atmosphere, due to the high-energy
requirement for HVAC, domestic hot water and lighting (Said I. et al., 2010). Thus the project
manager should contribute during the operation phase of any construction building. This is
mostly achieved by evaluating properly the energy requirements for HVAC depending on
climatic conditions and the behavior patterns of citizens. Moreover, the project manager should
be applying construction codes and other environmental policies which improve sustainability in
21
the building sector in this specific phase of construction (Ortiz O. et al., 2009). There is a need
for new actions to be carried out to handle the illogical usage of natural resources by the
operation processes, so that future generations will have rational amount of natural resources
(Said I. et al., 2010). According to Majdalani Z. et al., (2005), project manager collaboration
with academic institutions, research and development initiatives are important, as long as it may
utilize technological innovative tools to find better solutions for several environmental problems.
It is helpful when project managers revise the conditions of the rating systems of their projects,
because it is significant to provide conformity with good rating (Delnavaz M., 2012). However,
it is admitted that green building should be considered as a process more than a product, because
of the life cycle that will be perfect in setting out clear sustainable objectives for the project
etc are considered to be the focus of Green Globs and this is why project managers should have a
core role in keeping the harmony between the process and practices (Delnavaz M., 2012).Taking
into consideration the awareness of the stakeholders toward sustainability, the green building
market is growing nowadays. In accordance the role of constructors with focus on the impact of
their construction management practices is brought into light. In addition, the Innovation and
Design was identified and considered as a potential opportunity for constructors to become
preferred and “value-added”. Thus there is a requirement from the project managers of
construction projects, to define their role in achieving the objectives of a project and to adjust
their construction practices to fit with the environmental challenges. It is considered that when
equipped with this knowledge, constructors can contribute to the success of the LEED®-NC
projects and position themselves favorably in this rapidly growing construction market (Syal M.
22
et al., 2011). Referring to Delnavaz M. (2012), project management should take into
consideration the life cycle of a sustainable building and their impact during the design and the
the creation of a healthier and more energy efficient product. The project manager needs to focus
on creating a well-integrated solution during the whole lifecycle, from planning till operation
with new renewable materials and innovative technologies that are aligned with the environment.
For that reason an integrated approach is important in the green building process, through
implementing an integrated design and operators, along with the need for the stakeholders of the
their working processes and strategies within urban construction projects. It should accomplish
different purposes that alter with the type of the project, social and cultural context (Colantonio
A., Dixon T., 2009). Furthermore, Colantonio and Dixon (2009), advise to integrate social
responsible investment policies in the building environment, urban regeneration and to develop
monitoring system that add a valuable scheme for determining the significant dimensions of
(2012), is the potential pollution that results from the construction activities, which concerns the
society, especially those who are not considered as a direct stakeholder like the neighborhood for
example ( noise, vibration and vaporous discharge are the most significant issues the
neighborhood experiences). For minimizing this potential pollution, the risks should be identified
and the action should be taken (Pitt, Tucker, Riley, & Longden, 2009). The main contractor and
project manager should assure, that the pollution from construction activities is minimized by
defining certain strategies that takes the society into consideration (Delnavaz M., 2012).
23
The project manager’s main objective within the economical dimension of a certain
business, is to increase its profit. In line with the sustainable implementations, it should also
minimize the cost. This can happen when the environmental and economical sustainability issues
are considered during the project design phase. In the same can, the satisfaction of the customers
or the economical stakeholders are hard to be adjusted, because it is important for the
achievement of social sustainability (Said I. et al., 2010). From another view companies,
individuals and organizations run business for the sake of making profit. Correspondingly there
is a broad interest for the cost indications of sustainable construction and the urgency to balance
economic and environmental factors in their practices. Main problems include the costs for
owners and developers of managing more complex planning and building control systems, that
directly raise the cost of the design and construction stages, the cost for industry to take up to
new building technologies and for users for obtaining or renting buildings constructed by higher
standards (Majdalani Z. et al., 2005). In addition to that, green building in the construction
industry refers to the energy saving and operation of engineering cost management and therefore,
can be integrated into the economic benefits of green buildings. This is where Majdalani Z. et al.
(2005) highlight the life cycle cost model and suggests to be used by project managers, in order
to improve this benefit. Introducing the life cycle cost model into project management, enables
the ability to manage the stresses of construction cost. To conclude in building projects
investment decision phase, should integrate sustainable development concepts into the economic
All these responsibilities can be very taxing in terms of time and money for the PM and the
organization. That is why organizations are trying to hire experienced PMs that have developed
their skills over time and know how to lead by example in order to get the most out of their team.
Leaders are needed in different projects to give directions, inspire their followers and
create teamwork in order to address these challenges (Adair, 2002). In a construction project, the
project manager has a distinctive role as a leader, since he has the responsibility to drive the
whole project team towards its goals and objectives with the use of limited resources supplied
According to Sheard and Kakabadse (2004), the leadership roles of a leader vary along with
performing-adjourning. Construction project teams also follow this basic linear sequence of the
despite some specific situations where this sequence could be deviated (Cornick and Mather,
These explanations can be related to situational leadership theory. As said by Northouse (2007),
situational leadership which was developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1969) focuses on
leadership in situations where different situations demand different kinds of leadership. The
situational leadership theory suggests that even though there could be a specific leadership role
which is required per each stage based on team behaviors, it has a possibility of deviating due to
Since construction work requires team efforts, leadership should have great impact on the
performance of construction work (Odusami et al., 2003). As stated by Cornick and Mather
(1999), motivating team members to perform to the best of their ability and inspiring them to co-
operate, is a major key to success in the management of a construction project. They further
explain that, with the rise of "project management" as a required service in construction, this task
with a certain situation to achieve goals (Galvin et al., 2014). Moreover, Galvin et al. (2014)
stated that project managers in different fields require a specific leadership style in order to
execute their project effectively and successfully. On the other hand each leader uses certain
management’s techniques to execute the project management process. “Effective Leaders are
differentiated from other leaders through the exercise of a relatively small range of skill or
In general, the project manager can be practical and effective through exercising analytical
thinking skills, fitting to different type of projects and environments, and being elastic to a
Despite the type of industry, leadership styles and skills determine the person, the leader and the
success and effectiveness this leader will have in their projects (Galvin et al., 2014).
26
Zulch B. (2014) stated that effective projects require three levels of communications:
According to Barrett (2006b), these skills expand from core strategy development, effective
writing and speaking to using these skills in more complex situations. Furthermore, as a project
develops, the project manager will have to improve his/her core communication skills, in order to
become more effective in communication with the different stakeholders. Barrett (2006b)
emphasizes that as manager advances to higher levels in the organization; the communication
becomes more complex and more demanding. However, the framework is not meant to suggest a
Core communication - the core skills that the project manager should have at the core. All
effective communication depends on the core skill at the centre of the spiral and they are
the individual skills of the leader. Examples for core communications skills include
strategic writing and speaking. Good project managers need to know how to structure and
write documents and how to correspond with the stakeholders using email, telephone or
in person. Depending on that they will make good and clear proposals or reports and we
Managerial communication skills or the competencies that are build based on the core
skills and more involved in managing and interacting with others. If a project manager is
interact with individuals and manage groups. An example for effective managerial
27
communication is the ability of a project manager to listen. This skill is essential for
managers, because they need to pay attention to what others are saying
Corporate communication skills that is more complex and deals with the internal and
move into position where they have to communicate with internal and external
stakeholders. These skills might be best explained as the ability of a project manager to
be a leader. Effective communication depends on leadership’s style for leading the team
and external stakeholders. Project managers’ leading shapes them as the face of the
Barrett, 2006a:5
28
development with their use of different communication skills (Zulch B., 2014). Which means
that he needs to know exactly at which phase of the project he needs to use the most effective
communication skills for the situation and to know which stakeholder to engage.
Projects are characterized by a set of process that also includes sub-processes, which need
time and results in deliverables and often some tasks need to be done before others. Moreover,
different resources are needed for each task. These processes are classified and arranged
depending on its task description and deliverables into phases (Cobb, A. T. 2012). Cobb (2012)
1-Project Initiation: the phase in which a project’s key stakeholders first meet to specify the
blueprint of a project.
2-Project Launch: the phase in which the real work on the project is start.
3-Project Planning: the phase in which very precise and complicated planning is done to achieve
a wide range of project specifics, resulting in the generation of a project schedule and plan.
4-Project Execution: the phases in which tasks are assigned to team members and most of the
5-Project Closing: the phase in which the final outcome or product is delivered to the client.
29
3. Methods
In this chapter we are giving an overview of the specific methods that we used in the
study to gather the necessary data that will address the purpose of this research. In this chapter
we are describing the in details the methods that we used and will provide an overview of the
The population frame for the study consists of project managers who are working in the
construction industry from different countries (Sweden, Africa, UAE, KSA, Lebanon, Qatar,
Canada, and UK). We developed a questionnaire for them, which aimed to examine what
communication skills they are using with what stakeholders, during each of the 5 phases of the
project. Project managers in the study were asked about their awareness regarding sustainability
and if their projects are implementing sustainability or not. Depending on the awareness
are expected to show us what are the stakeholders they engage and how do they use their
communication skills during the five phases of the construction project. According to Hair et al.
(2006), at least from 1 to 10 respondents are required for a sample study. However, we received
26 responses from project managers on our survey, which is considered sufficient. Before
sampling we divided the responses into homogeneous groups (high awareness PM group and low
The primary data was collected through questionnaire survey and distributed online via emails to
project managers. Project managers were notified in the emails that their answers are kept
30
anonymous. The main purpose of the survey is to know what are the stakeholders project
managers engage and what are the communication skills the project managers use during the five
phases of the construction project. Also, we wanted to compare the results between project
managers who are aware about sustainability and implementing sustainability in their projects
and those who are aware and not implementing sustainability. The questionnaire is divided into 6
sections. A 6-point Likert scale is used in each question. Responses ranged from 0-2 were
considered low (awareness, implementation, engagement or use) and others ranged from 3-6
were considered high (awareness, implementation, involvement or use). Regarding the variables,
the stakeholders’ definitions were adopted from Werther and Chandler (2011), the
communication skills from Zulch (2014) and the phases of the project from Cobb (2012). The
first section of the survey is examining the level of sustainability awareness for project managers
current projects they are directing. Sections from 2 till 6 explore the level of involvement (high
or low involvement) of the stakeholders (organizational, economical and societal) and the
communication skills used (high or low use) in each phase of the construction project (phase 1:
Project Initiation, phase 2: Project Launch, phase 3: Project Planning, phase 4: Project Execution
In the survey we gave a brief definition for many concepts (i.e. Sustainability, organizational
communication and corporate communication) in order to share the same understanding and to
make sure that all project managers have a similar and a common background. Moreover, we
provide a brief definition for the phases of the project in the survey.
31
Data coding is done in order to decide whether the gathered information can be
categorized in a way that is relevant to the research question (6 & Bellamy, 2012). For our
database this means we will collect all information that is relevant to Project managers that are
aware about sustainability in their projects and will divide them in two groups. The first group
will be project managers that are implementing sustainability in their projects and we will
compare them with the other group that is project managers that are not implementing
stakeholders throughout the five phases of a project and we will see if there is difference. It is
important that we standardize data in a way that makes results comparable. On our 6-point
Likert scale the answers that are ranging between 0-2 will be considered with low value to the
relation of our research question and the questions between 3-5 will be with high value to our
research question and thus will be the ones that we will focus on.
Data organization deals with how data is managed to make it more accessible and easier to
analyze (6 & Bellamy, 2012). The information that we gathered from our survey will be stored in
our own data matrix in excel format. In later stages of the thesis we will tabulate results to
Data analysis refers to the manipulation of data to answer the research question (6 & Bellamy,
2012). Our quantitative data will be analyzed using SPSS for the correlation analysis between the
32
communication skills and the stakeholders. Also, excel data analysis tools will be used for the
comparison between the different groups of PMs, in order to create an overview on the
sustainability and PMs that are not focusing on the implementation of sustainability in their
projects.
3.3.1 Reliability
According to 6 and Bellamy (2012), reliability is related to how we measure what we are
interested in. Thus, a reliable system would be that one that every time it is used on the same
data, it provides the same measure. As a result, in the above paragraphs, we have made concrete
all of the process of data collection and analysis to make this research reproducible and reliable.
3.3.2 Validity
Validity is considered the degree to which our statements approximate to truth (6 and
Bellamy, 2012). In order to measure if we are collecting what is relevant to our study, the
validity of our primary data can be analyzed on four different levels along the research:
theoretical concepts (6 & Bellamy, 2012). For example, to make sure each of the
performance items are latent indicators of the underlying concept performance, we will
Measurement validity: refers to the extent that these measurements allow us to attribute
values (6 & Bellamy, 2012). Since our data comes from trustable sources and we use
Internal validity: address the extent to which we can show that something we claim is
really true (6 & Bellamy, 2012). The size of our sample is 26 respondents, which clearly
is not big enough to make a specific conclusion based on our results. However, our study
is explorative and as such, we observe the general perception of PMs on how they operate
in their entire project. This is something normal and shouldn’t make a big difference, as
the PMs are trying to follow a pattern that is working the best for them in most cases.
This will give us a good ground to compare the results and using theories, to come up
with a good interpretation of the reasons behind the behavior of our respondents, even
though we are limited by a smaller sample. Nevertheless we wish to stress that we hold a
External validity: is concerned with the fact whether findings also hold true in other
settings and contexts (6 & Bellamy, 2012). While our goal is to demonstrate the effect of
general, in practice we will be limited by the companies in certain countries and the
different project they operate. To ensure validity all over the research, we chose to
retrieve information from companies in different locations across the world (Sweden,
Africa, UAE, KSA, Lebanon, Qatar, Canada, UK) working in the construction industry.
By choosing different sources we also assure that our data will not be affected by
particular views of the researchers. Because we are aware that our research involves the
34
use of the perception of PMs on how they usually operate, we look at them with a high
level of criticism, to assure that they are valid and reliable before being used by us.
35
1. Data Description
In this chapter we are describing the data that we collected from our questionnaire and we
divide the results in groups based on the level of awareness and focus on implementation of
sustainability in the PMs’ projects. Furthermore, we are using SPSS to check the level of
correlation between the communication skills and the stakeholders in each of the 5 phases of
the construction projects and whether the correlation is significant or not. Finally we are
doing individual check-up on the most picked answers from the respondents that are focusing
4.1 General description for the sustainability awareness and the project implementation of
The total number of respondents or project managers who answered the survey was 26. 23 have
high awareness regarding sustainability (answers varied from 3-5) and only 3 respondents
answered that they have a low awareness (answers varied from 0-2).
Regarding the 23 sustainability aware project managers (who are our target group), 13
respondents of them were implementing sustainability highly in their projects (answers varied
36
from 3-5) and the rest 10 respondents have low or zero implementation of sustainability in their
Table 2. Description for the project managers with high sustainability awareness.
(table 3)
In our survey we got only 3 respondents in total that are not aware about sustainability and not
implementing it in their projects. The majority of this group said that they are highly involving
all the stakeholders in the 5 phases of the project. Similarly, the majority said that they are using
Tables 3 . Detailed description for the project managers with low sustainability awareness in term of the
Description for the 23 respondents that are aware of the concept of sustainability
(tables 4 & 5)
Sections from 2 till 6 of the survey is studying the stakeholders’ involvement level and
communication skills use through the 5 phases of the project. First we took the only sustainable
aware project managers’ answers, then we separated the stakeholders’ involvement from the
communication skills and listed them in tables showing the difference based on if the project
From table 4:
During sustainable projects Organizational stakeholders are highly involved through the 5 phases
of the project. While for un-sustainable projects, Organizational stakeholders are highly involved
38
during phase 2, 3, 4 and 5. The Economical stakeholders are highly involved through the 5
phases of the project. While for un-sustainable projects, Economical stakeholders are highly
And the Societal stakeholder are highly involved during phase 1 and 5 of the project. While for
un-sustainable projects, societal stakeholders are highly involved during phase 1, 2 and 5.
From table 5
In sustainable projects Core communication skills are highly used during the 5 phase of the
project. While in un-sustainable projects, Core communication skills are highly used during
phases 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the project. In both sustainable and unsustainable projects, Managerial
communication skills are highly used during the 5 phases of the project. And the Corporate
communication skills are highly used during the 5 phases of the project. While for un-sustainable
sustainability in their projects and the 10 project managers that are not implementing
The 13 project managers, which are working on projects with sustainability as their target, are
involving stakeholders from all the three categories of throughout all 5 phases of a project that
The majority of the 13 respondents that are extensively implementing sustainability into their
project, answered that the Organizational stakeholders are involved in their communication
throughout all 5 phases. However, the majority of the 10 project managers that don’t have
39
sustainability as the focus of their project, answered that the they are not communicating that
much with the Organizational stakeholders during the Initiation phase that is phase 1, while in
the other 4 phases the organizational stakeholders are involved to a high degree in
The majority of the 13 respondents that are extensively implementing sustainability into their
project answered that the Economical stakeholders are involved in their communication
throughout all 5 phases. However, the majority of the 10 project managers that don’t have
sustainability as the focus of their project, answered that the they are not communicating that
much with the Economical stakeholders during the Execution phase that is phase 4 of the project,
while in the other 4 phases the economical stakeholders are involved to a high degree in
The majority of the 13 respondents that are extensively implementing sustainability into their
project, answered that the Societal stakeholders are not that much involved in their
communication throughout the Launching phase, Planning phase and Execution phase, that are
the phases 2, 3 and 4 respectively, of a project. Still according to the 13 respondents that have
sustainability as their focus in their projects, during the Initiation phase and Project closing
phase, that are the phases 1 and 5 respectively, the Societal stakeholders are involved to a high
degree in the communication of a project manager. However, the majority of the 10 project
managers that don’t have sustainability as the focus of their project, answered that the they are
not communicating that much with the Societal stakeholders during the Launching phase and
Execution phase, that are the phases 3 and 4 respectively, of a project. Nonetheless the 10
40
respondents answered that they are communicating extensively with the Societal stakeholders
during the Initiation phase, Planning phase and Project closing phase, that are the phases 1, 2 and
5 respectively, of a project.
Regarding the communication skills that the project managers are implementing during the 5
phases of a project, the 13 respondents that are extensively implementing sustainability into their
project, answered that they are implementing all 3 communication skills that are Core,
Managerial and Corporate communication skills, throughout the 5 phases of a project. On the
other hand, the majority of the 10 respondents that don’t have sustainability as the focus of their
project, answered that they are not using that much core communication skills during the
Execution phase, while in the other 4 phases they are extensively using Core communication
When it comes to the Managerial communication skills, the majority of both groups have
answered that they consider them vital for their projects and that they use them during all 5
Finally the Corporate communication skills are not considered integral by the 10 respondents in
the Planning phase and Execution phase, which are the phases 3 and 4 respectively, of a project.
Nonetheless the 10 respondents answered that they are using Corporate communication skills
during the Initiation phase, Planning phase and Project closing phase, which are the phases 1, 2
Table 4. Detailed description only for the project managers with high sustainability awareness with high and low
Table 5. Detailed description only for the project managers with high sustainability awareness with high and low
4.3 Phases comparison between the PMs that are implementing sustainability and the PMs
In this section we make a comparison between the project managers that are aware of the concept
of sustainability and are implementing extensively sustainability in their projects (13) and the
project managers that are not aware about sustainability and are not focusing at all on
implementing it in their projects (3). The comparison is made based on the respondents answers
for their behavior in regards to communication during the different phases of a project. That is
Phase 1 - In this phase the majority of the respondents from both groups are extensively using
Core, managerial and corporate communication skills while communicating with stakeholders
Phase 2 - In this phase the majority of the respondents from both groups have answered that they
are using extensively all 3 communication skills, while interacting with stakeholders from all 3
categories.
Phase 3 - In this phase the majority of the respondents from both groups have answered that they
are communicating extensively with the Organizational and Economical stakeholders, while the
3 respondents that are not aware about sustainability and are not trying to implement it are also
43
communicating with the Societal stakeholders and the 13 respondents that are aware about the
concept of sustainability and are focusing on implementing it into their projects, are not
communicating that much with the Societal stakeholders. When it comes to communication
skills, both groups are extensively using all 3 communication skills to interact with the
Phase 4 - Exactly like in phase 3, the majority of the respondents from both groups, have
answered that they are communicating extensively with the Organizational and Economical
stakeholders, while the 3 respondents that are not aware about sustainability and are not trying to
implement it are also communicating with the Societal stakeholders and the 13 respondents that
are aware about the concept of sustainability and are focusing on implementing it into their
projects are not communicating that much with the Societal stakeholders. When it comes to
communication skills, both groups are extensively using all 3 communication skills to interact
Phase 5 - In this phase the majority of the respondents from both groups are extensively using
Core, Managerial and Corporate communication skills while communicating with stakeholders
from all 3 categories. However, around 45% of the 13 respondents that are aware of the concept
of sustainability and are focusing on implementing it into their projects, have answered that they
are not involving the Economical stakeholders that much in their communication during this
phase.
44
4.4 Correlation description between stakeholders and communication skills in each phase
In this section we used SPSS in order to check if there is a correlation between the each
of the stakeholders and each of the communication skills in each phase of the project.
The table below contains a summary for all the correlations we found during the SPSS
correlation analysis, noting that the marked yellow cells represent the significant results only.
·Correlation combined with negatively means that there exists an opposite relationship between
the 2 factors.
In phase 1 we found that all the insignificant correlations between the stakeholders and the
communication skills are negatively weak, very weak and weak. On the other hand, we found
moderate significant correlations between the economical stakeholder and both the managerial
In phase 2 we also found that all the insignificant correlations between the stakeholders and the
communication skills are negatively weak, very weak and weak. On the other hand, we found a
moderate significant correlations between the organizational stakeholder and both the core and
the managerial communication skills. And a strong significant correlation between the
In phase 3 we found that all the insignificant correlations between the stakeholders and the
communication skills are negatively weak, very weak and weak. On the other hand, we found a
moderate significant correlation between the organizational stakeholder and the managerial
communication skill.
In phase 4 we found that all the insignificant correlations between the stakeholders and the
communication skills are negatively weak, very weak and weak. On the other hand, we found a
moderate significant correlation between the organizational stakeholder and the managerial
communication skill. And another moderate significant correlation between the economical
Finally in phase 5 we found that all the insignificant correlations between the stakeholders and
the communication skills are negatively weak, very weak and weak. On the other hand, we found
a moderate significant correlations between; the economical stakeholder and the managerial
communication skill and between the societal stakeholder and the corporate communication skill.
In addition to that we found 2 strong significant correlations; the first between the organizational
stakeholder and the core communication skill and the second between the economical
In general all the insignificant results have negatively weak, very weak or weak correlations.
4.5 Individual responses capture for sustainability aware project manager and
In this section we have only 13 respondents who are highly aware about sustainability
and implementing it highly in their projects. We explored the data collected from the 13 PMs
that are focusing on implementing sustainability in their projects and captured only the highest
score for the stakeholders and for the communication skills and we recorded it (table below).
In phase 1 the majority of respondents said that Organizational and Societal stakeholders are
highly involved in this phase 69% and 62% respectively. In addition to that there is a high use of
the Core, Managerial and Corporate communication skills with 69%, 69% and 77% respectively.
In phase 2 the majority of respondents said that the Organizational and Economical stakeholders
are highly involved in this phase 85% and 69% respectively. In addition to that there is a high
use of the Core and Managerial communication skills with 69% and 77% respectively.
In phase 3 the majority of respondents said that Organizational and Economical stakeholders are
highly involved in this phase 100% and 77% respectively. In addition to that there is a high use
of the Core and Managerial communication skills with 69% and 62% respectively.
In phase 4 the majority of respondents said that Organizational and Economical stakeholders are
highly involved in this phase 85% and 54% respectively. In addition to that there is a high use of
the Managerial and Corporate communication skills with 62% and 69% respectively.
In phase 5 the majority of respondents said that Organizational, Economical and Societal
stakeholders are highly involved in this phase 62%, 54% and 54% respectively. In addition to
that there is a high use of the Core and Corporate communication skills with 54% and 85%
respectively.
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Table 7. Individual highest responses capture for sustainability aware project manager and implementing
2. Data Analysis
In this chapter we will draw a comparison between the responses of the PMs that are
focusing on implementing sustainability in their projects and the ones that don’t consider
sustainability as integral part of their projects. We are creating an overview on the differences in
the use of communication skills and stakeholder engagement in each of the 5 phases of a project,
from the perspective of a PM based on our respondents’ perception of their own behavior during
projects, the theories that we covered in this study and our own experience in this field on the
matter of communication processes. Furthermore, based on our results from the correlation
analysis, we are create our own interpretation on what are the essential communication skills that
a PM working with sustainable project in the construction industry has to focus and what are the
stakeholders that the PM needs to focus on engaging the most in his communication during the
project. Also we are further narrowing down the communication skills and stakeholders that the
PM working with sustainability need to focus on, by analyzing the highest given answers in our
survey from the 13 PMs that are working on projects with sustainability at their core.
5.1 Phases comparison analysis between the project managers implementing extensively
sustainability in their projects and the project managers not focusing on sustainability
Table 8. Interesting difference between the responses of PM with high sustainability awareness in term of
stakeholders.
Table 9. Interesting difference between the responses of PM with high sustainability awareness in term of
communication skills.
51
Phase 1 (Initiation phase)- In unsustainable project this might not come as a surprise as the
project manager has to work with a formed team that still has not a clear idea on the
specifications of the project, as an agreement between the organization and the clients is yet to be
from the beginning, because in this phase they are involved in doing the paperwork and defining
the outlines of the project and check the prices of the materials with the suppliers according to
the requests of the client. The reason why PMs working with sustainable projects, might be more
involved with the Organizational stakeholders during the initiation phase, is because he has to
make sure that his/her team know how they can ensure that the project will be sustainable and
that might need some extra coaching and counseling from the PM. Strong team communication
skills can help build relationships, ensure the creation of new ideas (Contemporary Project
Management, 2011). Team members can only benefit through coaching and counseling. For that
reason he has to make sure, that his/her team shares the same mission and vision for the
objectives of the project, as the client in terms of sustainable development. Furthermore, teams
with different culture and experience might have different concepts and perception of
sustainability, which means that the PM will need extra knowledge on the background of his/her
team members and that could require 1 on 1 meetings and team building activities, in order to get
to know them better and ensure an effective team performance from them (Cox et al., 1991).
Phase 2 (Launching phase) – This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the role of a PM is to lead a
team and direct the project to successfully reaching its goals. This will require an extra attention
to the details from the PM, as he has to make sure that the project is off to a good start by
52
establishing the goals of the project and its limitations, while making sure that his/her team is
producing ideas. At this point the outline of the project is clear and now the team needs to start
coming up with ideas for the development of the project and it is normal for the PM to
communicate with his/her team (Organizational stakeholder) and the government (Societal
stakeholder) to ensure that the project will cover all the safety and environment regulations.
Furthermore, the PM should be aware about the construction codes and should be applying them,
including other environmental policies that improve the sustainable aspect of a project in the
leader is very important because he/she is shaping the face of the organization in front of the
Societal stakeholders. The PM needs to ensure the long term survival of the organization and to
keep its reputation, by representing it in a way that it creates a trustworthy image to the general
public and for that Corporate communication skills are needed. It is essential for project manager
to apply social sustainability assessment framework in their processes and strategies within urban
construction projects, so they can accomplish the goals of the project, that can alter with the type
of the project, social and cultural context (Colantonio A., Dixon T., 2009). The PMs that are
working on projects with less focus on sustainability, are likely that they are not focusing on
using Corporate communication skills, because the PM is more focused on creating a detailed
execution plan for the project team which involves the establishment of a detailed schedule on
who is doing what and when. This part of the project is very important, because the PM is
making sure that everyone knows their tasks and how to execute them, otherwise the project will
be off to a start with many potential risks that will be hard to compensate for them at a later
53
stage. In this context it is only natural that every PM has to be focused on using Core and
Managerial communication skills at this stage for their communication with the Organizational
and Economical stakeholders. Societal stakeholders are not that important for the PMs at this
stage, because they have already communicated with the government, regarding how the project
will be executed according to the laws and regulations dealing with the environmental and
Phase 4 (Execution phase) -.According to Bal M. et al., (2013), project stakeholders who are
directly affected by the execution phase of sustainable construction projects should be actively
involved in this phase. During execution the Organizational and the Economical stakeholders
play a direct role. Project manager should always involve the Organizational stakeholders and
keep them always up to date in order to be ready for backups in case of emergency and to solve
any expected risk. On the other hand the PM should also keep the Economical stakeholders
involved in this phase. For example, it is very crucial to involve the suppliers of the project in
order to make sure that the market is not going to let the project down in term of material crises
or prices fluctuations. In sustainable projects it is even more important to communicate with the
suppliers on a regular basis, as the sustainable materials might have specific characteristics that
have to be met in the project and misunderstanding in the delivery of the supplier can drastically
increase the cost and extend the deadline of the project. Bal M. et al. (2013) also state that the
giving and getting support and working together to establish solutions for estimated obstacles.
This give and take process between the project manager and the stakeholders are considered as a
performance, build reputation and earn competitive advantage in the market. Thus Core,
Managerial and Corporate communication skills should be expressively and actively used by the
project managers in order to approach a common objective and vision with all the stakeholders
Phase 5 (Project closing phase) – It is critical for the stakeholders to successfully achieve the
completion and the handing over of the project basically for economical purposes and in order to
avoid any expected conflict that may result due to discrepancies in their objectives, which could
lead the project to fail and lose their credibility in the market. The presence of all the
stakeholders in sustainable project is crucial in this phase as it assures, that the stakeholders’
goals are successfully achieved under the sustainability umbrella where all of them share a
common mission and vision (Bal M. et al., 2013). Managing communication with all
stakeholders in this phase helps to promote the awareness of the project and make it ready to
manage stakeholders’ growing requirements and problems that need to be terminated. All
communication skills are required during the handing over of the project, in order to make sure
that the project met the expectations of all stakeholders. Core communication skills are very
important to provide the best way of reporting and describing the strategies that had been
followed throughout the project phases. Managerial communication skills are also very
important, because they provide a way of sharing experiences about managing the project so it
can serve as a learning experience for the project manager and the other stakeholders. And for
the Corporate communication skills we can say that project managers should reflect their
leadership style so they can represent the company in a way that helps building up reputation and
5.2 Correlation analysis between stakeholders and communication skills in each phase of
the project
stakeholder and both the Managerial and Corporate communication skills. In this phase the PM
is using Managerial communication skills to listen and pay attention to what the clients are
saying in order to start evaluating with them what are the boundaries of the project.
Communication in the construction industry is usually focused on the briefing of the goals of the
project and construction processes and in this case the PM needs to know exactly what are the
requirements of the clients, because during these processes builders often experience changes in
information that can create misunderstanding and distort the time frame of the project (Higgin
and Jessop, 1965). The PM needs to interact with the clients in order to understand their needs
and goals also in terms of sustainable development and later decide how to manage his/her team
and make sure that his/her team have the necessary knowledge, to ensure that the project will be
with the clients is dependent on the ability of the PM to use his/her leadership style to represent
the face of the company in a way that will ensure the clients will trust them with their investment
in the project. The PM as a leader needs to influence the clients through communication, to deal
with the situation to achieve the goals (Galvin et al., 2014). Furthermore, the PM in these fields
requires a specific leadership style in order to execute his project effectively and successfully. In
this case the PM needs to convince the clients to invest as much as it is necessary for the success
of the project.
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stakeholder and both the Core and the Managerial communication skills. In addition to a strong
significant correlation between the Economical stakeholder and the Corporate communication
skill that exist. In this phase the PM already gathered his/her team and he or she needs to ensure
that they will be productive when it comes to generating ideas. The ability of the PM to
communicate the goals of the project and establish its limitations, through strategic speaking
with the team, depends on the strength of his/her Core communication skills. As we already
discussed, strong team communication skills can help build relationships, which in return can
ensure the creation of new ideas (Contemporary Project Management, 2011). For that purpose
the PM might need to switch to a transformational leadership style to inspire his/her team in the
process of developing ideas for the sustainability of the project. Furthermore, the PM’s team
members can only benefit through individual coaching and counseling for which the Managerial
communication skills are suitable. The PM need to pay attention to what his/her followers are
saying in order to try to help them develop their ideas. When it comes to the suppliers and
investors the PM the Corporate communication skills of a PM are effective in terms of his/her
ability to negotiate with the external stakeholders about the investments in the project and
expected expenses that will occur based on what the project will require.
stakeholder and the Managerial communication skill. In this phase it is important for the PM to
use his/her Managerial communication skills when interacting with his/her team. A lot of
detailed planning for the execution of the project is done at this phase and that involves the
development of a schedule with the tasks of everyone and the timeframe of each task. A
57
sustainable project is a very complex one, so there always should be expected that confusion
might occur. It is very important, because the PM has to make sure that everyone knows their
tasks and how to execute them, otherwise the project will be off to a start with many potential
risks that will be hard to fix at a later stage and will cost a lot of resources.
stakeholder and the Managerial communication skill. In addition we found another moderate
significant correlation between the Economical stakeholder and the Core communication skill
that exist. In this phase the PM is using his/her Managerial communication skills to monitor how
the tasks are executed and eventually provide support using his/her leadership style, that will
help to assist the different needs of his/her team members. When it comes to the suppliers, the
PM should use his/her extensively his/her Core communication skills to correspond with the
suppliers, through emails or over the phone. The PM needs to do that in order to ensure that he
is going to receive the exact materials at the right time, otherwise fatal complications might
occur. A sustainable project is a complex one, as we already said, and that means that the PM
needs to pay extra attention to the deliveries to ensure that the materials will cover the exact
specifications required for the sustainability of the project and that he will receive them at the
negotiated price and on time. If the PM is not careful in these situations it might lead to
unexpected occurrence of expenses and the extension of the deadline, which ultimately may lead
Phase 5 (Project closing) – we found a moderate significant correlations between the Economical
stakeholder and the Managerial communication skill and between the Societal stakeholder and
58
the corporate communication skill. In addition to that, we found strong significant correlation
between the Organizational stakeholder and the Core communication skill and strong significant
correlation between the Economical stakeholder and the Managerial communication skill. The
PM needs to use Core communication skills in this phase, when interacting with his/her
followers, in order to evaluate together what the whole team has achieved in terms of reaching
the goals of the project. It is a process of evaluating what everyone has done well and what can
be further improved. When communicating with the clients, the PM is using Managerial
communication skills to listen to their response of the project completion and see if the clients
are satisfied with the final outcome or if they have requests for further improvement. The PM
needs to make sure, that the clients will be happy with the success of the project and willing to
invest again. Finally when it comes to the government, the PM needs to use Managerial and
Corporate communication skills to ensure that the project will meet all the requirements in terms
of eligibility criteria for the environment and safety. The PM needs to make sure to reflect
his/her leadership style in order to represent the face of the company in a way that helps building
In general, all the insignificant results have a negatively weak, very weak or weak correlation
From the correlation analysis, we can see that the Core communication skills have a significant
moderate to strong correlation in every phase, which essentially proves the importance of these
communication skills throughout the whole construction project, especially the ones that have
5.3 Analysis for the individual response capturing for the 13 project managers who are
This section mainly analyses from the perspective of a project manager, what are the
stakeholders he perceives as the most important to be involved during each phase. Also which
Table 10. Individual response capturing for the 13 project managers who are aware and implementing
In phase 1 (Initiation), the client meet the construction company representative in order to set the
broad outline of the project according to the sustainable construction laws which is normally set
by the government, the municipality and the green building organizations. Using other
terminologies the client or the investor is the Economical stakeholder, the construction company
is the Organizational stakeholder while the laws and regulations issued by the above mentioned
authorities represent the societal stakeholder. From the table above, the majority said
Organizational (9 out of 13) and Societal (8 out of 13) are highly involved during this phase.
While we can see that 6 out of 13 said that the Economical stakeholder is also highly involved.
The odd in these responses is that the PM thinks that the client does not need to be involved
highly during this phase and what they think is important, is to focus on bringing the
construction company and the authorities to communicate, so that the project can boost smoothly
After setting up the project borders and blueprint, phase 2 (Launching) starts in which we can see
less involvement from the societal stakeholder and more involvement from the other two
stakeholders in the communication process of the PM. It is now time for the company to start
working on the contracts and the offers with the investors and the suppliers. This is clearly
shown in the responses of the project managers. The majority of them think that the
organizational (11 out of 13) and the economical stakeholder (9 out of 13) are highly involved
during phase 2, while the minority of them think that the societal stakeholder is highly involved.
During phase 3 (Planning phase) the construction company starts the real internal and external
work; scheduling, drawing, preparing purchasing orders based on client specification, resourcing
and many other tasks. This phase requires a high involvement from the company or the
organizational stakeholder in cooperation with the economical stakeholder, as they both will
reduce the risks that the project might face in the future. In our survey all the 13 aware project
managers who are implementing sustainability, believe that the organizational stakeholder is
highly involved and 10 of them think that also the economical stakeholder is highly involved.
In phase 4 (Execution), there is almost a similar perception for the level of involvement of the
stakeholders. The project managers think that the organization and the economical stakeholders
are highly involved during this phase, accompanied with the minority who think that there is a
high involvement for the societal stakeholder. In other words, the company starts the real
execution on site with the follow up of the client in term of inspections and regular meetings and
the continued coordination with the suppliers in order to create a safe construction environment
During phase 5 (Project closing) the handing over of the project starts. That means all the project
stakeholders who participated in the completion of the project should be available to finalize
their tasks and make all the testing and commissioning to confirm for the client that the project is
performing efficiently according to specification, codes and green building regulations. And this
When it comes to the communication skills, the project managers perceives all the
communication skills to be used intensively during most of the construction projects that are
implementing sustainability.
From the table we can see that in phase 1 the majority of project managers think using all the
communication skills is essential. This is due to the fact that involving different stakeholders
needs a wide variation of communication skills in order to approach a common goal and
In phase 2 and 3 we can observe that the PMs think that the Managerial communication skills are
not that important. In this phase the top management of the organization, the governmental laws
and the green building organizations come together to set the borders of the project. In addition
to that, scheduling, designing and planning work is done that should be coordinated and
approved by the client. This requires communication skills that help to represent the organization
62
in a good light and build up trust in the process. Thus Core and Corporate communication skills
In phase 4 only 5 project managers out of 13, think that Core communication skills are important
to use. In the Execution phase the project is in its critical phase and most of the tasks are running
together in order to reach the objectives and the due date. This tension turns the project leaders
into more task oriented project managers that are following the design and the schedule. Thus
maximum coordination and collaboration between the project teams, consultants, suppliers and
others is needed. That is why the PMs are focusing on using the Managerial communication
skills to achieve goals and corporate communication skills to keep the legitimacy of the process
of work.
In phase 5 we can see that the Managerial communication skills are not the focus of the PMs.
The reason for that is because the main purpose is to create a convenient atmosphere to bring all
the stakeholders together to handover their tasks. This process of handing over requires
persuading skills to approve the completion of work and to ensure the continuity of maintenance
in the long term. The Economical and Societal stakeholders in this phase see the PM as a
representor of the company, because all the certificates and the paperwork is stamped and
authorized under the organization umbrella. That is why it is fundamental for the PMs to use
corporate communication skill to assure the presence of the company they represent..
63
6. Conclusion
This study aimed to explore the essential communication skills that project managers use
during the project phases. We did that by examining Barret’s (2006) framework on the essential
communication skills, Cobb’s (2012) 5 stages of a project and combined these two elements with
Werther and Chandler’s (2011) theory about the Organizational, Economical and Societal
categories of stakeholders. After that we put these theories in the context of construction projects
The research question that we formulated, aims to answer how the communication skills are used
use of these communication skills with the different stakeholders during all phases of a project,
based on their past experience of working with sustainable or not sustainable construction
projects. We developed a questionnaire for them, which aimed to examine what communication
skills they are using with what stakeholders, during each of the 5 phases of the project. The
results were divided into three groups: PMs that are aware about the concept of sustainability and
are focusing on implementing it in their projects, PMs that are not aware about the concept of
sustainability and are not focusing on implementing it in their projects and PMs that are not
aware about the concept of sustainability. After that a comparison was made between the PMs
that are aware and focusing on implementing sustainability in their projects and the ones that are
aware but are not focusing on the implementation of sustainability, in order to find if there is
64
change in the communication process of the PMs, based on their level of implementation of
sustainability. The differences in the answers indicated that the PMs focusing on the
implementation of sustainability are using more communication skills and are involving more
stakeholders in their communication processes, because sustainable projects are more complex.
Our findings provide some indications to answer the aforementioned question. To our knowledge
this study is the first to investigate patterns between PM’s use of communication skills with
understanding of the PMs’ perception and awareness of how they are implementing
wanted to examine how the PM is communicating with the different stakeholders in order to
successfully reach the sustainable objectives of a construction project. Our findings indicated
that the PM needs to engage with all stakeholders during each phase of the project and he needs
to juggle with his/her use of different communication skills in order to meet the expectations of
each stakeholder. This phenomenon can be related to Hersey and Blanchard’s (1969) situational
leadership in situations where different situations demand different kinds of leadership. Due to
the fact that the PM needs to use different communication skills based on his/her communication
with different stakeholders, he needs also to be able to switch between different leadership styles
based on what communication skills he is using. The SLT also suggests that even though there
could be a specific leadership role which is required for each stage, based on the situation there
is a possibility in the change of leadership style due to situational factors which in this case are
65
the demands of the different stakeholders. The complexity of a sustainable project, brings up the
need for a PM to engage more stakeholders in his/her communication processes during each
phase in order to ensure that the project will reach its sustainable goals. For that reason the PM
needs to switch more often to different communication skills and respectively different
leadership styles. What we can’t say for certain are what are these leadership styles, but
nevertheless we know they are using more than one leadership style based on the situational
factors.
Based on our experience of working as project managers in construction projects and the
use of communication during projects in general and the theory that we used in this study, we
outlined what we considered as key findings that support the purpose of this paper and divided
Phase 1:
Organizational stakeholders to ensure that all the team members share the same mission and
vision of the client and can go along with codes and regulation. Furthermore, there is a need to
communication skill. This is in order to approach a common understanding for the construction
environment, so it will be easier to set up sustainable borders for the project. Also Corporate
communication skills can enhance trust and give more credibility for the PM as a part of the
construction organization, so he can convince the clients to invest in them. What the PM needs to
focus on is involving the Organizational and Societal stakeholders in his communication process,
66
as he needs to ensure that his team is prepared to reach the sustainable objectives of the project
and he needs to make sure to know what are the laws and regulations that the project needs to
cover.
Phase 2:
Organizational stakeholders through strategic speaking with the team. Moreover, the PM will
have to build relationship with the project team, in order to stimulate the creation of new ideas
for the sustainable development of the projects. This will need some personal coaching and face
to face meetings with the team. Also it is important to focus on the Economical stakeholders, as
the PM has to establish contact with the investors and the suppliers. Furthermore, the PM needs
corporate communication skills to build trust between the organization and the external
Phase 3:
there is a bigger concern on the green building codes and regulations during this phase.
However, it is essential in this phase for the PM to interact with the project team and focus on a
sustainable planning for all the project tasks. This will ensure the project’s success and will
Phase 4:
In sustainable projects there is a need to focus on the internal team performance through
providing assistance and monitoring the running tasks. Moreover, coordination and collaboration
with the supplier should be taken into consideration regularly to avoid unwanted circumstances
that could lead to the over-expenses and the delay of the project. This is supported by the PMs’
67
need to focus on using Managerial communication skills to observe how the tasks are performed
Phase 5:
All communication skills should be utilized by the PM so he can engage all the
stakeholders, in order to make sure the common objectives are reached, which in this case is
meeting the requirement from specification till sustainable green building codes and the need to
make sure the reputation of the company is up to expectations. In particular the PM needs to
focus on using Core communication skills, in order to bring together all stakeholders to complete
their tasks.
In general because a sustainable project is more complex, the PM needs to engage more
stakeholders in his/her communication processes during each phase, in order to ensure that the
project will reach its sustainable goals and for that he needs to switch more often to different
communication skills.
We found indication in our data about the need of using different leadership styles based
on situations that usually appear in sustainable projects. This is something interesting that we can
investigate further, in order to find what leadership styles the PM is using based on his/her use of
communication skills with the different stakeholders during each phase of the project.
68
Furthermore, we investigated the perception of 26 PMs from different countries across the world
(Sweden, Africa, UAE, KSA, Lebanon, Qatar, Canada, UK). But with a bigger sample and
multiple respondents from the same country, we can also investigate if there is a difference in the
use of communication skills and the stakeholder engagement, based on the cultural differences in
different countries.
69
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Appendix
Data Tree
This tree includes all the data we collected from the questionnaire. It shows the total
number of project manager who responded. Moreover it gives detailed information about how
they answered for the general questions of the survey and the questions related to the
communication skills and the stakeholder engagement throughout the 5 phases of the project.
Stakeholder Communication
Communication skill Stakeholder involvement
involvement skill
High Low High Low High Low High Low
75
11 2 10 0
10 3 7 3
6 7 7 3
10 3 9 1
13 0 10 0
12 1 8 2
Stakeholder Communication
Communication skill Stakeholder involvement
involvement skill
High Low High Low High Low High Low
11 2 9 1
10 3 10 0
5 8 1 9
10 3 8 2
11 2 9 1
12 1 3 7
Stakeholder Communication
Communication skill Stakeholder involvement
involvement skill
High Low High Low High Low High Low
11 2 9 1
10 3 4 6
5 8 3 7
13 0 4 6
13 0 10 0
12 1 4 6
Stakeholder Communication
Communication skill Stakeholder involvement
involvement skill
76
Organizati
0 0 2 1
onal
Economica
0 0 2 1
l
Societal 0 0 2 1
Core 0 0 3 0
Managerial 0 0 2 1
Corporate 0 0 3 0
1. From 0-5 rate your awareness about sustainability in relation to the above mentioned
definition.
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
Initiation Phase
Is the phase in which a project’s key stakeholders first come together to define the broad
outlines of a project.
Stakeholders involvement
From 0-5 rate how much the following stakeholders are involved during this phase.
0 1 2 3 4 5
1/8
4. Economical stakeholders (examples include consumers, creditors, and competitors. The
interactions that these stakeholders have with the firm are driven primarily by economic
concerns).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
5. Societal stakeholders (stakeholders that constitute the broader business and social
environment in which the firm operates. Examples of societal stakeholders include
government agencies and regulators, communities and the environment itself. These
societal stakeholders are essential for the organization in terms of providing the legitimacy
necessary for its survival over the medium to long term).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
In this section we would like to know which communication skills are mostly used in this phase.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
2/8
Launching Phase
Is the phase in which actual work on the project is begun.
Stakeholders involvement
From 0-5 rate how much the following stakeholders are involved during this phase.
0 1 2 3 4 5
10. Economical stakeholders (examples include consumers, creditors and competitors. The
interactions that these stakeholders have with the firm are driven primarily by economical
concerns).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
11. Societal stakeholders (stakeholders that constitute the broader business and social
environment in which the firm operates. Examples of societal stakeholders include
government agencies and regulators, communities and the environment itself. These
societal stakeholders are essential for the organization in terms of providing the legitimacy
necessary for its survival over the medium to long term).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
In this section we would like to know which communication skills are mostly used in this phase.
12. Core communications skills (strategy thinking, speaking, writing and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
3/8
13. Managerial communication skills (listening/hearing, team management and
development, leading meetings and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
Planning Phase
Is the phase in which more detailed planning is done to establish a wide range of
project specifics, ending with the creation of a project schedule and plan.
Stakeholders involvement
From 0-5 rate how much the following stakeholders are involved during this phase.
15. Organizational stakeholders (stakeholders that exist within the organization. Examples of
organizational stakeholders include shareholders, employees and managers).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
16. Economical stakeholders (examples include consumers, creditors, and competitors. The
interactions that these stakeholders have with the firm are driven primarily by economical
concerns).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
4/8
17. Societal stakeholders (stakeholders that constitute the broader business and social environment in
which the firm operates. Examples of societal stakeholders include government agencies and
regulators, communities and the environment itself. These societal stakeholders are essential for the
organization in terms of providing the legitimacy necessary for its survival over the medium to long
term).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
In this section we would like to know which communication skills are mostly used in this initiation phase.
18. Core communications skills (strategy thinking, speaking, writing and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
20. Corporate communication skills (involvement as a leader/are you a leader, internal leadership style,
external leadership style, possibility of representing the company face and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
Execution Phase
Is the phase in which tasks are delegated to team members and most of the project’s work is done.
Including monitoring and controlling.
Stakeholders involvement
5/8
From 0-5 rate how much the following stakeholders are involved during this phase.
21. Organizational stakeholders (stakeholders that exist within the organization. Examples of
organizational stakeholders include shareholders, employees, and managers).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
22. Economical stakeholders (examples include consumers, creditors, and competitors. The
interactions that these stakeholders have with the firm are driven primarily by economical
concerns).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
23. Societal stakeholders (stakeholders that constitute the broader business and social
environment in which the firm operates. Examples of societal stakeholders include
government agencies and regulators, communities and the environment itself. These
societal stakeholders are essential for the organization in terms of providing the legitimacy
necessary for its survival over the medium to long term).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
In this section we would like to know which communication skills are mostly used in this phase.
24. Core communications skills (strategy thinking, speaking, writing and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
6/8
26. Corporate communication skills (involvement as a leader/are you a leader, internal
leadership style, external leadership style, possibility of representing the company face
and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
Stakeholders involvement
From 0-5 rate how much the following stakeholders are involved during this phase.
27. Organizational stakeholders (stakeholders that exist within the organization. Examples of
organizational stakeholders include shareholders, employees, and managers).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
28. Economical stakeholders (examples include consumers, creditors, and competitors. The
interactions that these stakeholders have with the firm are driven primarily by economical
concerns).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
29. Societal stakeholders (stakeholders that constitute the broader business and social
environment in which the firm operates. Examples of societal stakeholders include
government agencies and regulators, communities, and the environment itself. These
societal stakeholders are essential for the organization in terms of providing the legitimacy
necessary for its survival over the medium to long term).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
7/8
Project managers skills
In this section we would like to know which communication skills are mostly used in this phase.
30. Core communications skills (strategy thinking, speaking, writing and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5
32. Corporate communication skills (involvement as a leader/are you a leader, internal leadership style,
external leadership style, possibility of representing the company face and etc.).
Mark only one oval.
0 1 2 3 4 5
8/8