Green and sustainable practices in the construction industry

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to differentiate between sustainable and green construction and significantly contribute to empirical investigations related to the impact of green construction factors on sustainable performance and to test the theory of planned behavior in the construction context and empirically assess green construction factors and the performance model. The model incorporates green construction factors that link construction activities with suppliers and customers to support environmental sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 120 construction industry respondents were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, which identified seven green construction factors. Two conformity factor analysis models were created to test the relationship fitness of the components and measure the impact of green construction factors on the sustainable performance of the construction. Findings The results provide substantial evidence that shows that the adoption of green construction factors by construction firms leads to improved sustainable performance. The overall perspective of respondents within the construction industry, according to the questionnaire survey, shows that the benefits, such as an improved corporate image and sustainable competitive advantage, increase compliance with customers’ expectations within the construction industry. Research limitations/implications This study covered private construction companies and measured the construction industry professional’s feedback without including the clients. Practical implications The results of this study will support the future success of ecological sustainability and green construction initiatives, mainly on enforcement and incentives; moreover, the results of this study will ensure that regulations will cover green practices for all types of projects and will be formally monitored for compliance. Originality/value The originality of this paper stems from drawing boundaries between green and sustainable construction and exploring the impact of green management on the sustainable performance of the construction industry. Most of the related previous works have used the concepts of green and sustainability interchangeably, and there is a lack of studies in this regard, particularly in the construction industry.

Do environmental, economic and reputational advantages strengthen green practices' impact on environmental performance?

“…Both studies found no evidence of the moderating effect of green practice advantages (GPAs). In contrast, RA was found to strengthen the relationship between GPs and the sustainable performance of construction companies (Shurrab et al, 2019). In manufacturing firms, GPAs were found to moderate the effects of stakeholder pressure on environmental management and accounting implementation (Wang, Wang, & Wang, 2019).…”

“…For example, in Japan where environmental management practices are rigorously monitored, car manufacturers enjoy a higher RA worldwide than those from the United States (Narasimhan & Schoenherr, 2012). In contrast with Ferrón-Vílchez (2016), Choi and Han (2019) and Shurrab et al (2019), which focused on one specific advantage of GPs or considered the advantages of GPs as a single or general construct, the aforementioned discussion indicates that there are various advantages of GPs with a heterogenous influence on EnvP. Furthering the above discussion, the present study argues that the moderating effects of various GPAs and the degree of GPAs are diverse.…”

“…These practices are green supply management (GSM) (Woo, Kim, Chung, & Rho, 2016;Yusof, Tabassi, & Esa, 2020), responsible consumption (RC) (Martens & Carvalho, 2017;Zhu, Zhao, & Sarkis, 2011) and waste management (WM) (Ajayi et al, 2017). With environmental regulations and certification yet to be effective in curbing pollution (Li, Zuo, Cai, & Zillante, 2018;Raman, 2019), and the increasing number of accidents and deaths at construction sites (Dermawan, 2018), doubts have arisen in the construction industries of developing countries about whether GPs achieve environmental goals (Palansamy, Chin, & Tan, 2019;Shurrab, Hussain, & Khan, 2019).…”

“…Studies have acknowledged the three advantages of GPs in the context of construction projects: (a) environmental advantage (EnvA) due to less pollution and waste (Krueger, Stoker, & Gaustad, 2019); (b) economic advantage (EA) due to higher profits and cost savings (Begum, Siwar, Pereira, & Jaafar, 2006;Kulatunga, 2006); and (c) Reputational advantage (RA) due to a better public image (Abidin, Yusof, & Afandi, 2015;Shurrab et al, 2019). Despite the array of advantages of GPs, scholars tend to consider the general advantages of GPs or concentrate on one specific advantage.…”

“…To provide a better understanding of the relationship between GPs and EnvP and ensure the moderating effects of GPAs can be ascertained, the EnvA, EA and RA are regarded as three different moderators. This builds on the work of Shurrab et al (2019) that focuses on RA only. Policy makers and project managers are striving to improve project organisations' EnvP; therefore, these findings will help policy makers and project organisations determine which GPs and GPAs strategies to focus on to improve EnvP.…”