The role of project managers’ attributes in project sustainability management and project performance under China-Pakistan economic corridor

Abstract

Purpose Steered by upper echelon theory, this study aims to scrutinize the prevalence of project manager demographic factors (age, education and experience) in project sustainability management and project performance. Design/methodology/approach We used a sample of 209 project managers/supervisor/team leaders who were working in the projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Findings The results indicate that project manager demographic factors have a significant influence on project performance (except experience) and project sustainability management. Moreover, project sustainability management partially mediates the relationship between age, education and project performance while it fully mediates the path between experience and project performance. Practical implications The research recommends senior, high educated and experienced managers for CPEC who promote sustainability and gain high project performance. Originality/value A number of studies have been carried out to assess the relationship between top managers’ attributes and environmental activities. However, so far, none of the studies has paid attention to the CPEC and projects working in Pakistan.

Influence of financial resources on sustainability performance of SMEs in emerging economy: The role of managerial and firm level attributes

“…In the currently turbulent environment, society demands a sustainable environment (Larbi-Siaw et al, 2022). Based on this concept, society expects the senior management of enterprises to act more socially responsibly and contribute more to society than to the company itself (Hashim et al, 2021).…”

“…However, in our study, we use age, education, and experience as managerial demographic factors in the context of UE theory that influence sustainability practices in SMEs. For instance, Hashim et al (2021) state that older managers desire more environmental practices, while Elmagrhi et al (2019) show that younger managers are more environmentally oriented. Similarly, some studies have demonstrated that highly educated managers are actively engaged in social and environmental activities (Hashim et al, 2021; Quazi, 2003; Tran & Pham, 2020), while others have found insignificant links between education and sustainability activities (Yildiz Çankaya & Sezen, 2019).…”

“…In general, it is believed that SMEs with sufficient financial resources (FR) are most likely to be engaged in sustainable and social practices (Ullah et al, 2022). Moreover, some recent studies have reported desirable social and environmental activities in SMEs because of their skilled and capable managers, educated staff, and enterprise size (Hashim et al, 2021;Popescu et al, 2020). Tran and Pham (2020) for instance report that highly educated managers tend to perform environmental activities effectively.…”

“…First, there has been increased pressure and demand from customers, society, and institutions for social and sustainable products (Song et al, 2020; Zhang & Zhu, 2019). Society expects the senior management of enterprises to act in a more socially responsible way, rather than merely emphasizing profits (Hashim et al, 2021). Furthermore, government bodies have also put pressure on corporations as well as on newly established ventures to adopt environmentally friendly and sustainable practices and not just to maximize profits (Ilyas et al, 2020; Songling et al, 2018).…”

Role of Rater’s Knowledge and Experience: Shaping Ratee’s Reactions under the Umbrella of Systems Theory in Performance Appraisals

“…An experienced manager is more capable of adopting different approaches than a naive manager to reach the desired goals. For instance, the project manager"s experience has been established to be a good predictor of project success, efficiency and sustainability in project management domains (Hashim et al, 2021). A manager with more years of service is also more likely to be sensitive towards their team and may be well aware of the currencies attached to the performance of the team members.…”