Sustainability and management of projects: a bibliometric study

Abstract

Projects conducted in firms and organizations have immediate impacts as well as long-term consequences. The objective of this paper is to understand the treatment of sustainability issues in the literature on project management. The methodology incorporates bibliometric techniques, network analysis and content analysis. The results indicate that the publications are dispersed among many authors and journals. The themes relate to issues such as stakeholders, innovation and product development, with an emphasis on publications in the area of construction. There is a tendency, especially after 2005, toward articles focused on the economic pillar and on increasing participation in social and environmental approaches. In just the last two years, studies with a focus on the triple constraint - social, environmental and economic - have increased considerably. There are significant opportunities for research because the publications are far from exhaustive on this complex subject.

Keywords:
Project management; Sustainability; Bibliometric study