The implementation of sustainable practices through leadership in construction organizations

Effective leadership is essential and key to the adoption of sustainability in every organization. The construction industry therefore needs leaders that can develop a culture that supports, promotes and rewards organisational strategy towards sustainability. Leaders should embed sustainability in their organizational activities and make sustainable development part of their overall business strategy. This research examines the role of organizational leadership in promoting sustainable practices in construction contractor organizations in the United Kingdom. The paper explores leadership roles, drivers and challenges facing leadership when integrating sustainability in their organizations. This issue is a strand of work within an ongoing PhD study on the topic, Promoting sustainable practices in construction organizations through leadership . A preliminary qualitative study with seven (7) leaders in UK construction organizations, including sustainability directors, managers and consultants is presented. The analysis of the collected qualitative data revealed that, the leadership role in promoting sustainability in construction organizations include the development of strategies and the formulation of policies. A major driver for construction organizations to pursue sustainability is to win more contracts to stay in business. Surprisingly, increased capital cost or the perceived cost associated with sustainability is still a major challenge to the adoption of sustainability. Another major barrier according to the interview findings is lack of client demand for sustainability due to the wrong perception that sustainability costs more. Such results underline the need for and the potential benefits of committed leadership in the promotion of sustainable practices in construction organizations.