The Influence of Social Sustainability Practices on Time-Based Productivity in Project Teams: A Study on Project-Oriented Companies in Finland

Abstract

Sustainability has become a rapidly growing area in both research fields and in organizations. Despite being a growing area, project-based organizations remain underexplored. This study aims to fill the gap in integrating sustainability into project management. This study is based on how social sustainability practices influence time-based productivity in project teams. Social sustainability practices, such as work-life balance, training, health and safety, diversity, and inclusion, are being explored.

This study was conducted in project-oriented organizations across Finland and focused on the project managers who play a critical role in team productivity. The purposive sampling approach was used for data collection, and a total of 6 project managers from ongoing projects with relevant experience in managing teams were approached for unstructured interviews. Through a combination of deductive and inductive thematic analysis, the study examines how social sustainability influences time-based productivity, and the deductive approach enabled the author to assess based on theories such as social exchange theory, job-demand resource theory, and stakeholder theory. In contrast, the inductive approach provided new insights that emerged from the participants’ experiences.

The findings of this study show that social sustainability practices have an impact on enhancing time-based productivity within project-oriented organizations in Finland. NVivo was used to create six themes based on the participant response, such as work-life balance, training and development, diversity, health and safety, inclusion and workplace collaboration, and clear communication with role clarity. All these themes elaborate on the influence of social sustainability practices on project team productivity and project completion on time. The findings show that the practices that promoted employees’ well-being, such as flexible work hours, remote work, and summer vacations, increase motivation and efficiency. Training programs assist team members to work more efficiently and enhance team capability and productivity. Diversity in a team environment helps in generating innovative problem-solving ideas, enabling the team to minimize production time. Health and safety practices minimize the risks and establish a safe working environment, and the team can concentrate on the project goal. An inclusive and collaborative working environment encourages open communication, idea sharing, and engagement among team members. Lastly, clear communication has reduced ambiguity and coordination issues, hence improved individual effectiveness and supported the time-based productivity of the project.

The qualitative research design, the small sample size, and the project-oriented participants in Finland limit the study to generalization. The study concludes that integrating social sustainability practices into project teams enhances team performance and the project timeline