Article Gold Open Access 2025

Green project management competencies and sustainable development goals (SDGs): Empirical evidence

Journal of Project Management (Canada)
Journal · Vol. 10 · Issue 2 · pp. 355-366
Abstract

This study assesses the green project management competencies of students in the College of Business at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. This study uses a structured questionnaire to evaluate ten competencies: teamwork, leadership, communication, conflict management, achievement motivation, cognitive skills, adaptability, self-control, negotiation, and social awareness. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cronbach Alpha results revealed that effective communication was the strongest competency, explaining 71.6% of the variance, followed by leadership (65.3%) and teamwork (60.6%). Self-control demonstrated the highest reliability (α = 0.966), emphasizing students’ ability to manage stress effectively. Conflict management explained 48.9% of the variance, while adaptability accounted for 57.4%, reflecting students’ resilience and flexibility. Cognitive skills explained 51.7%, highlighting critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Negotiation explained 63.8%, emphasizing stakeholder collaboration, and social awareness accounted for 50.1%, reflecting cultural sensitivity and empathy. Achievement motivation explained 54.8%, underscoring students’ proactive and goal-oriented behaviors. These findings provide valuable insights into strengths and gaps in student competencies, offering a basis for targeted improvements. Green project management competencies are vital for advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Green project management competencies are integral to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cognitive skills, teamwork, and communication enhance critical thinking and innovation, supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education). Leadership and adaptability drive sustainable initiatives, aligning with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). Additionally, teamwork and social awareness foster inclusive urban development (SDG 11), while self-control and resilience enable effective climate action (SDG 13). By aligning academic training with industry demands, this study supports the global sustainability agenda and Saudi Vision 2030. The study provides policymakers in Saudi Arabia with valuable insights into aligning educational strategies with industry demands, highlighting key gaps in green project management competencies. By addressing these gaps, policymakers can enhance curriculum design to develop sustainability-focused skills, advancing Saudi Vision 2030 goals for workforce readiness, economic growth, and global sustainability leadership. © 2025 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Competencies SDGs Saudi Arabia 11 4 8 9 and 13 Green project management

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Accounting, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Department of Management, Nahda College, Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
Department of Accounting, Hadhramout University of Science and Technology, Mukalla, Yemen
Department of Commerce and Business Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Funding & Acknowledgements
Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, PSAU
Grant: PSAU/2023/SDG/92
This project is sponsored by Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) as part of funding for its SDG Roadmap Research Funding Program Project number PSAU/2023/SDG/92.
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