An integrated systems thinking approach for achieving sustainability in project-based organizations

The growing concern for environment and pressing need for societal well-being require organizations to encompass sustainability in their projects. This study attempts to propose an integrated systems thinking approach to attain sustainability in project-based organizations (PBOs). An integrated approach consisting of viable system model (VSM), evolutionary game theory (EGT) and system dynamics (SD) is utilized to identify key organizational subsystems for achieving sustainability and analyse interaction patterns among various key personnel in PBOs. The proposed models are developed based on the data collected from two PBOs; thereafter, these models are validated through the data collected from eight PBOs (situated in Singapore and India). The outcomes of this study reveal key organizational subsystems that are required to achieve sustainability and differences in interaction patterns among various key personnel in PBOs, for these two countries. This study facilitates project professionals in identifying the best organizational designs to achieve sustainability in PBOs.