Characteristics and perceptions of project management in the productive sectors towards a sustainable future

Integrating sustainable approaches is imperative to align project management with the current demands and growing emphasis on environmental, social, and economic considerations. Despite that, the application of Sustainability faces challenges from two key aspects: the diversity of sustainability concepts, which adapt to various contexts, and the limited availability of methodologies to guide its adoption, monitoring, and implementation. This study aims to uncover perceptions related to project management and Sustainability by exploring the experiences, practices, and perceptions of expert professor-researchers of the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia. The focus is on productive sectors that significantly contribute to the gross domestic product. The methodological design involves developing and implementing a survey-type data collection instrument administered to 55 individuals. Internal consistency is assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the results are analyzed using Principal Component Analysis, a multivariate statistical technique. The study's findings reveal critical impacts and existing connections, including the sustainability indicator and elements to consider for more suitable implementations in the short term within project management. Additionally, the complex relationships within sustainable considerations in project management are evident, theoretically supported but not consistently applied in the productive sectors. These contributions pave the way for future research, allowing the proposed instrument's replication in other groups and sectors interested in characterizing participants' conceptual performance regarding these elements. •The study reveal the sustainability indicator with their elements, connections and characteristics.•Sustainability and project management evidence of complex relationships through expert perspectives.•Future research could be expanded by replicating the instrument to characterize conceptual performance more accurately.