Opportunities and Challenges for Project Based Organisations in light of Climate Change: A Call for Institutional Entrepreneurship within Project Based Organisations for Regenerative Cities

Since Project Based Organisations (PBOs) deliver projects, their resilience andcontribution towards building sustainable and regenerative communities cannot beoveremphasized. Yet, research on climate change focuses more on the environmentand the people with limited consideration of how PBOs are impacted. This studytherefore reviews how climate change and subsequent demands for sustainability mayimpact PBOs within the UK construction industry by conducting a systematicliterature review involving 28 papers. Institutional theory was adopted as thetheoretical lens. Findings reveal that, as a positive impact, increased demand forsustainability-related services in response to climate change creates opportunities forPBOs. As a negative impact, response to new regulations, upskilling employees andacquiring sustainable materials/products create financial and operational constraintsfor PBOs. New planning regulations, sustainability activists and extreme weathermay also disrupt supply chains, reduce job opportunities and delay projects. Theimplications are that instead of perceiving climate change and resulting regulations asconstraints, PBOs should consider these as an opportunity to innovate and improvetheir project delivery. This is by engaging in institutional entrepreneurshipmechanisms (developing internal practices, values and beliefs) and institutionallinkages through 'causation', 'effectuation' and 'bricolage'.