Unravelling the nexus of critical stakeholders and associated issues in construction megaprojects: a framework based on two-mode social network analysis

Purpose Effective management of stakeholders is integral to construction megaproject success. Despite increased interest in research on stakeholder management, there is a lack of focus on exploring stakeholder-related issues (SRI) in megaprojects of developing nations. Therefore, the study explores various SRI in the context of megaprojects in India and proposes a novel network-based approach to identify critical stakeholders and associated issues. The paper also proposes a policy-focused stakeholder engagement and issue resolution framework grounded in global standards and public participation guidelines. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from experienced Indian construction megaproject practitioners through a network survey and subsequent semi-structured interviews. 2-mode and projected 1-mode social network analysis method was adopted to visualize the interaction pattern among the stakeholders and associated issues and analyzed the critical stakeholders and issues using different network analysis metrics. Findings Findings show that issues related to compensation and rehabilitation, legal aspects and public consultation are the most critical and core issues in Indian megaprojects. Stakeholder groups like the project developers and government agencies, project end-users, local community and the general public, project supply chain, management and delivery organizations are the drivers of the critical issues identified in the study. Originality/value This study advances the field of megaproject stakeholder management by introducing a novel, network-based and issue-focused stakeholder analysis framework. By uncovering the underlying issues emerging from the diverse interests of stakeholder groups, the framework enables practitioners to better understand the complex interdependencies among issues and the dynamic nature of stakeholder relationships in Indian megaprojects. Grounded in global policy and project management standards, the proposed framework for issue resolution and stakeholder engagement also contributes meaningfully to the evolving discourse on stakeholder engagement in construction, with implications for both academic inquiry and practical application.