Critical enablers for lean construction diffusion in megaprojects: A framework for sustainable and efficient infrastructure development

Construction megaprojects (CMPs) face persistent challenges, including cost overruns, delays, stakeholder misalignment, and growing demands for sustainability, all of which threaten their success and long-term value. Lean Construction (LC) offers a socio-technical pathway to reconcile scale, speed, and sustainability. Yet, while prior research has identified barriers and success factors for LC adoption, there remains a critical gap in understanding how to prioritize and sequence enablers for systemic diffusion, especially under resource and institutional constraints. Addressing this, the present study reconceptualizes LC implementation as a multi-level diffusion process, wherein the salience of enablers shifts with context, method, and implementation phase. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study begins with a literature review to identify potential LC enablers. Mean score analysis is then used to prioritize significant enablers, while the Fuzzy Relative Importance Index (FRII) assesses their relative significance. Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation (FSE) ranks the grouped enablers. Data from 379 construction professionals in China informed the analysis, leading to the identification of 30 LCEs. Results reveal six critical components driving LC diffusion, with “Resource and Knowledge Availability” emerging as the most influential, followed by “Planning and Operational Efficiency”, “Process Improvement and Waste Elimination”, and “Strategic and Leadership Initiatives”. The findings underscore the interplay of organizational, operational, and strategic factors in LC implementation. By addressing multi-criteria complexity and expert judgment ambiguity, this study offers actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers. It contributes a robust decision-making framework that supports sustainable and efficient practices, paving the way toward transformative outcomes in CMPs.