Leveraging resilience capacities to drive success in Moroccan megaprojects

In today’s volatile and uncertain business landscape, resilience has emerged as a critical capability for organizations to manage disruptions and sustain performance. This is particularly relevant for megaprojects, which, due to their inherent complexity, extended timelines, and multifaceted stakeholder networks, remain highly susceptible to unanticipated events. This study investigates how two key dimensions of resilience—absorptive and adaptive capacities—influence the success of megaprojects in Morocco. Using data collected from 195 project managers and engineers, the research employed Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses followed by Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4 to validate and test the proposed model. The findings reveal that both capacities exert significant and positive effects on megaproject success, confirming their theoretical and practical relevance. Moreover, to broaden the conceptualization of success, the study integrates Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, providing a more holistic framework that extends beyond technical and financial outcomes to include the enhancement of individual freedoms and societal well-being. Collectively, these insights enrich the theoretical understanding of resilience in project management and offer practitioners evidence-based strategies for strengthening megaproject performance through resilience-oriented practices.