Managing megaproject mistakes: understanding the importance of megaproject social responsibility for stakeholders

Social conflict is a critical risk in megaproject delivery, largely because such projects involve numerous internal and external stakeholders, including contractors, clients and governmental bodies, whose priorities often diverge. These conflicts are further complicated by the temporary organizational nature of joint ventures, which operate across shifting timeframes and structures depending on either the phase of the megaproject or in many instances, the overarching political party in government. To address this, Mirzaee and Market (2025) have designed a comprehensive framework for understanding and resolving social conflicts in construction megaprojects through the lens of megaproject social responsibility (MSR) behaviors, with a particular focus on domestic construction joint ventures (DCJVs). As noted by Mirzaee and Martek (2025), social conflict is an inevitable and complex feature of megaprojects due to their scale, long duration and the multiplicity of stakeholders with competing interests. Previous megaprojects can be seen to have suffered from a lack of an integrated, leadership-centered framework that explains how MSR behaviors can systematically address fragmented and diverse conflict dynamics.The framework designed by Mirzaee and Martek (2025) integrates multiple theoretical perspectives, including organizational leadership, temporary organization theory and conflict theory. Drawing particularly on the idea that conflicts arise from competition over scarce resources, it is clear that the role of leadership in mediating such tensions is central. Leadership here is not merely a managerial function but a multi-level process involving vision-setting, team coordination and interaction with broader organizational and societal contexts. Through this lens, MSR behaviors can be seen as actionable strategies that leaders can deploy to align stakeholder interests and mitigate conflict. From this position of understanding, Mirzaee and Martek (2025) identified five interrelated dimensions that shape MSR-based conflict management:In order to underpin their research, Mirzaee and Martek (2025) have undertaken an ethnography-inspired case study approach, focusing on a large-scale DCJV involved in the construction of the Tehran metro. From this, they have been able to engage in an in-depth exploration of social and organizational processes that are difficult to capture through quantitative methods. Their analysis employs a novel “telescopic causal chain analysis” (TCCA) to connect micro-level observations with broader systemic implications. This approach reveals how social conflicts emerge, evolve and can be transformed through MSR behaviors. The findings identify 28 factors grouped into five themes – concept, organize, structure, linkage and model – that collectively form the proposed framework. These factors illustrate how leadership actions and relational behaviors can shift conflicts from destructive to constructive forms.The key finding regarding conflict management of megaprojects is the role of MSR behaviors in creating a “social ecosystem”. This ecosystem integrates multiple temporal organizations – such as strategic committees, leadership roles and task forces – into a cohesive system. When effectively implemented, MSR behaviors enable coordination across these overlapping structures, reducing fragmentation and enhancing collaboration. Conversely, the absence of such behaviors leads to misunderstandings, deviations from project goals and prolonged conflicts. While conflicts can often be viewed negatively, it is clear that they can be beneficial when properly managed, as they encourage dialog, innovation and alignment of interests. MSR behaviors play a crucial role in transforming conflicts into constructive outcomes by fostering transparency, fairness and shared understanding among stakeholders. Said stakeholders must be alive to the need to integrate leadership, stakeholder engagement and organizational theory in order to address social conflicts in megaprojects. By emphasizing MSR behaviors as a central mechanism, conflicts can be managed more effectively in complex project environments. The framework of Mirzaee and Martek (2025) highlights the importance of leadership-driven, socially responsible practices in achieving sustainable and conflict-resilient megaproject delivery.This review is based on “A framework for utilizing “social responsibility” behaviors in resolving conflicts arising in megaproject” by Ali Mohammad Mirzaee and Igor Martek, published in the Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management.