The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted the global construction industry, with widespread project delays, cost overruns, and labor shortages exposing critical inadequacies in traditional management. However, existing studies mainly examine pandemic impacts, while management-oriented analyses linking key influencing factors to project success remain limited, particularly in the Thai context. This context reflects challenges common to many developing countries. This study aims to identify critical influencing factors (CIFs) and management factors (MFs), clarify their roles in enhancing project resilience, and develop a set of construction project management (CPM) guidelines applicable to future systemic disruptions. A mixed-methods design was adopted. First, unstructured interviews with nine construction management experts were conducted to validate CIFs in the COVID-19 context. Second, a structured questionnaire was administered to construction professionals - including project managers, engineers, architects, consultants, foremen, and technicians - in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Statistical analysis identified CIFs and MFs related to successful CPM during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CIFs were classified into four key factors domains: (1) Communication and Risk, (2) Planning and Regulation, (3) Equipment and Transportation, and (4) Policies and Terms Factors. The MFs were also identified into three key management groups: (1) Screening and Site Management, (2) Infection and Health Management, and (3) Social Distancing and Open Space Management. Among these groups, factors related to Screening and Site Management and Infection and Health Management groups exerted the most significant influence on successful project outcomes. This study contributes an integrated framework linking CIFs with CPM practices, providing practical guidance implementing COVID-19 safety measures and enhancing industry resilience against future similar global crises. • Explored the critical influencing factor (CIFs) for management process. • Identify management factors (MFs) for successful CPM during pandemic. • The relationships between these factors to test the study's hypotheses. • Provide framework to resilience against future similar global crises.
Khamhongsa et al. (Thu,) studied this question.