Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the critical realism (CR) philosophical viewpoint and how it can be applied in qualitative research. CR is a relatively new and viable philosophical paradigm proposed as an alternative to the more predominant paradigms of positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism. This paper reviews the concept, its benefits and limitation. It goes further to provide an example of how CR is used as a philosophical and methodological framework with the systems thinking theory to applied qualitative research.Design/methodology/approach: A study of project management challenges in a Nigerian government organisation is used to demonstrate a qualitative research approach, which includes a coding process and data analysis that is consistent with CR ontology and epistemology.Findings: CR focuses primarily on closed systems. However, a more accurate explanation of reality is obtained in addition to the identification of contextual causal mechanisms in the context of study when a general systems theory is applied.Research limitations/implications: The knowledge about the nature of relationships obtained in the context of study may not necessarily be replicated in another context. However, this paper elucidates a CR process that is generalisable by demonstrating how a theory is applied in a different context.Originality/value: The paper demonstrates how systems theory is used to understand interactions in a CR paradigm. It engages with CR approach critically and illustrates a clear example of how CR can be applied in social research.

The concept of sustainability reporting is now an essential tool through which organisations demonstrate accountability to their stakeholders. The increasing market pressure coupled with the awareness of the consequences of organisations’ activities suggests the need for organisations to report their sustainability credentials. Sustainability performance reports should provide adequate information on organisations’ social, economic, and environmental performance. However, the current process through which organisations communicate their sustainability performance to stakeholders is questionable and remains a significant concern. This study assessed the current state and direction of research on sustainability performance reporting by conducting a bibliometric literature review of peer-reviewed studies on sustainability performance reporting published between 1987 and 2022. The findings highlight the misconceptions between sustainability and CSR when reporting organisations’ sustainability performance. Furthermore, businesses and scholars prioritise reporting instead of communication with stakeholders. The observed lack of engagement with stakeholders indicates that the reported performance may not reflect the impact of business activities on the three dimensions of sustainability. Rather than adopting a one-way information dissemination approach, this study concludes that the desired performance can only be achieved through two-way communication with stakeholders.

The emotional intelligence (EI) concept is prevalent within management literature and is recognized as an important skill for managers in achieving organisational effectiveness. However, scholars report an unwillingness by the construction industry to fully embrace this concept. This study aims to provide an assessment of EI research that relates specifically to construction project managers (CPM) and construction professionals (CP) through a literature review which involved a chronological and interpretive approach. Findings revealed that, in general, only a minimal number of investigations have been carried out with regards to the construction industry. Characteristics of reviewed studies include a predominance of quantitative methodologies and lack of consideration for both cultural orientation and the nature of the task/activity. It is suggested that studies of EI in construction need to consider concepts applied in social and management studies such as ‘Identity and Culture’ so as to discover more insights on how EI can be trained and utilized. The study offers relevant information for researchers, instructors and CP on ways to harness practical benefits of EI.