The negative environmental impact of the construction sector has garnered global attention, and as the “primary force” in achieving the “double carbon” target, green development is urgent, and social responsibility practices cannot be postponed. An evolutionary game model was constructed by combining the rank-dependent expected utility (RDEU) theory and the evolutionary game theory to understand the interaction mechanism between participants’ emotions and decisions, taking into account the characteristics of construction enterprises and the public regarding irrational decisions under heterogeneous emotional combinations. The study demonstrates that: (1) there is probability in the choice of rational strategies, and emotion is an irrational factor that can affect strategy choice. (2) The evolutionary trend of the strategy choice of the game subjects is altered by emotional intensity and emotional propensity. The optimism of construction enterprises inhibits their socially responsible practice, and the pessimism of the public promotes the probability of their negative strategy choice. Furthermore, moderate optimism is a safety valve for the public’s positive strategy choice. (3) The interaction of emotional states leads to a heterogeneity of strategy choices exhibited under different combinations of emotions, with the emotions of construction companies having a more dominant influence on strategy. Finally, we make some feasible recommendations for improving social responsibility practices and preventing mass incidents by boosting emotional monitoring and guidance for construction businesses and the general public. Overall, this study provides important information about how to be socially responsible, maintain good relationships with the public, and protect the environment.

The environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of construction enterprises still needs to be improved. Therefore, in order to better utilize resources effectively to improve enterprise ESG performance, this paper explores the configuration paths for Chinese construction enterprises to improve their ESG performance using the (fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis) fsQCA method. It was found that single conditions are not necessary to achieve high ESG performance. The improvement of the high ESG performance needs to be combined with synergistic effects of multiple conditions. The specific configuration paths consist of six types of conditions. They are the environmental goal and management-led improvement path, the environmental training and action-led improvement path, the environmental concept and partner protection joint-led improvement path, the environmental and social level synergistic improvement path and the two multifactorial composite improvement paths. Among them, the environmental concepts, environmental goal and management, environmental training and action, and partner protection are the core conditions. The other conditions also have a certain supporting role. This study will help the construction enterprises to effectively allocate resources and develop ESG strategies with limited resources. It will also provide a reference for the government to manage the ESG performance of enterprises.

Purpose: Understanding the impact of internal and external stakeholders on the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of Chinese International Contractors (CICs) is of great significance for enhancing their global competitiveness and promoting sustainable development. This study constructs a theoretical framework to examine how internal and external stakeholders influence the ESG performance of CICs by analyzing the interrelationships among employee participation in corporate social responsibility (CSR), customer expectations, partner expectations, government regulation, local community pressure, CSR practices, and ESG performance. Design/methodology/approach: By analyzing 351 valid questionnaires, this study utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the path relationships between variables and employed fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify the impact of different combinations of conditions on the outcomes. Findings: The analysis results indicate that factors such as employee participation in CSR, customer expectations, partner expectations, and government regulation indirectly have a positive impact on ESG performance through the mediating variable of CSR practices. Meanwhile, CSR practices themselves also have a positive impact on ESG performance. Originality/value: By adopting a stakeholder-centered perspective, this study advances existing ESG research by revealing how internal and external stakeholders jointly shape ESG performance through CSR practices in the context of CICs. Beyond theoretical insights, the findings are translated into concrete managerial tools – such as stakeholder salience matrices, CSR maturity assessments, supply-chain ESG scorecards, and community engagement protocols – that enable CICs to operationalize stakeholder governance and systematically enhance ESG performance across international projects. Highlights:

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between social responsibility and risk in international construction projects using corporate reputation and customer satisfaction as mediating variables. This study collected 141 valid data using the questionnaire method and used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the data. The PLS-SEM results showed that, in international construction projects, social responsibility has no direct impact on risk but has a positive impact on corporate reputation and customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction mediated the relationship between social responsibility and risk in international construction projects, but corporate reputation did not mediate this relationship. This study also found that corporate reputation and customer satisfaction have a serial mediating role in this relationship. In addition, the fsQCA results further confirmed that improving customer satisfaction is a necessary condition for mitigating risks in international construction projects. In terms of the different dimensions of social responsibility, the protection of shareholders’ rights is a core condition for mitigating risks in international construction projects. This study provides useful insights for international construction project managers to develop risk mitigation plans from the perspective of social responsibility.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the financial performance of international engineering contracting enterprises (IECEs). The study also explores the mechanisms of CSR influence on financial performance from three perspectives: customer, employee, and corporate, namely the mediating roles of customer satisfaction, employee loyalty, and corporate reputation in the relationship between CSR and financial performance of IECEs. A conceptual model and 10 hypotheses were put forward through the literature review. A total of 355 valid questionnaires were collected using snowball sampling. The proposed research model and its associated hypotheses were tested by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that CSR positively affects financial performance of IECEs. The results also indicate that employee loyalty and corporate reputation can partially mediate the relationship between social responsibility and financial performance of IECEs. A noteworthy finding is the insignificant results of the analysis of customer satisfaction as a mediator. The hypothesis that customer satisfaction plays a mediating role in the relationship between the impact of CSR on financial performance is not supported. This study will provide useful references to help international engineering contractors develop CSR promotion plans, optimize CSR strategies, improve financial performance, and achieve sustainable development.

To ensure the safety of Xi'an Metro operation and improve the level of operational safety risk management, a comprehensive evaluation model of operational safety risk of Xi'an Metro based on structural equation model (SEM)-matter-element extension model (MEA) was established based on 4M theory. Firstly, by analyzing both domestic and international Metro accident cases and literature, four risk factor perspectives were identified as personnel, equipment, management, and environment. Secondly, to accurately assess the safety risk of Xi'an Metro operation, a risk evaluation index system consisting of four primary indicators, eleven secondary indicators and forty-four observation points was established. Finally, the index weights were determined using structural equation modeling, and a comprehensive evaluation utilizing the Matter-element extension model was conducted to obtain precise safety evaluation results. The model was applied to Xi'an Metro Line 2, and the results indicated that the operational safety level of Xi'an Metro Line 2 is relatively secure. According to the evaluation results above, the findings align with the current conditions. Xi'an Metro operating company can utilize these results as a point of reference to propose measures that correspond to varying risks. This will effectively reduce safety risks and ensure the safe operation of Xi'an Metro.