The linear construction model is characterized by resource-intensive processes that generate significant waste, whereas adopting circular economy principles facilitates sustainable, adaptable, and recyclable building practices to mitigate waste and conserve resources. The primary objective of this study is to empirically analyze the impact of barriers and drivers on sustainable construction practices and to evaluate the role of organizational culture in moderating this relationship. This study, grounded in Circular Economy theory, distributed 210 questionnaires using simple random sampling to large contractors (501–3000 employees) in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region, yielding 154 acceptable responses and a 73% completion rate. Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS software, revealing that barriers, drivers and organizational culture positively impact sustainable construction practices, with organizational culture also positively moderating the connection among drivers and sustainable construction practices. However, organizational culture was not observed to substantially influence the connection between barriers and sustainable practices. The results highlight the main contribution of organizational culture in supporting sustainable development, offering significant theoretical contributions and practical implications for industry leaders and policymakers to develop regulatory framework and implement strategies that support sustainability.

Saudi Arabia’s construction industry is greatly impacted by rising costs and delays, causing project overruns and high financial pressures. In construction, blockchain technology is a decentralized and secure system that promotes transparency, trustworthiness and effective management of project data and transactions. This research is based on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, which develops and tests a conceptual model to investigate how supply-chain management, smart contracts, transparency and traceability, regulatory compliance and building information modeling (BIM) integration influence blockchain technology adoption, with organizational culture as a moderator. Data from 291 professionals in large Saudi contracting firms were analyzed employing a quantitative, cross-sectional design using SmartPLS. Results confirm all hypothesized factors significantly drive blockchain technology adoption. Organizational culture, acting as a key amplifier, positively moderates all relationships. The model explains 71.1% of the variability in blockchain technology adoption. In order to overcome project challenges and meet Vision 2030’s goals, the results present a validated roadmap for Saudi’s construction sector. The findings show that technical investments and promoting a culture of innovation, collaboration across departments and strong leadership are important for adoption blockchain technology.

Both domestic and international developers are inextricably exposed to political uncertainty and hazards for construction activities on a global scale, either deliberately or inadvertently. Effectively managing political hazards in the developmental sector is essential for project performance, achievement and success. In developmental projects, The Organization Control theory, upon which this research is anchored, applied quantitative methodology with a positivist paradigm using SmartPLS as a statistical tool to take into account the moderating function of governmental regulatory controlling procedures to gauge the effect of political concerns on managing risks in Saudi Arabia's developing sector. Survey questionnaires were sent to the top contractors (those with more than 250 employed workers) with an 81.9% completion rate. The findings indicate that political influences in Saudi Arabia's developing sector have a favorable impact on risk management, which is moderated by governmental regulatory controlling procedures. The connection among political influences and risk management is statistically significant ( = 0.338, M = 0.324, T = 6.185 and p < 0.05), governmental regulatory controlling procedures and risk management is statistically significant ( = 0.438, M = 0.451, T = 8.36 and p < 0.05) and the interaction of governmental regulatory controlling procedures between political factors and risk management is also statistically significant ( = 0.263, M = 0.255, T = 5.339 and p < 0.05). Professionals, specialists and experts can minimize damage resulting from political concerns and conflicts by putting risk management concepts and principles into practice.

Contractors have given importance to risks in the construction process as it causes time and cost overrun, delays and total desertion in activities and events present in the construction project. The uncertainty in the completion time, cost and quality during construction relates to construction risks. One important factor to deal with construction project complexities is active leadership. Present research examines the significant relation of active leadership on construction risk management associated with contractors working in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Based on Organization Control theory, current research (quantitative in nature) discusses the influence of active leadership on construction risk management with the moderation role of government acts, laws and policies among 303 big size company (> 250 number of employees) contractors working in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) using PLS-SEM technique. Survey questionnaires were distributed with valid response rate of 82% using 5 point Likert scale. PLS-SEM is a composite based approach, which provides parameter estimation with high efficiency and increased statistical power for analyzing complex models. It is a causal-predictive method approach in which data distribution assumption is not taken into account for estimation of complex models which contains various constructs with variable indicators and structural paths. Results depict that government acts, laws and policies and active leadership positively influence construction risk management. In addition, moderation of government acts, laws and policies has positive relation among active leadership and construction risk management. It is difficult to control power in term of risk occurrence and low practice of government acts, laws and policies results high level of risk occurrence reducing efficiency of delivery output resulting construction risk management less effective. The reduction in risk occurrence during construction phase of project is supported by active leadership with lengthening the theory by inspecting extensive construction project risk ranges which includes equipment and labor risk, finance risk, design risk, material risk and administrative or management risk making organization effective. Organizational management can reduce risk occurrence within project by building conditions for enhancing active leadership among their employees.