Social housing plays a critical role in sustainable urban development. However, limited research has examined how institutional pressures shape the success of social housing projects during the construction stage. Therefore, this study aims to examine how institutional pressures affect the success of social housing projects in Vietnam.
The measurement variables were first identified through a review of relevant studies and discussions with experienced professionals. After that, a structured questionnaire was developed and distributed via purposive sampling. Data from 175 valid responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
The structural model confirms that all three institutional pressures significantly influence project success. Coercive pressure exhibits the strongest positive effect (β = 0.492), followed by mimetic pressure (β = 0.201) and normative pressure (β = 0.189).
This study advances existing literature by empirically examining how institutional pressures shape project success during the construction stage of social housing projects. It shifts the focus from traditional technical metrics to institutional dynamics in the Vietnamese context. The findings provide policy-relevant insights for strengthening governance capacity and improving project implementation performance.
