Understanding Sustainability Competences Through a Paradox Lens: Evidence from Project Management Practice

Contemporary project environments are increasingly shaped by paradoxical tensions – between control and flexibility, short-term delivery and long-term value, or efficiency and innovation – that require project professionals to cultivate a more complex set of competences. This exploratory study reconceptualises soft competences not as peripheral interpersonal assets but as paradox-handling mechanisms central to navigating the contradictions embedded in managing projects. Drawing on paradox theory, we explore how soft competences enable individuals to reconcile competing logics without succumbing to managerial paralysis. Employing a mixed-methods design, we integrate survey data from 149 project professionals across five European countries with qualitative insights from executive focus groups. Exploratory factor analysis reveals seven coherent competence factors and a persistent undervaluation of sustainability-related and ethically grounded soft competences. The study contributes theoretically to paradox-informed project management and practically to competency development aligned with grand challenges.