Considering the social and economic implications of infrastructure megaprojects: theoretical contributions, practical challenges and managerial implications

The planning of socio-economic impacts of an infrastructure megaproject is a topic mainly explored by project management literature, and quite disregarded by CSR scholars. While ethical dilemmas have been explored recently by developing the concept of Megaproject Social Responsibility (MSR), which sets out the conditions under which megaprojects should be realised, little has been done to apply these ideas to the planning, monitoring and measuring of social and economic impacts, especially in terms of process and results achieved. This chapter develops a framework for a comprehensive evaluation of the socio-economic impacts of a megaproject, also based on a pilot study, the Turin-Lyon railway tunnel, which is set to become the longest tunnel in the world. Megaproject management highlights that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot be applied, due to the heterogeneous nature of megaprojects and the stakeholders involved. Through a careful review of megaproject literature, sociological literature on conflicts and Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) phenomenon, and by benchmarking several similar megaprojects, we present an extensive analysis of macro-areas of reference for impact evaluation. This research strives to deliver a useful tool for decision-making process, which can be adopted by infrastructure managers and used in professional practice.