Abstract
This research aims to determine the impact of project planning on project success using a resource-based view and social exchange theory concepts. This study investigated the role of risk management and safety climate as mediators in the link between project planning and project success. Data was gathered from 263 team members in Pakistan's construction industry. This study employed partial least squares structural equation modelling based on Smart-PLS to validate the direct and mediated effects. The data suggests that project planning has a positive and considerable influence on project success. Furthermore, the findings confirm that risk management and safety climate mediate the association between project planning and project success. Empirical research on the connection between project planning and project success in developing countries is lacking. This study makes an important contribution to the field of construction industry project management by proving that project planning influences project success, with risk management and the safety climate mediating the link. This is one of the first studies to investigate the interactions among project planning, project success, risk management, and safety climate.