Integration of contractors skills and expertise as part of the people capability of complex project based organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this Thesis Research Note (TRN) paper is to provide a summary of key aspects of a recently completed and passed PhD thesis. It enables readers who may be interested in the thesis topic to gain an overview of that work and a link to the entire thesis through a URL link http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/eserv/rmit:160896/Taylor.pdf . The second main purpose of this TRN is to explain the thesis author’s doctoral journey. Design/methodology/approach – The research approach discussed in relation to the reported upon PhD was soft systems methodology and sensemaking. The approach for the paper is to provide a reflective narrative to explain the lived experience of the authors throughout the candidate’s doctoral journey. Findings – Findings from the PhD are summarised. The contribution to theory about practice, for practice and theory in practice is identified and the use of coding interview transcripts as an additional tool to be used in developing rich pictures is also discussed. Research limitations/implications – The research reported upon is limited to a specific context and while conclusions cannot be generalised they can be used to better frame further context-specific studies. Originality/value – The TRN provides a highly individualised account of a doctoral journey but it is intended to contribute to the growing body of TRNs published in this journal that in turn may inform decisions relating to candidates embarking on a doctoral journey.