IT project management capabilities enhancement impacts of contingent employment policy in Hong Kong organisations

Purpose – This paper aims to present a summary of findings of a doctoral thesis on the impacts of contingent employment on IT project management (PM) practices in three large representative Hong Kong organisations. It also presents the candidate's experience of the doctoral process in successfully completing the thesis as a mature and experience PM practitioner. Design/methodology/approach – This is a thesis research note reporting on the thesis that was undertaken as a series of case studies and includes reflections on the doctoral experience by the candidate and one of the two supervisors. Findings – The doctoral research findings are summarised and the URL link to the thesis is provided http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:160254 . Important findings about the way that the case study organisations managed the attraction, retention and career development of contingent workers are summarised. The nature of the doctoral journey is presented as findings through reflection. Practical implications – The thesis addresses a poorly researched area, contingent employment and the relationship between project managers and the organisations that hire them. The way that contingent workers develop their skills and how they may effectively engage in knowledge transfer is vital to organisational learning. Originality/value – The paper places its discussion in a Hong Kong context. There are few if any such studies in the PM literature in this region and consideration of HR issues for project managers are also an emerging area of research. The doctoral thesis reported upon and the link to it as provided allows readers access to a highly current source of literature and empirical work.