Seyyed Babak Alavi,
Graduate School of Management and Economics,
Sharif University of Technology.
Content
 HRM challenges in project-based organizations;
 Specific characteristics of HRM in project-based
organizations;
 Challenges of HRM in some Iranian project-based
organizations;
 Main recommendations;
 Conclusion.
HRM challenges in project-based organizations
 The impacts of specific features of project-based
organizations have not yet been discussed adequately
in HRM or PM literatures.
 Key features of PBO influence HR mechanisms and
may raise new HR challenges for PBO.
Specific characteristics of HRM in project-based
organization (Huemann, Keegan, and Turner, 2007)
 “Managing by projects” as the main strategy of the
project-based organizations;
 Temporary nature of projects;
 Dynamism;
 Project-portfolio resource and role demands;
 Specific management environment;
 Specific considerations for the wellbeing of employees
and their families.
Dispersement from the project
If there is no project to go to straight away, there
are some other choices:
Retention of project-oriented engineers
and managers
 Research suggest that engineers with project
orientation may possess different values and personal
characteristics.
 Having opportunities to work in interesting and
challenging projects that keep people marketable.
 Employees in PBO build their careers on a series of
projects.
Some challenges of HRM in some Iranian
project-based organizations
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Lack of adequate planning for HRM;
Administrative approach to understanding HRM;
Lack of clear distinction between staff and line HRM roles;
Given the centralized HRM processes (e.g., selection,
compensation), project managers may not possess required
authority for human resource management;
 Limited and unclear delegation;
 Project management and HR competencies must be
developed in relation to the strategic directions of PBOs;
 Leadership crisis given the workload of project
management activities;
Some challenges of HRM in some Iranian
project-based organizations (continued)
 Succession planning and career development plans,
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especially for project management careers;
Lack of adequate acceptance of young staff employees by
project members;
Transferring knowledge from experienced to young
employees;
Retention of knowledge workers;
Internal/external recruitment approaches;
Limited resources that result high stress;
Safety issues;
Work-family and morale issues.
Main recommendations
 Development of succession management plans;
 Development of career development plans for becoming
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project managers;
HRM organization in projects;
Development of work-family plans for project employees;
Assigning some project roles to young engineers;
Training and development plans for stress management;
Development of competency models specifically designed
for project environments;
Development of strong PMOs in order to specify more time
on leadership activities.
Conclusions
 New lines of research and case studies must be
conducted in the area of HRM in PBOs.
 For a long term development of project management
in Iran, we need to develop a body of knowledge of
HRM in PBOs.