Abstract
Developing a comprehensive human resource (HR)-planning framework that corresponds to the variety of HR-related issues has seldom been
observed in existing project management literature. The present study applies a three-step design science approach to introduce a holistic HRplanning
framework. The rigor and relevance cycles in this approach address the HR-related issues in projects and the shortcomings of the
literature associated with developing a thorough HR-planning framework. Subsequently, the proposed framework is being validated by an
exploratory study undertaken at Parsons Brinckerhoff (USA) and BISOL Group (EU). Next, in line with the guidelines of the design cycle for
justifying the use of the framework, a survey is conducted on the collected data from 110 Iranian experts in the construction industry. Using Partial
Least Squares for analyzing the data, the outcomes indicate that ‘Empowerment/Training’ could significantly improve the performance of HRs in
projects. The results also confirm the substantial impact of ‘Quality Assessment’ on the constructs included the HR-planning framework.
Furthermore, ‘Networking Management’, ‘Delegating’, and ‘Reward/Compensation’ are prioritized as the subsequent influential constructs for
effective HR management practices.
© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. APM and IPMA. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Human resources planning framework; Project management; Construction projects; Design science; Rigor cycle; Relevance cycle; Design cycle; Partial