Background: Project-based organizations have become increasingly important in theory and practice. In these kinds of organizations core activities are performed by means of projects which offer advantages such as adaptability and flexibility. Yet, the project-based work context also bears risks for the mental health of the employees involved. Purpose: The research objective of this study is to enhance our holistic understanding of mental health promotion in project-based organizations from the perspective of individual project workers. The focus is on challenges that project workers face in their project-based work regarding mental health, how they cope with these challenges, and which organizational support mechanisms help them to cope with the challenges they face. Methodology: We chose a qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews and participant observations. Ten project workers from different industries were interviewed. They worked in PBOs in Germany and Sweden. In addition, we talked to four mental health experts and participated in a workshop and three webinars on mental health at work. Findings: High and complex workload, difficulties in achieving work-life balance, and uncertainty regarding new projects were highlighted as main stressors. The project workers use individual coping strategies to deal with these challenges and they find themselves to be responsible for their mental health. Still, social and structural support mechanisms werefound to be crucial, since they serve as necessary preconditions to effectively make use of individual coping strategies.

This doctoral thesis addresses how mobile project workers; technical consultants working in projects, experience and deal with project-based work. The thesis consists of a compilation of five papers and an extended summary. It is based on three qualitative studies including methods like interviews, diaries, and observations. The thesis adopts and develops the conceptual lens of liminality. The results of this thesis show that mobile project workers use four different practices to deal with liminality at work. Furthermore, the thesis develops the framework of “liminality competence,” indicating that some mobile project workers are better at utilizing their liminal positions than others. The thesis also studies how liminality competence is developed and how formal training programs influence the liminal position for mobile project workers. / I denna avhandling studeras hur mobila projektarbetare, i detta fall teknikkonsulter som utför arbete i kundprojekt, upplever och hanterar projektbaserat arbete. Avhandlingen presenterar tre kvalitativa studier som bygger på intervjuer, dagboksanteckningar och deltagande observationer. Avhandlingen består av fem artiklar och en kappa. För denna studie används begreppet liminalitet som fångar den mobilitet och organisatoriska tvetydighet som föreligger i mobila projektarbetares arbetssituation. Avhandlingen utvecklar liminalitetsbegreppet ytterligare relaterat till liminella positioner i arbetslivet. Analysen identifierar fyra liminalitetspraktiker som mobila projektarbetare använder för att hantera sin arbetssituation. Dessutom utvecklas begreppet liminalitetskompetens. Detta begrepp används för att förstå hur mobila projektarbetare hanterar sin liminella arbetssituation och vilka skillnader som finns vad gäller förmågan att hantera liminalitet i arbetet. Avhandlingen undersöker också hur sådan kompetens utvecklas och hur formella lärandeprogram kan påverka liminalitetssituationen och liminalitetskompetensen hos mobila projektmedarbetare.