Examining the Benefits of Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification for IS Project Managers and Organizations

Abstract

The project management professional (PMP) certification has gained a positive reputation among project managers as well as with HR managers and recruiters. However, the organizational benefits are untested. This paper examines the business value of PMP certification. The three questions this study investigates are, "What value does certification give project managers?" "What value does certification give organizations? " and "How can organizations encourage project managers to pursue certification?" Content analysis of transcripts from twenty-five structured interviews identified several reasons businesses should encourage their project managers to pursue PMP certification, but many of the benefits are not easily quantified.