Contemporary leaders and managers accept the reality that their workforce increasingly depends on external workers. However, the organisations they present have management practices, systems, and processes that are designed for internal employees. Talent acquisition, performance management, compensation policies and human capital development initiatives have largely been focused on internal employees. Few, if any, organisations have an integrated approach to managing a workforce in which external workers play an important role. The struggle to reconcile these two realities is an ongoing challenge, with significant implications for strategy, leadership, organizational culture, and workforce management practices