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Making the Invisible Visible: OD Practitioners’ Interactive Drama
In Forming a Sense of Professional Identity
Donna M. Wocher, PhDFielding Graduate University, AU/NTL
OD Network Student Awards ColloquiumNovember 1, 2011
Significance of the Study
• No license or specific degree is required
• Growing number of niches
• Overlapping professional identities
• Scant research on how OD practitioners form professional identity
11/1/2011 2Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Research Question
How do organization development practitioners form a sense of professional identity and what are the challenges and dilemmas they must manage to do so?
11/1/2011 3Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
How is identity being defined in this study?
Symbolic Interactionism (SI)
• Identity is socially constructed
• Interaction or “talk” with others
• Open to negotiation and reconstructionMead
BlumerCooley
11/1/2011 4Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
What kind of professional identity?(organization development practitioners)
• Engaged in activities to solve problems using behavioral scientific knowledge, theory and techniques with aim of making organization more effective
• Conduct detailed analysis and dispense advice, remedies, and recommendations to leaders, managers, employees within organizations
11/1/2011 5Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
What theories of identity are framing this study?
Dramaturgical Framework (theater)
• Actors on a stage– “giving off” signals and behaviors – employing rhetoric and props – using norms and expectations– engaging in surface and deep
acting
Hochschild, 1983Goffman, 1975Burke, 1962
Phenomenological Sociology
• Life-worlds
• Coordinating meaning making
• Typifications
• We-relationship
Schutz, 1970Schutz & Luckmann, 1973Berger & Luckmann, 1966
11/1/2011 6Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Research Approach and Methods
• Phenomenological Sociology (Schutz)– Varieties of life-worlds– Intersubjective and co-created– Individuals are always coordinating actions through shared stocks-of-
knowledge and typifications to achieve specific goals or outcomes
11/1/2011 7Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Key Concepts on Identity
• Socially constructed• Negotiated and re-negotiated• Coordinated meaning-making with others
(we-relationships)• “Giving-Off” signals and behaviors• Using typifications and stocks-of-knowledge
11/1/2011 8Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
What is already known about identity formation of OD practitioners and others?
• Gottlieb (1997)– factors in role conduct
• Michas (2007)– personal account
• Management Consultants• Counselors and Therapists
11/1/2011 9Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Study Sample
Selection Criteria• Minimum 3 yrs experience• Master’s degree • Professional association
Sample Recruiting• Nominations from faculty &
students• Peer & self-nominations• Conference & regional meetings
Sample Characteristics• Eleven women• Five men• Nine internal practitioners• Seven external practitioners• Ten worked in for-profit• Four worked in not-for-profit• Two cited working in both kinds• Master’s degrees (16)• PhD degrees (2)• Years of practice ranged three to nine
years (mode eight)
11/1/2011 10Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Data Collection
1) one to two-hour open-ended interview in person or by telephone
2) picture and/or description of the symbolic object representing their identity
3) attitudinal survey to measure salience or importance of identity (Twenty Statement Test)
11/1/2011 11Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Data Analysis• Recorded interviews were transcribed
• Interpretive method (fundamental meaning units were assigned a code)
• Used gerunds to ensure “how” participants were enacting their identity as opposed to “what”
• Compare and contrast all 16 summary tables (group and code)
• Went back to literature and added additional frameworks and models
11/1/2011 12Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Results and Findings
Challenges and dilemmas left unresolved threatened and weakened commitment to the performance of OD role and resulted in feelings of disorientation and anxiety
11/1/2011 13Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Challenges
• Credible and visible to clients• Define nebulous field • Handle internal emotions related to role
performance• Make distinctions between OD, employee
relations, and training• Paycheck or norms• Age – signifier of competency
11/1/2011 14Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Meaning-Making ToolsTangible (Instrumental)
self assessments, surveys, flowcharts, data summaries, and so on
educative materials and dog & pony shows
Intangible (Expressive) elevator speeches, provocative one-liners, stories expressive tactics ~ commanding presence, assertive
tones, confident directives
11/1/2011 15Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Performance Genres (character types)
11/1/2011 16Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Healer ShamanHealing Something that is Broken
11/1/2011 17Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Metrics MaverickIllustrating Value
11/1/2011 18Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Systems DesignerMaking Systems Visible and More Effective
11/1/2011 19Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Analyst OracleUncovering Core Issues
11/1/2011 20Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Truth Sayer-SageDiscussing the “Undiscussable”
11/1/2011 21Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Self-Awareness AllyCreating Client Self-Awareness
11/1/2011 22Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Performance Genres (character types)
11/1/2011 23Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Performing and Forming
11/1/2011 24Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
OD Practitioner Identity Formation Continuum
Orientation
• Accumulate knowledge• Sell services• Calm internal feelings• Genuine confidence• Minimize or eliminate threats• Provide confirmation• Find niche
Disorientation
• Acquire clients • Sell OD using academic language• Oscillating anxiety and courage• Feigning confidence• Encounter threats to identity• Dependent on confirmation • Search for fit
11/1/2011 25Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Findings• Phases that OD practitioners experience in forming a sense of professional identity
• Identification and use of a variety of meaning making tools used by OD practitioners with clients in negotiating and simultaneously laying claim to the role of the OD practitioner
• Verification feedback from clients strengthened commitment to and the importance of the OD practitioner role while lack of confirmation from clients weakened identity formation of the OD practitioner role
• Conundrum of engaging in unethical work that violated the norms of the field in order to establish a track record and gain credibility
• Clinical Supervision
11/1/2011 26Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Limitations
• Sample limited in diversity• Qualitative interpretation • Face-to-face and voice-to-voice
11/1/2011 27Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Future Research
• Critical moment or junctures (disoriented/oriented)
• Movement of identity formation over the life/career span
• Client perspective
11/1/2011 28Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Questions
11/1/2011 29Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Contact Information
Donna M. Wocher, PhDIdentity FuturesCreative Director and Founder
Wocher Signature Style Assessment (beta)[email protected]
11/1/2011 30Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Donna Wocher, PhD.
Thank You!
Donna M. Wocher, PhDFielding Graduate University, AU/NTL
OD Network Student Awards ColloquiumNovember 1, 2011