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Professional identity negotiation during organizational socialization in the context of solution focused therapy training

Noll, D. (2014) Professional identity negotiation during organizational socialization in the context of solution focused therapy training.

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Abstract:This report describes how employees adapt to a new organizational method by negotiating their professional identity. Usually employees need to adapt to a new organizational method during times of internal- and external organizational change. During the change process employees are likely to experience a high level of uncertainty which organizations aim to reduce via organizational socialization and organizational training in particular. During their socialization period, employees often also experience a certain level of tension due to a discrepancy between individual- and organizational expectations regarding the adaptation to the changing organizational system. Employees try to reduce uncertainty and achieve balance through the process of professional identity negotiation, where the outcome will be the employees’ adjusted behavior to the organizational approach. Due to the great impact of professional identity negotiation on socialization outcomes, more elaborated understanding is necessary on how professional identity negotiation occurs during the socialization period. Therefore, this study examines the processes which take place during professional identity negotiation and the negotiation strategies that employees apply based on the results of the prior information-seeking process and the contextual requirements they have to deal with during their daily work. It will be reported on an existing dataset of 30 semi-structured interviews and ten logbook files from ten health care respondents which were combined with own observations. The data reflects the experiences of health care professionals working with Solution Focused Therapy during organizational training. The results were analyzed by applying elements of a grounded theory approach through which different ways of information seeking and five different negotiation strategies could be identified. The strategies are the result of the negotiation process and reflect the way the healthcare employees are dealing with the organizational approach, involve their clients and adapt to a given practical situation. The negotiation strategies are reflected by five different approaches which are labelled as follows: compliance approach, cooperative approach, directive approach, doing what works approach and commanding approach. The different strategies offer a new way of understanding how professional identity is negotiated while dealing with contextual requirements. Knowing that, organizations should focus more on contextual conditions and barriers during the socialization period in order to prepare their employees and achieve higher organizational identification- and adjustment.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/65691
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