Collin, K. (2009). Work-related identity in individual and social learning at work

Collin, K. (2009).  Work-related identity in individual and social learning at work.  Journal of Workplace Learning, 21(1), pp 23 - 35.  Retrieved on June 5, 2010 from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=Article&Filename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0860210102.pdf


Introduction and aims of the study
Dynamic changes in the structure of organisations in response to the economy require similar levels of adaptability in individuals.  Organisation culture presents values and other similar attributes that an individual can align themselves with.  In order to create the framework, a learning design is embedded.  The identity of an individual is clearly connected to their knowledge.  Behaviour reveals commitment levels and responsibility towards the community.  Collin investigates the significance of individual identity and the acceptance of a professional public image, and pays particular attention to studies that show that professional adult learning becomes the knowledge that shapes identity.  Individual identity is constructed of components taken from the environment and professional practice (e.g. research becomes a balance of individual and professional identity).


Social interaction was not recognised as a function of professional learning until recently.  Tacit knowledge is the intangible value of experience and discourse, or what may be seen as linking the identity an individual portrays informally with the identity that is generated professionally.  In a study conducted on engineers in Finland, Collin surveyed the different learning trajectories that four individuals made over a seven year period.


Identity construction and learning at work
Professionals take identity from their job.  As learning is significantly related to meaning making, research is more focused on the holistic measure of identity.  Motivation to align group and individual identity may cause friction when professional values are in conflict with individual values.  Individual learning experiences are recognised prior learning.  Interactive identity building processes are embedded in daily activity.  Content and context is important.  Participation is critical.  These are images embedded in the approval that individuals are subjected to from the environment.  Negative experience leads to marginalisation that affects the individuals mental health and consequent related outcomes.


Identity is linked to group culture.  Within that commitment is the detail of everyday life (e.g. job title).  Committed and dedicated involvement to community practice transforms an individual holistically (e.g. increasing interest and motivation develops as novice equestrian members see the discipline as a profession).  Members whose focus lies elsewhere are unconcerned with labelling, or with performance and achievement outcomes.  A sense of proportion between work and life balances indicate that individuals exercise self-agency in determining their value and worth as it relates to profession and socio-economic factors.


Research has shown that individual identity is strongly linked to the work community.  Shared interest is a strong motivational aspect to learning that consequently embodies identity congruence, or dedication to group values and norms.  Shared narratives represent learning.  Collins approaches this study with a view to understand the value of linking individual and social task-based learning which is an ongoing dynamic process that is flexible.  Social change is a naturally occuring process of interaction between members.  Learning interactions have the ability to change and influence role or function.  Attachment involves concern for the "we-ness" (pg. 2) of the group.


Context and participation
Employees, product designers of a company in Finland, were interviewed in 2000 and 2007.  When interviewed in 2000, the group of four participants made modified versions of the organisations' core product to fit client needs.  All four designers had many years of experience and understood the total concept and sequence of production.  The group focus was on designing suitable products that matched technology in assembly lines and customer requirement.


By 2007, the organisation had undergone a series of changes that affected the nature of tasks.  Cutbacks led to lay offs and retrenchment.  When economic stability was reached, a union of managers bought majority stakes in the company and cut ties.  In the process of reorganisation and restructuring, old systems are adapted to suit the new environs.  Several changes in ownership shortly after caused radical changes and insecurity in employees.


Methods
The first interview was conducted in 2000 to investigate workplace learning.  The second interview in 2007 investigated the construction of work-related identity.  Information gathered came in narrative form, making explicit individual knowledge.  Transcripts revealed individual reflection of role and context that transforms individual practice (e.g. appraisals).  The sequence of self-analysis progressed from understanding the process holistically to micro-management and insight into how learning and identity are symbiotic.


An holistic picture of the participants was created from the transcripts.  Individuals were profiled and categorised according to themes, experience & seniority levels.  Comparisons were made between both interviews to identify progress and evolution.


Findings and discussion
The study highlighted four trends that were significant to workplace learning and identity development labelled "the giving-up story, success story, survival story and readjustment story" (pg. 4). 


The giving-up story - Martti
E.g. an individual joins an organisation and gradually moves into different areas of interest.  For the individual, work rarely becomes routine and a diversity of skills and knowledge develop with experience.  The community network becomes apparent as Martti interacts with other members to gain information about process and function.  Discourse develops with colleagues and customers, and inter-organisational relationships develop external links.


Interaction and experience is perceived as the means of knowledge gathering.  In this instance, the individual did not feel that the experience gained during the years of service was acknowledged by the organisation and understood this to be the barrier to learning more.  In the seven years between interviews, it was noted that employee wellbeing and community spirit had dissipated during transitions.  Significant attributes to good managing such as positive or constructive feedback were lacking, as were appropriate professional attitudes (e.g. the professional distance between manager and employee).  Martti accepts that an approaching retirement, fixed income and contact with a network of peers is what engages his interest.


The success story - Marko
E.g. an individual joins an organisation with the strategy to engage in further development with an awareness of community process and function.  Determination and goal-setting created the path from novice designer at the point of the first interview to seven years later, when managerial responsibility had been assumed.  The diversity in work challenges the individual to improve practice by information gathering and critical analysis of situated activity.


The challenges faced by the individual to accept responsibility for performance leads to a search for knowledgeable networks to facilitate in problem solving.  New perspectives allow the individual to identify alternative solutions to issues faced.  In order to lead, managers are required to envision prospective strategies that enhance group progress.


Although the organisation was seen to correlate well with interest and identity, familial ties were acknowledged to be the main priority.  Marko understood that his value, seen through his skills, were the outcome of personal and professional development making him a prized component of the organisation.  Leaving an organisation was not seen as the end of network connections as a sense of community no longer resides purely within the community.  Companies are seen merely as sources of income.


The survival story - Tero
E.g. an individual with a long history of service to the organisation who had the opportunity to direct his career path, stopping only when preference in working with customer service in-house, and with other organisations, was recognised.  Strong interpersonal skills were developed and substantiated during ownership transitions.


Information and experience is gained from dynamic and knowledgeable peer and customer interaction.  Networks become a source of reference.  With experience and observation, Tero understands that fluency in work depends on a variety of conditions that are beyond an individuals sphere of influence.  Cummulative knowledge incorporates a variety of skills that are often neglected in the support group function, and is especially noticeable during turmoil where transition results in less than successful outcomes.  Commitment to learning is deactivated.


However, when commitment to community and job is high, indications are that learning will proceed with relevant community intervention (e.g. potential to transition).  High mental workload necessitated Tero taking compassionate leave to analyse and develop an interest outside of work.  Despite the many years of experience, leaving the organisation for another is not viewed as appealing.  Building new relationships is considered problematic, and the specific knowledge gained within one community may not be valued at another.  Rather, Tero preferred to be acknowledged by the organisation in the same way that he acknowledges the community and group members.


The readjustment story - Antti
E.g. Antti joined the community in product development and moved to work in specialist sales support by the second interview.  An identifiable skill is Antti's ability and nature in working with people and problem solving.  A comparison between the two jobs indicates that the latter is less cognitively taxing, but involves more consideration of scheduling.


Antti described the process of learning as information gathering from experience, developing new skills and self-verification.  However, Antti views organisational learning as inhibiting and critiques group dissemination process.  Being present when information is dispersed to all groups raises issues in logistics.  Antti's competence as a trainer had not been recognised, thus the benefits and responsibilities for in-house training of group members were under-investigated.


For Antti, work is significant in that it is personally satisfying and provides the means to support a family and hobbies that are regarded as a higher priority.  The only reason expressed for abandoning the community would be for a job that was considered more interesting.  A prevailing pessimistic ambience is a reminder that change has effected a lack of leadership qualities in managers.  Commitment to work extends as far as achieving personal satisfaction unless reciprocal commitment to developing employees builds up trust.


Summary of the findings
Perspectives of learning and development are evaluate of the commitment to career objectives that an individual holds.  Negative outcomes of transition include reduced employee motivation to develop through learning, reflected in overt behaviour.  Perception of role and identity are displayed during interaction.  While organisational change may cause instability, a sense of belonging enhances social and group learning.  As transformation within the community causes corresponding change in an individuals' personal life, goals for learning may alter.


Work identity is constructed from an individuals perception of the role and function that is performed within the community.  Participants offered commited service to the community, and were rewarded commensurately with subject matter expertise and non work-related issues (e.g. location).  Collin proposes that individual work identity is linked to an external identity that may have more significance.


Narratives indicated that a lack of desire to develop professionally emerged as a result of mismanagement.  In spite of negative judgement, a commitment to work ethics was noticeable among the participants and considered "an important definer of their work-related identity" (pg. 9).  Of the four, only Marko considered himself to be extended in a professional capacity by the community.  Identifying with work and skill competencies, maintaining strong links to networks within the community and the profession are core elements in comprehending the nature of work-related identity.  During times of instability, employees emphasise the significance of community membership.


Conclusions
Common themes in this study revolved around the context for learning, commitment to the community, and emerging work-related identity.  Understanding the need for meaningful working practice and the motivation for self-development were also discussed suggesting that developing professional identity and a commitment to the group is tied to learning.  The context in which a group functions, the role an individual plays, clarity of objectives and experience aid in the construction of professional identity and consequent knowledge gathering processes.  Communities that develop committed programs to developing the professional skills of member benefit from progressive learning.


Changes that occur within the community may similarly effect changes on the surrounding environment and are viewed as processes instead of results.  Professional identity is taken from the significance of community membership, the ambience in which interaction is conducted, and the dedication felt towards the community.  Community instability affects individual attachment and performance.  Communities that consider employees holistically enhance an individuals capacity to achieve a better work-life balance.  The community benefits retrospectively when individuals are acknowledged as valued members.  Middle managers are entrusted to observe and make recomendations that lead to the development of ability and proficiency.


Collins suggests further research is conducted on workplace learning and work-related identity as individual narratives are not comprehensive representations, and indicates that several issues are still unknown.  Investigating work-related identity and social learning opens up potential research avenues.  Further discourse provides a larger framework for understanding the processes of work and learning theoretically.