Knowledge workers in the in-between: Network identities

Purpose This article examines the identities and subjectivities of independent knowledge workers who contract their services to organizations. Two questions are addressed: Who are these enterprising knowledge workers, in terms of how they understand and position themselves relative to organizational structures, practices and social relations in their work as ‘inside outsiders’? How do they recognize their own constitution, and what spaces for agency are possible? Methodology/Approach The discussion draws upon a qualitative study of 18 self-employed consultants in organizational change, analysing their articulations of subjectivity as ongoing constitutions within prescribed discourses and cultural technologies. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were analysed inductively to determine themes and silences among the narratives. Findings The argument shows how these subjectivities emerge from in-between spaces, both inside and outside organizations. As they negotiate these spaces, they exercise agency by resisting control while building connections. These articulations are described as ‘network identities’. Practical Implications The article concludes with implications for organizations employing or contracting with such individuals. Suggestions for managers involve enabling more project structures, negotiating boundaries and purposes more clearly, providing more flexible conditions and facilitating more integration of these knowledge workers with other employees before, during and following innovative project activity

On Productive Shame, Reconciliation, and Agency

On Productive Shame, Reconciliation, and Agency prompts a unique cross-disciplinary enquiry into the productive potentialities of the affect of shame. This book contests the ontological understanding of shame and the psychoanalytical interpretation of it based on personal traumatic experiences linked to lack, loss, memory repression, and absence. Rather, the book builds on complex issues (initially proposed by Paul Gilroy) that concern coming to terms with a grim colonial and imperial past: How can one deal with the personal and collective memories of “paralyzing guilt” after dreadful atrocities and genocides? How can such negative experiences be transformed into “productive shame” (not only for the perpetrators, but also for the victims and witnesses)? The collection of essays, discussions, and interviews reflect on the intersection of the historicity, materiality, and structures behind culturally constructed race and racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Romaism, and queer shame across different disciplines, fields, and theories (for example, in philosophy, art and art history, visual culture, architecture, curating, postcolonial history, gender and queer studies). Various case studies and artistic projects employing collaborative and participatory research methods are analyzed practices that empower the process of turning shame into productive agency. The ensuing role of productive shame is to prevent the recurrence of the institutional structures, patterns, and events that are responsible and constructive of racism, and has been contextualized in recent debates on political responsibility and reconciliation in Europe and Africa

The socio-technical impact of the Internet of Things:an exploratory mixed methods research

This study explores how the Internet of Things (IoT) impacts the socio-technical system of organizations. The paper adopts a mixed methods research with a qualitatively driven approach. Data from 21 interviews with experts in the field of IoT and an online survey with 123 IoT professionals were analyzed. Leonardi’s Socio-Technical System Model (2012) was applied as a lens to examine how IoT influences the organizations’ social subsystem and how that, in turn, affects both the materiality of IoT and users’ intentionality in the technical subsystem. The results suggest transformed roles, potentially flattened hierarchies, decreased privacy, and increased transparency to be the main effects. While apparent changes in the social subsystem cause perceived threats that strongly influence users’ intentionality, they do not certainly affect IoT’s materiality. Noteworthy, however, is that irreplaceable users reportedly have the leverage to enforce changes to IoT’s materiality

The Lived Experience Of Healthcare Leadership Dyads: Perceptions Of Agency

Healthcare leadership is evolving in response to recommendations from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Physicians and administrators are partnering to form leadership dyads. These leadership dyads are focusing on improving healthcare quality, decreasing costs, and improving access. Existing literature on healthcare dyads explores leadership training needs for physicians, focuses on the differences between physicians and administrators, and emphasizes the need to develop role clarity for dyad leaders. There is a lack of empirical literature exploring how the physician and the administrator develop into a leadership team and extend shared leadership into their organization. This phenomenological study applies Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory, triadic reciprocality, and human agency to the lived experience of healthcare dyad leaders. The purpose is to give equal voice to physicians and administrators. This study provides insight into the similarities and differences between the physicians and the administrators in dyad leadership roles. Six participants, three physicians and three administrators, participated in semi-structured interviews. An interpretive phenomenological methodology was used to analyze the experience of each group then compare and contrast the experiences of the two groups. Results yielded more similarities within each group than between the two groups. Administrators experienced shared leadership with their physician partners whereas the physician group was divided. The full-time physician achieved shared leadership with more than one dyad partner, but the two part-time physician leaders were unable to achieve shared leadership. Part-time physician leaders experienced significant role conflict between their clinical practice and their administrative leadership role. The two roles often overlapped causing internal demotivation and feelings of frustration. All participants experienced internal motivation and professional satisfaction when they were able to meet patient care needs or create programs and infrastructure to serve populations. The key difference in the experience of part-time and full-time physician dyad leaders fills a gap in the literature and creates opportunities for further research into dyad leadership

Critical Conversations: A Social Justice-Driven Professional Learning Community

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the phenomenon of a social justice-driven professional learning community. This study included 17 P-12 educators across several school districts and educational entities in a large southeastern city. The majority of the educators worked at schools with a predominant composition of students of color and students who were eligible for free or reduced lunch. Through both oral and written discussions, teachers responded to questions, prompts, and protocols as they examined teaching for social justice and equity. Data collection methods included: audio recordings of professional learning sessions, participant written reflections, documents, interviews, and the researcher’s journal and audio reflections. The significance of this study was to offer insight on how educators can be supported in developing instructional practices that engender a more just and democratic society. Departing from traditional teaching methods and approaches where the teacher is considered the expert and holder of knowledge and has all “the answers” is crucial to the work of the social justice educator. This study was grounded in critical pedagogy as educators expanded their critical consciousness and examined power structures, privilege and oppression. The following research questions guided this study: How can a social justice-driven professional learning community (PLC) influence P-12 educators? What understandings do educators develop about social justice and equity? What perceptions do educators cultivate about teaching for social justice and equity? What knowledge do educators construct about using multicultural children’s literature (MCL) to teach for social justice and equity? Findings from this study revealed that teaching for social justice and equity requires intentionality, multiple perspectives, and teaching strategies and resources

Framework for better living with HIV in England

Duration: April 2007 - May 2009 Sigma Research was funded by Terrence Higgins Trust to co-ordinate the development of a framework to address the health, social care, support and information needs of people with diagnosed HIV in England. It has now been published as the Framework for better living with HIV in England. The over-arching goal of the framework is that all people with diagnosed HIV in England "are enabled to have the maximum level of health, well-being, quality of life and social integration". In its explanation of how this should occur the document presents a road map for social care, support and information provision to people with diagnosed HIV in England. By establishing and communicating aims and objectives, the framework should build consensus and provide a means to establish how interventions could be prioritised and coordinated. The key drivers for the framework were clearly articulated ethical principles, agreed by all those who sign up to it, and an inclusive social development / health promotion approach. Sigma Research worked on the framework with a range of other organisations who sent representatives to a Framework Development Group (see below for membership). The framework is evidence-based and seeks to: Promote and protect the rights and well-being of all people with HIV in England. Maximise the capacity of individuals and groups of people with HIV to care for, advocate and represent themselves effectively. Improve and protect access to appropriate information, social support, social care and clinical services. Minimise social, economic, governmental and judicial change detrimental to the health and well being of people with HIV. Alongside the development of the framework, Sigma Research undertook a national needs assessment among people with diagnosed HIV across the UK called What do you need?. These two projects informed and supported each other. Framework Development Group included: African HV Policy Network Black Health Agency George House Trust NAM NAT (National AIDS Trust) Positively Women Terrence Higgins Trus

Understanding sensemaking in organisational change: a cognitive mapping approach

In this thesis I argue for consideration of an anticipatory level of sensemaking that influences how individuals think about and respond to organisational change. In asking how knowledgeable agents understand an altered environment, I adopt a holistic view of organisational and cognitive sensemaking literatures, to produce a sensemaking template identifying four key relational influences: Equilibration, Intentionality, Temporal Context, and Knowledge Structures. The sensemaking template is used to inform the design of an interpretive study. A single local authority in the West Midlands region of England is the setting for the field research which was working to meet increasing demands for local services against a backdrop of austerity budgets and decreasing resources in 2012-2013. I employ cognitive mapping as part of a multi-method approach to identify previously tacit frames of reference used by research participants in making sense of self-selected episodes of change in the organisation. In arguing that organisational change emerges through the enactment of cognitive agency, I use empirical data to expound on a previously invisible sensemaking process that is complex and nuanced, and which offers methodological, theoretical and analytical contributions to knowledge

Understanding the experience of midlife women taking part in a work-life balance career coaching programme: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Midlife women currently have the highest ever presence in the work place with many juggling work with demanding home lives. Women are reporting increased dissatisfaction with their work - life balance yet few studies exist exploring how practical interventions might help . This action - research involved five female participants , based in Lon don, on a career coaching programme designed to improve work - life balance. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis suggested the programme offered a safe place to support women in reconciling work and life roles with their individual values and needs. Thr ough increasing positivity and resilience the coaching enabled participants to define and shape a better work - life balance