An Exploration of the Professional and Leader Identity of IT Professionals Transitioning to a Permanent Hybrid Role: A Longitudinal Investigation

Smith, Sally; Garavan, Thomas; Munro, Anne; Ramsay, Elaine; Smith, Colin; Varey, Alison

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the role of professional and leader identity and the maintenance of identity, through identity work as IT professionals transitioned to a permanent hybrid role. This study therefore contributes to the under-researched area of permanent transition to a hybrid role in the context of IT, where there is a requirement to enact both the professional and leader roles together.

Design/ methodology/ approach – The study utilised a longitudinal design and two qualitative methods (interviews and reflective diaries) to gather data from 17 IT professionals transitioning to hybrid roles.

Findings – The study findings reveal that IT professionals engage in an ongoing process of reconciliation of professional and leader identity as they transition to a permanent hybrid role, and they construct hybrid professional-leader identities while continuing to value their professional identity. They experience professional-leader identity conflict resulting from reluctance to reconcile both professional and leader identities. They used both integration and differentiation identity work tactics to ameliorate these tensions

Originality/value – The longitudinal study design, the qualitative approaches used and the unique context of the participants provides a dynamic and deep understanding of the challenges involved in performing hybrid roles in the context of IT.

Citation

Smith, S., Garavan, T., Munro, A., Ramsay, E., Smith, C., & Varey, A. (2021). An Exploration of the Professional and Leader Identity of IT Professionals Transitioning to a Permanent Hybrid Role: A Longitudinal Investigation. Information Technology and People, 34(2), 789-811. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-02-2019-0084

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 8, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 11, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Apr 15, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 11, 2020
• Print ISSN: 0959-3845
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 789-811
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-02-2019-0084
• Keywords: Leader and professional identity, Hybrid roles, Identity work
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2652687