Exploring role transition and professional identity in ICT
Author: Jamie Vaughan
Exploring role transition and professional identity in ICT
Jamie Vaughan
26 October 2018
Abstract
In completion of the Master of Professional Practice (MProfPrac) Degree, this thesis aims to demonstrate the series of significant positive changes undertaken by the practitioner during the programme, within the context of the Professional and Aspirational Frameworks of Practice. Initially motivated by a career transition from ICT Consulting to ICT Management, the changes described were guided by the MProfPrac programme as the practitioner came to challenge the limited personal and professional awareness that had characterised his actions prior to the transition. While many MProfPrac candidates submit a thesis detailing attempts at systemic change within an established role or industry, this thesis focuses on the learning opportunities both inspired and despite the career transition, and the subsequent impacts on both the practitioner and the employer. Through the process of Autoethnographic Action Research, an in-work project based on corporate cybersecurity practices and accompanying professional development provided a platform for the practitioner to observe changes within his own actions and attitudes, concluding that his resulting Professional Framework of Practice remains within a State of Flux, guided by a series of Mission Statements with a focus on technological literacy and education. Through ongoing engagement and education, it is intended that these developments continue to positively affect personal growth, influence the ICT strategy of the employer, contribute to the various technology-based communities and provide a precedent for future CapableNZ and SIGNAL ICT Grad School candidates.
Key words: Information Technology; Career Transition; Professional Identity; IT Management.
Licence
This thesis is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International.
