In: Social Identity

Editor: Michael Wearing, pp. 109-127

ISBN: 978-1-61324-462-3
2011 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter 6
WHO Do Y ou THINK 1 AM? AN ANALYSIS
OF THE 'IT PROFESSIONAL' SELF-IDENTITY
HamidNach*
University of Que bec at Rimouski
Levis Campus, Montreal, Quebec
Canada
ABSTRACT
As Information Technology (IT) is driving business transformation on an
unprecedented scale, IT Professionals are expected to play pivotai role to help companies
meet their expectations (Par and Jutras 2004). Recent Information System (IS) studies
have placed great emphasis on 'value skills' and 'interdiscip1inary approaches' in
addition to 'technical skills' as perquisites for today's successful IT professional (Makoto
and Norma 2001; Peter and Robert 2001). However, while current IS literature bas placed
particular emphasis on the skills required by IT specialists; the question of identity of
these professionals has been largely overlooked. To date, few theoretical and empirical IS
research have directly addressed how IT professionals build their identities in today's
dynamic environment and typically develop a self-understanding of the "IT professional"
or "IT specialist". The present study is a first step to fill this gap. Three case studies were
conducted with the objective to represent cognitive structures of three IT professionals
about their self-identities in the form of cognitive maps. The analysis of the emerging
semantic network indicates that IT professionals seem to identify strongly with the
technologies they build and use, large! y prevailing all other levels of identification with
the organization.
Keywords: Identity, Information technology, cognitive mapping, IT professional.
Email: nach.hamid@gmail.com.
llO
HamidNach
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, information technology (IT) has clearly evolved from a traditional
orientation of administrative support towards a more strategie role within organizations with
potential to develop value-added business activities that reach into the marketplace
(Henderson and Venkatraman 1993). As technology is driving business transformation on an
unprecedented scale, IT specialists are expected to play pivotai role to help companies meet
their expectations (Par and Jutras 2004). However, to be able to tackle organizations
challenges in today's dynamic environment, IT specialists need to develop and broaden their
skills portfolio (Homer Reich and Nelson 2003; Par and Jutras 2004). Recent studies have
placed great emphasis on 'value skills' and 'interdisciplinary approaches' in addition to
'technical skills' as perquisites for today's successful IT professional (Makoto and Norma
2001; Peter and Robert 2001). Value skills like customer relationship, business orientation
and entrepreneurship enable the IT professional to connect with the customer and drive
innovation (Kakabadse and Korac-Kakabadse 2001; Peter and Robert 2001). Interestingly,
while current Information System (IS) literature has placed particular emphasis on the skills
required by IT specialists, the question of identity of these professionals has been largely
overlooked. To date, few theoretical and empirical IS research have directly addressed how
IT professionals build their identities in today's dynamic environment and typically develop a
self-understanding of the "IT specialist" or "IT professional". So far, the need for a paradigm
shift of the role of IT professionals in organizations has been repeatedly echoed by many
authors ( e.g. Denning 2001; Peter and Robert 200 l; Sawyer et al. 1998), however, the extent
to which this change has been internalized by IT specialists and became part of their self-
identity seems still inadequately explored by IS researchers. Furthermore, IT Professionals
continue to be plunged deep into IT systems to remain technologically current. Being
regularly immersed in computer systems may have an impact on their sense of self that have
not been yet fully explored.
Under such conditions, it is of a particular interest to examine how IT professionals
actually define themselves. Do they still continue to identify with their technical knowledge
as it has been years ago, or do they perceive themselves as agents of change and innovation?
Do the technologies they use and construct have implications in the construction of their self-
identities? This study attempts to answer these questions through three case studies in which
self-identity of three IT professionals have been examined. The subjects' cognitive structures
about their sense of self are captured in the form of cognitive maps. The analysis of the
resulting semantic network using the Decision Explorer software package yielded interesting
insights. Perhaps the most obvious finding - and somewhat disappointing one -, is that IT
professionals strongly identify with the technologies they build and use, largely prevailing aU
other levels of identification with the organization. We found little evidence of the presence
of a business-oriented component in the ir view of the "IT professional". In addition, being
one of the few empirically-based IS researches that use cognitive mapping as a method, the
research may also make a methodological contribution, as we believe the technique remains
so far underused in the IS field. Through this study, we illustrate how cognitive mapping and
the use of Decision Explorer can enrich our understanding ofiS related phenomena.
The paper is organized as follows. In the following section, we present the concept of
identity and how IT may be implicated in identity construction. Next, we outline the research
Who Do Y ou Think 1 Am?
111
method employed in the case studies and how the concept maps are produced. After that, we
discuss the results of our analysis and draw conclusions based on the findings.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
In this section, we address the theoretical background of the research. We define,
particularly the concept of identity and succinctly discuss its intertwining relationship with
information technology. We discuss, afterwards, the concepts of project identity and extended
self.
The Concept of Identity
Identities are lenses through which people make sense of the world (Weick 1995). They
are a relatively stable and enduring constellation of attributes, beliefs, values, motives and
experiences in terms of which people define themselves (Ibarra 1999). In Stryker and
Statham's terms (1985), they are reflexively applied cognitions in the form of answers to the
question 'who am 1?' Interstingly, this question entails not only who or what people believe
themselves to be but also how they should respond to social experiences and be regarded by
others (Lutgen-Sandvik 2008). In this vein, Giddens ( 1991) points out that identiy is not
merely a set of distinctive traits possessed by the individua1, but concems particulratly the self
as reflexively understood by the person in terms of her or his biography. People may have
multiple identities (Lamb and Davidson 2002). One can be for example, a spouse, a mother, a
doctor and paediatrician, each identity is enacted according to the particular context the
individual is in. In addition to multiplicity, scholars taking a constructionist stance,
particularly, posit that identities are negotiated through social interaction (Croucher 2003).
They view identity as an ongoing interactional accomplishment; a view that embraces the
possibilities of emergence, plurality, malleability and discontinuity of identities (Sveningsson
and Alvesson, 2003).
Furthermore, there is an ongoing conversation about the nature of interplay between role
and identity (Simpson and Carroll 2008). Barley ( 1989) argues that identity and role are two
sides of the same coin. He argues that roles look outward toward the interaction structure in a
setting while identities look inward toward the self-definition associated with ro1e enactment.
Castells (1999) adds that identities are yet stronger sources of meaning than roles. Roles are
defmed by organizations and institutions and aim to organize functions while identities
involve a process of self-construction and individuation (Castells 1999). Renee, although
ready-made roles exist within organizations to communicate how individuals should think,
feel and act, there is nevertheless potential for dynarnic identity construction in that
individuals choose the extent to which they embrace or distance themselves from these roles
at different times (Kunda, 1992; Simpson and Carroll 2008) 'This process provides a
mechanism for identification, by means of which roles may or may not, become partially, or
even fully, intemalized as identities' (Simpson and Carroll2008, p. 32).
112
HamidNach
IT and Identity
In today's global society, the project of construction of self-identity is becoming more
complex (Mosse and Byrne 2005). Indeed, society is characterized by accelerated change due
to the pervasive use of information and communication technologies (Castells 1999). Giddens
( 1991) describes, in this vein, how IT increases the flows of information available to the
individual, and how the ongoing narrative of self-identity occurs in a global rather than a local
context, negotiated through self-exploration and interactions and relationships with others. By
changing and introducing new modes of interactions, IT creates new forums for identity
construction and potentially challenge how people see themselves and experience their
identities (Lamb and Davidson 2005). Lamb and Davidson (2005), for example, examined
how scientists build their identities and concluded that the technologies they use and co-
construct with close collaborators are responsible, for the most part, for shaping their
identities. Kilduff et al. (1997), in a similar vein, report, through an 11 month ethnographie
study within a Japanese high technology company, how engineers sustain their identities,
predominantly through the technologies they produce.
Project Identity
Castells (1999) emphasizes the fundamental role of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) in modern society and their potential to strengthen collective identity by
enabling the sharing of common views and concerns across groups located in different time
and space locations. Caste lis distinguishes between three forms of identity: 1) legitimizing
identity introduced by dominant institutions of society to extend and rationalize their
domination over social actors, 2) resistance identity generated by actors in opposition to the
logic of domination and 3) project identity, produced by those who seek to build, around a
project, a new identity that redefines their position in society. It is interesting to note that
projects, in Castells' view (1999), are macro social movements such as feminism,
environmentalism or religious fundamentalism. However, authors, like Lamb and Davidson
(2005), argue that the concept of project identity remains meaningful and appropriate for
much smaller projects. They remarked that the scientists they interviewed shaped their
identities around smaller projects in which information technologies are constructed and used
with different stakeholders. They maintained that the project, in general, regardless of its
scope, can also be used as a focal point- or a container- for identity construction.
Extended Self
The concept of "the extended self' suggests that our possessions are a major contributor
to and reflection of our identities (Belk, 1988). The concept is of particular interest as it may
shed light on how "abjects" contribute to shaping and sustaining people's identities. For
example, Fischer (1992) showed that IT has been a resource for identity construction and self-
presentation since the early diffusion of telephone technology. Nowadays, individuals may be
attached to particular technologies, such mobile or social-networking technologies, to a point
where they become extensions of their selves. From this perspective, it would be no surprise
Who Do Y ou Think I Am?
113
to find out that sorne professionals, today, construct their identities not only on the basis of
their 'profession' but also on their 'possessions". Knorr-Cetina ( 1999), for example, described
how particle detection technologies take on a life oftheir own within the physics community.
She reported that these detectors "see" and "put into text" what scientists are incapable of.
The author reported that the scientists 'love' these technologies and are particularly satisfied
shaping their identities around these tools.
Finally, before we discuss the research approach, it is interesting to note that Goffman
( 1989) distinguishes between two types of identities: "given" and "given off, the first is the
avowed identity that we project intentionally to others, while the second, which may not
necessarily concide with the first one, is what others interpret from our self-presentation and
that they then ascribe to us. Our emphasis in this research is on IT professionals "given
identities", that is, in other terms, who they believe they are. We start the research approach
section by pro vi ding a brief review of concept mapping.
RESEARCH APPROACH
Concept Mapping
A cognitive map is a 'graphical representation of the researcher's mental representation of
a set of discursive representations expressed by a subject based on his or her own cognitive
representations with regard to a specifie object' (Cassette and Audet, 1994, p. 15). Concept
maps generally include concepts, which are treated as variables - or constructs - and links
which are often influential associations between sorne of the concepts (Cassette, 2003). A
positive link is a represented by an arrow joining two concepts and indicates that a variation
in the first concept produces a variation, in the same direction, in the second concept. If the
link is negative (i.e. the second concept's variation is in the opposite direction of the frrst
concept's variation), a minus sign - is added. Bidirectional influences are marked with
double arrows: - . Concept mapping is particularly useful as it allows exploring,
confirming or transforming individuals or groups ideas on a particular subject (Cassette
2003). Indeed, many researchers, particularly in the field of management, used the technique
to examine a wide range of organizational phenomena ( e.g. organizational change,
entrepreneurship, decision making) (see Cassette 2003 for a review). Notably, when
examining concept maps, investigators can not only analyze their content, they can also
analyze the topography of the emerging semantic network, that is the very nature of the
structure formed by the concepts and the links between them (Cassette 2003). Such analysis
can be extremely useful and can reveal details on the representation of an individual' s
cognitive structure or "schema" about a particular subject which is, in this study, is identity.
Schemas are believed to guide a person in his or her actions, interpretations and forecasts
(Cassette 2003; Weick, 1979; Lord and Foti, 1986).
There are various techniques to determine the concepts and the links that will compose a
concept map. A researcher may use for example observation, open interviews, Self-Q or
Visual Card Soft (see Cassette, 2004 for extensive descriptions of these methods). Other
researchers have used archivai data to produce concept maps (for example, Barr et al. 1992
and Ross 1976). In this study, we use Systematic Exploration Grid to collect concepts and
114 RamidNach
links that will make up the concept maps (see appendix 1 ). Systematic Exploration Grids
provide the researcher with the advantage of avoiding unnecessary digressions during an
interview while still remaining non directive. Indeed, no concept is suggested to the subject
who, in the fact, explores systematically his or her own ideas. We describe in the next section
with more details how the Systematic Exploration Grid is used in the process of data
collection.
RESEARCH METHOD
This research is exploratory; In essence, exploratory studies are undertaken to elicit
detailed information on problem that has not been sufficiently addressed (Yin, 2003 ). Renee,
we were limited to interviewing three IT-professionals, each being a case. We selected our
informants based on two criteria; first, the respondent should be an IT professional with an
experience in information technology development and implementation, and second, he or
she should be implicated in a process of a business transformation in the organization. Renee,
the first case we study is an IT consultant who works in a Canadian IT services company
(Simon), the second case is an IT manager working in large North-American IT solutions
pro vider (Pierre), the third case is an IT professional working for the IT department of a
Canadian university (Mathieu). Informants' names were changed to preserve anonymity.
Ali interviews were held onsite. In the beginning, we asked the respondents to describe
their role within their organizations. Questions like "how do you define yourself in relation to
your work?" were asked. We conceptualize responses into variables that we put in a
Systematic Exploration Grid we had at hand. After that, we asked them to define elements
that they think sustain their role. The underlying motivation was to determine "explanations"
for their projected identities. Next we asked them to describe "consequences" of such
identification. While informants were responding to our questions, we put the "explanations"
and "consequences" variables in the appropriate boxes in the grid. Respondents were
encouraged to use a same concept as many times as they wished and were informed that not
ail the grid boxes were supposed to be filled. Initial interviews lasted on average one hour and
half.
Based on the material we collected, we could build a network of 'explanations" and
"consequences". In the frrst place, we bui1t concept maps manually using a pen and a paper.
After that, we wanted to assure their validity. Renee we conducted a second series of
interviews. We used videoconferencing with the first and the third informant. The
videoconferencing tool we used was equipped with real-time and collaborative editing
capabilities of images and texts. Renee, we asked respondents to review the concepts and the
links and to report any concept or link that should be added, modified or removed. The links
and the concepts that were confirmed were highlighted in green while those that had to be
removed were marked in red. Therefore, 11 links and 3 concepts have been added for the first
respondent, 3 others were modified. As for the third respondent, 4 concepts and 9 links were
added, 1 concept was discarded and three others were modified. W e conducted the same
process with the IT manager in his office, we used two different color highlighters to add,
remove or modify links and concepts. At the end of this process, no concept was added,
however, 4 were removed, 3 were modified, 8 links were added and 3 were removed. After
Who Do Y ou Think I Am? 115
that, we made the appropriate change to the maps, we transcribed them into Decision
Explorer Software to analyze the content and the emergent semantic network. When we were
drawing the maps, we tried to make the least intersections between the links for the sake of
clarity.
As suggested by the literature, there are various ways to analyze a cognitive map. For
example, a researcher can conduct a domain analysis, cluster analysis or loops analysis (see
Eden et al., 1992 for a review). In this research, we used content analysis and concepts'
relative importance analysis as we believe they appropriate for the research. The concepts
importance varies depending on the number of 'direct' and 'indirect' links that are attached to
them. A variable is therefore considered to be particularly significant when it has many links
with others (Cossette 2003). In the following section we present the cognitive maps produced
here and their subsequent analysis.
RESULTS
Case 1: Simon, IT Consultant
Simon is an IT professional who works for a Canadian IT services company. He has a 10
year experience in IT administration. Simon's cognitive map counts C = 41 concepts and L =
57 links. Therefore we can derive the map's density, D = L/C*(C-1) = 57/41 *(41-1) = 0.03 as
well as the links per concepts ratio R = LIC = 57/41 = 1.4, which means that every concept
has on average 1.4 Links. This first analysis suggests that Simon's cognitive map is not very
dense which can be interpreted that Simon's thinking is not particularly 'complex'. Ifwe take
a doser look at table 1, we note that Simon attaches a high importance to being an "open
source advocate", to being an "IT consultant specialized in web-based collaborative systems"
and to being a "Unix system administrator", with centrality scores equaling respectively 23,
20 and 18. These are his role-based identities at the time of the interview.
Table 1. Centrality scores of Simon's concepts
1
Concept Centrality score
22 Being an open source advocate 23
9 Being an IT consultant specialized in web-based collaborative systems 20
19 Participate to a world-wide open source project 19
1 Being a Unix system administrator 18
25 Give public talks on open source 16
24 Get recognition from the open source community 16
21 Use te1ecommuting tools (videoconferencing- chat- forums ... ) 16
32 Obtain visibility 15
15 Get Mood1e's founder recognition 15
23 Contribute to open source codes 14
1 0 Love to work with computers 14
38 Participate to a large scale world-wide open source projects 13
29 Promote open source systems both nationally and internationally 13
12 Publish articles in specialized magazines 13
1
On/y concepts with centrality scores higher than 13 are shawn.
116
HamidNach
A further ana1ysis of Simon's cognitive map reveals other interesting details. We may
note that there is an IT artifact associated with every avowed identity (open source, web-
based collaborative systems, Unix). Such technological labels inforrns IT disciplinary
background and provides distinctions that are important to the IT professional identity,
because, as suggested by Lamb and Davidson (2005), they influence the social milieu in
which identity is enacted and the audience to which the professional self is presented.
We may also note that Simon enacts his "Unix system administrator" within the
boundaries of the organization [concept 2, 3, 11, 44]; however, the two others identities
transcend those boundaries and are negotiated in a larger context. To construct the "open
source advocate" identity, for example, Simon participates actively to world-wide open
source projects where there is little consideration for organizational, social, ethnie or cultural
affiliations [path 35-39] - [path 35-37]. Members from the whole world, with different
background participate to building open source systems. Simon's contribution to the success
of a world-wide open source project helped him gain the community recognition of his IT
proficiency [path 24-32-38-22]. Simon indicated that the open source community is dispersed
geographically making, thus, telecommunication utilities essential tools for work [concept
21]. However, the role of these tools was not confined into online collaboration, they were
also the means that carries the image ofthe "open source advocate" [path 21-22].
In addition, Simon seemed particularly attached to sorne technologies ( e.g. Sun, Linux,
HPUX, Gettext) and believed they conferred value and identity enhancing distinction
[concepts 3, 20]. He also revealed his great passion for the online learning system Moodle
[concepts 13, 15, 18] and used verbs like "love" and "like" to describe his attachrnent to
particular technological artifacts ( computers, Unix, open source) [concept 7, l 0, 26]. Overall,
we can see that Simon deeply ground his IT professional identity in technological artifacts
and in making unique contributions to the open source community which, in return, results in
recognition among peers from the IT field. W e found little evidence that he describes or
differentiates himself as being an agent of change or relates his identity to business-oriented
projects within the boundaries of his organization.
Case 2: Pierre, IT Manager
Pierre is an IT manager working in a large North-American IT service company. He has
more than 20 years in the IT field. Pierre's cognitive map consists of 37 concepts and 57
links. The map's density is 0.04, while the ratio links/concepts is equal 1.5. We may deduct,
that just like Simon's, Pierre's thinking is not particularly complex. It is important to precise
that the Pierre's avowed identities [concepts 4, 10, 16, 35, 54] present an evolution intime
through formai training, education and assimilation of new technologies and (from mainframe
to web-based technologies) [path 4, 30, 16, 10, 56, 54]. At the time of the interview he
reported that the role-based identity he enacted was the: "IT quality control manager".
The relative importance analysis of concepts that compose Pierre's cognitive map (figure,
2) reveals that Pierre is particularly sensitive to the identities: "mainframe project manager"
[concept 4], "web and client-server technologies specialist" [concept 16] and "IT manager of
e-commerce platforrns" [concept 54] as they registered the highest scores. It is interesting to
note that, just like Simon, Pierre's identities are associated with technological artifacts he uses
Who Do Y ou Think I Am?
117
or constructs such as "mainframe", "web-based technologies", "client-server technologies",
and "ecommerce platforms" [concepts 4, 10, 16, 54].
Table 2. Centrality scores of Pierre's concepts
Concept
Centrality score
4 Being a Mainframe project manager
19
16 Being a specialist of web and client-server technologies
17
54 IT manager ofE-commerce platforms
17
18 Good ability to deliver IT projects intime 17
17 Be in the lookout oflnnovative technologies 17
30 Being able to assimilate emerging technologies 15
15 Provide COBOL training session to clients 15
10 Client-Server Project manager 15
35 Being a manager of quality control 14
7 Obtain a visibility with the firm 14
48 Team recognition 13
41 Master different software development tools 13
For Pierre, to be associated with one's area of IT expertise is fundamental to what it
means to be an 'IT professional'. The cognitive map also suggests that Pierre is particularly
interested in being in the cutting-edge of new and emerging technologies [concept 17]. He
also gives a great importance to being proficient in a broad range of software development
methods and tools (such as Visual Basic, Mainframe, Mercury, Java, Websphere) [concepts 9,
13, 49, 56]. We may also note that Pierre's identities [concepts 4, 10, 16, 35, 54], unlike,
Simons' identities are all constructed and sustained within the boundaries of the organization.
They seem to yield a great satisfaction as he speaks of them with enthusiasm.
Markedly, the "quality control manager" identity is based on role conferred by the
organization and somehow is challenged through interactions with peers. Sorne actions that
are deeply grounded in this identity like "proposing new tools for the QC team" are faced
with active resistance [concept 63]. The team members perceived such changes as a threat to
their competency. In addition, identity, in Pierre's case, is closely tied to attaining IT
certifications like ITIL's (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) [concept 61]. Such
certification reinforces his credibility and his visibility [concept 7]. In this vein, Pierre
emphasized not only the important role that IT certification play in shaping his identity but
also the ability to making unique contributions to peer IT professionals. In this regard, Pierre
developed an innovation Cobol-based conversion tool that was of a great usefulness to other
IT professionals [concept 22]. Such contributions resulted in recognition among peers
(colleagues, superiors and clients) which, in return, conferred the highly valued status: the
"mainframe specialist" [concepts 6, 7]. Also, Pierre's expertise in mainframe administration
helped the company to develop new training centers [path 48-50] which also serve as
"containers" to sustain to his identity. In Pierre's case mainframe was not only a
technological artifact; it was indeed a social object through which he, constructs, maintains,
enacts and diffuses his identity.
44 Have
ln IS Implementation
projects
2 Admlnlster Apache
5 Make backups and
assure IS security
-.... ... .
3 Workwllh
SuniHPUXIllnux <-
machines
- "\.

servers
,\
1
1 Belng a Unix <-"
11 Have knowledge in . __. > system admlnlslralor
systems'
administration
;" / 1
Il
'\
........
.),_
27 Prestige of
worklng wlth hlgh
restrlcted open
sources tools
10 Love to work with
eomputers
\';

,. "
4 Malntaln servers
1
\\
\
8Getmore
experience
20 Master new IT
tools (Gettexl,
ModRewrlte)
\
7 Belng passlonate
about Unix platforms

6 Gel recognlion in
the workplace
"
\
\
,

./
;-:--
19 Particlpate to a
world-wlde open
source project
1 1
23 Contribute to
open source codes
21 Use telecommutlng
tools
(vldeoconferencing-
chat- forums)
/
\
'
'
',1
,;'s., able to .1'
adminlsler Moodlo '
system
; J
24 Get recognitlon
from the open source <
> communlty
1
1
!/
/
..
;
-"'
'
'
'
'
26 Obtaln vendor's 36 Work on
exclusivlty to <':- __ :.c,. certificati ons
'
"
distrlbute IS
products
'\.\_
'-.
., / /
9 Belng an IT
.... ___ . ; consultant
;--.<> specla.llzed ln
./-"" web-based
coliaborallve
systems
i ,
.'v i
/ 1
1 '
1
1
\
;
1
...
\
' \
' ' 12 Publlsh articles
in speciallzed
magazines
i-
,. \
\
39 Importance of
ethlcal, cultural
and social
affiliation
/'
.
1
/
35 Belng member ol
open source
communlty
. "\
\",,
!
l
J
,.
\
15 Gel Moodle's
founder recognition
\
\
14 Develop a high
expertise ln
Moodle's
administration
/
17 Develop Moodle
Certification
programs
\
!
\
\.._
"':;::-
. . .
22 Belng an open
source advoca1o
;iJ .'
'
.,/ l
\
'
" il
"-l,
1
1 1 ...,
........ \_
'-'
'
'
'
'
'
\
18 Influence future
developments of
Moodle
26 Love the concept
ol open source
40 Be an expert ln <':
agile methods
30 Obtaln the
32 Ob tain vlsfblllty, .
1
.... .., 1 .... . ---r- -
/
\
1
'-
'
.
\
34 Oevelop new
competencles
31 Prestige of
accesslng private
open source codas
-... ---....
Figure 1. Simon's cognitive map.
. communlty truel
45 Have a persona!
web pagewlth
podcastlng
capabilnles
331ncrease
Customers portfolio
...-:::-
/
........
,
,
38 ParUclpete to a
largescale
world-wide open
source projects
' 1
......... /
;.
j
i
l.
,
371mponan to be
afflllated 10 my
organlzation
.. ... .. \. _
,,
__ _
'
.\
'
\
_ ..-\
..... __
,. 25 Give pubJJc talko
on open source
29 Promote open
source systems both
nafionally and
lnternallonally
10 Cllent-Server
___ ;; Projectrrenager ---- 12 GoodKnowledgeof
A '(\ \ AGLiools
38 Develop new
prooses of quatily .f{-
t1ll1trol
32 Lo.. Mwcuoy
foots (Soflware
quol"ycontrol

17 Be ln the lookout
of lnnovatlve
technologies
1
i
1


tools)
.-
k:

35 Belng a
of qualltycontrol
,. _ __.,..,.
63 Propose new lools
tor the ac team
1
1
'j

37 A$Sure quallly
t1ll1trol ot systems
doveloped
,
/!t' ,
'1
1
1
5 Good expertise ln
$Y$lem
adn'lnlstratlon
9Goodexpertlse '
wllhMainfi1H11!
technologies
65 Jncrease
SUbordinate's
anxlety

l 48T
__.. ...--:\-'--::__;
64 resistance to -
change
'
'
69 Manage resistance
ofQCteam
39 DevoiQPiesl ..:
strategies tor
Quallty assurance

/

\ '
... "'<
\ '
'
23 ':' utlllty lor '
velopers

l'
22 DeveiQPrrenl of an
lnnovatllle COBOL
conversion loci

Figure 2. Piene's cognitive map.
18 Good ablllly to
- -- dollverrrprojects
lntlrre
I

\ ',
30 Belng able 10
-,< assln'llale emetging

lechnologles
'
-
---- .0,. 4BelngaMalnlra""
/.
'
31 Belng posslonnle
abliul web
lechnologtes
'1
16Belnga
speclallst at web
and ellenlserver
1
1
1
1
1
project Manager
\
' .....
-... ...--- lechnologies
_ ........ 1 ' 41 Masler dlllerenl
softwared ... loprrent -
lools
---=- .............
n-
i--
'
'
'
'
/
' ......

'
' ' ...
' .. ..... .:_.,
1 ' ....... '-,
\
,....-/\ -........
r ..... - ' ..
' 1
""k i
:
1 ,.___
""-..... 1 \ .f
.,,
..... ...,,
'
...........
...,,
8 Oevel op a large
scale bllllng svstem
wlth Cobol
'
'
'
49 Mosler new COBOL
versions
- _ l f
.::1.
\ 1
"
'
'
'
'
;-


,_,
'
46 DeveiQflllllht of
2000 bug convesion
lools
--......__
'
'
"
\ .
13 Good Exper11teln
vi suai Basle
c;.'o 15 Provlde COBOL
lrnlnlng session to
_ --- elleols
51 Dveloppor une
expertise en
prograonmtlon cobol
nouvelle gnration
- / k//
-- --, t.
'.,,
---- - - ? vllllbllltywilh lhe
Hrm "'"" -
--
61 Have an rrtL
certlflcalion
'
----
, ,
501ncreaselhe
capaclly and quallty
ot of COBOL
and AGL training
teniOIS
....
----
'
'
'
.. ,
56 Good a)IJ)ertl&e
wilh Java and
Webspl!ere
:,;,
j
541T rnmager ol
E-comnerce pialforrns
'
-
\
'
'
\
\
\

53 Wo<k tor lorge
scale EcOfn""rce
/lfO]ects
'
58 Aelnlor my rr
projocl nanagefnl
cspnbllllfes
60btalna
lllslbllllywllh
among cusiDIIl!<s
120
HamidNach
Taken as a whole, the "IT professional" identity in Pierre's view is associated to four
important elements, first, to be in the lookout of emerging IT trends, second, to be proficient
in many programming languages, third, to attain IT certification in different areas of technical
fields and fourth, to gain peer's recognition through making unique contributions to the IT
community. Therefore, Pierre seems to shape predorninantly his "IT professional" identity
around core technologies his uses in his work, few elements in the concept map show a
possible embeddedness of identity construction in business processes.
Case 3: Mathieu, IT Professional
Mathieu is an IT professional affiliated to a Canadian university. He has 12 year
experience in the IT field. Mathieu's interview allowed us to define 37 concepts and 47 links
as shown in figure 3. The map's density is 0.03 and the average links per concept is 1.3 which
suggests that Mathieu's thinking is not particularly complex. Table 3 present the result of
relative important analysis of the concepts as provided by Decision explorer.
Table 3. Centrality scores of Mathieu concepts
1
Concept Centrality scores
1 Being a system analyst specialized in telecommunication networks 19
8 Build a videoconferencing infrastructure 15
30 Being able to solve technical prob1ems 14
Il Obtain visibility among colleague and supervisors 14
32 Web projects coordinator 13
29 Assure technological watch for the department 13
26 Being Multimedia specialist 13
17 Provide technical assistance to actors 13
12 Participate to a world-wide multimedia project 13
5 Participate to the implementation of a large scale wireless internet 13
project
Mathieu projected four identities namely: "system analyst specialized in tele-
communication networks" [concept 1 ], "telecommunication network administra tor" [concept
18], "multimedia specialist [concept 26] and "web projects coordinator" [concept 32]. He
1
On/y concepts with centrality scores higher them 13 are shown.
The 'IT Professional' Self-Identity
121
reported that he enacts either one or the other of these identities according to the situational
context. Markedly, just like Simon and Pierre, all Mathieu's identities are associated with a
technological artefact (for example, multimedia technologies and tele-communication
networks). Thus far, we may think that "who 1 am?" in the case ofiT Professionals, is tightly
interwoven with "what technologies do 1 use in my work?". lndeed, we observed that the
three IT specialists we interviewed narrowed down the answer of what it is they are by
defming technological artefacts that they use or construct or those that generally delineate a
technical domain of expertise.
Furthermore, Table 3 suggests that the "system analyst specialized in telecommunication
networks" identity is the most salient among Mathieu' identities since the variable registered
the highest centrality score. Interestingly, such an identity is enacted in the organizational
settings and is historically constructed based on the expertise gained through experience,
training and IT certifications [concepts, 2 3, 4]. We suggest that the project identity is
particularly relevant in Mathieu's case as well- as in the web projects coordinator's identity
-. The scope of the project may be small comparatively to world-wide open source projects
as in Simon's case, however, it still indicates that IT professionals heavily rely on projects
that form around information and communication technologies to build and enact their
identities.
We argue that the construction of the "multimedia specialist" identity, however, is not
confined in the particular context of the organization; Mathieu sustains his identity in a much
wider context as he actively participates to world-wide multimedia projects [concept 12]. In
one of these projects, he acted as a technical re source person for the geographically dispersed
team members and used technologically advanced videoconferencing tools to carry out a
broad range of activities. Y et, the use of these technologies not only supported remo te
collaboration but also served as a means to sustain the "multimedia specialist" identity as he
used su ch tools to enhance his visibility and gain peers' recognition [concept 11].
lt is also interesting to note that Mathieu shows great interest to participating to any
forthcoming multimedia proj ects [concept 31], which may suggests that his conceptualization
of the self cannot be materialized unless within a multimedia project. He also showed great
interest to being in the outlook of emerging technologies [concept 37]. For Mathieu, being
technically current is one his top priorities so as be able to solve ant technical problems
[concept 3 7]. Mathieu' s view of the self is mirrored by his ability to pro vide technical support
and to solve technical problems [concepts 14, 17].
Finally, Mathieu's concept map enfolds variables that demonstrate feelings of enthusiasm
and excitement towards particular technologies. For example, he expressed great passion
toward audio and video technologies. He uses these tools for his work but also for
entertainment purposes [concepts 9, 41]. His keenness for multimedia deviees is so strong
that his colleagues call him "the techy'' [concept 41]. In Mathieu's perspective, these deviees
tend not only to be identity enhancing; they literally extend his perception of self as they
become strongly associated with it. Notably, at this stage, we found little evidence in
Mathieu's concept map that shows a salient interest in driving organizational innovation or
change. Mathieu defines himself rather in terms technical knowledge and to a much lesser
extent to business-oriented innovations.
33 Ma._. . --
development team
.c
36 Malntaln the IT
lnlrasiTuclure
32 Web projects
coordlnalor
..,.,
,,,

<
4 Belng experlenced
lnCisco
tecilnologles
---
'
',
.,
,
.... ,_ ..
'
'
2 Experfenw!tll
support to users
12 Partlcipate to a
world-wlde -4: -
multimedia project
42 Olier expertise
ln m.lltirdia
vldeoconlerenclng
technologies
/
/
1
'V / /
14 Aelnlorce the
sense ol .
ln rwltimedia ..
technologies
>'>
13 Acl as a key
resourceto
different actots
\
\
\
',-
8 Bullda
vldeoconlerencing <--
infraslruclure
' ,],
.
11 Obtaln vlslblllty
among colleagues and
supervlsors
\
- ' \ ._. __ _
l--
,/
.
44Use
vldeoconferencing
technologies
I
\
-\-
!
17 Provlde technleal
to ac1ors .o.:-:-
Figure 3. Mathieu's cognitive map.
25 Love cOJI'4>Uier
nolworks
'
19Workwith
MacOSX10 machine
3 Belng eerlllled ln
Windows 2000
administrai! on
'
: 1 Belng a system
,. aly!lt $peCiollzed
-- ln teleCOI'I'OrunlcaHon
... .
...
nstworks
':

21 Belng passlonale
about c""""lers
;:1..
'
'
'
'.!

1&Belnga
__
22 Havlng fun
wortng with
notworfcs
... -
networl<
odmlnlslralor
20 Admlnlster
Windows 2000 Servers
___ .,--
;'

7 Acqulre new
5 Participaleto the
lnl)lementoHon ola
large scale w!reless
lnlet:nel project
----'
'"''-' expertise ln
!
r
i 31 Belng lnterested
ln mulllrnodia
projects
wlreless Internet
technologies
9 Belng passlonate
about audio and
video technologies
1
i
.. .. \

\
\
15 Advance technlcal \
expertise .... _
" ....
/

---
16 Be curlous
6Acquin>.-
expertl88ln IT
securily
---..-.-----... __
',

30 belng able to
solve technlcal
ptoblems
-..,.
,
26 Belng Multhredla
speclalisl
r
29 A$sure ,;:.
Jechnologlcal watch "
lor the department
...
41 Belng passlonate
aboot mdli media
deviees
23 belng consldered
es a 'techy'
43 Use multimedia
technOlogie& tor
entertainrrent
pufPQses
28 Use publio and
prlvate mailings
llsls
45 SUri 1T
speclalized web
oltes
37 Bo ln tho lool\otrt
olemerglng
technologies
The 'IT Professional' Self-Identity
123
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
We conducted this exploratory research, with the aim to shed light on the identification
processes of IT professionals and, more particularly, to pro vide answers to the two foUowing
research questions, first, do IT professionals identify with their technical knowledge as it has
been years ago, or do they perceive themselves as agents of change and innovation?, and
second, do the technologies they use and construct have any implications in the construction
of their self-identities? Hence, we interviewed three IT professionals and used cognitive
mapping technique to capture their "schemas" about the way they understand their identities.
The three case studies pro vide interesting details about identity construction processes of IT
professionals. One of the most striking insights brought about by this study is that, des pite the
many caUs to IT professionals so that they bec orne agents of change and innovation in toda y' s
high dynamic environment, they seem to fairly echo these caUs as they develop a different
understanding of the "IT professional" identity. We remarked that they predominantly build
and sustain their identities based on the information and communication technologies they use
and construct and scarcely associate them to business forms of identification.
We argue that IT professionals tend to associate technological artefacts to their identities
so that they inform their area of expertise which may be interpreted that they use these
artefacts as "proxies" for professional competence. To circumvent technological obsolescence
and maintain their identities, they continuously update their technical skiUs to stay
technologicaUy current. Indeed, aU three informants demonstrated unequivocal interest to
being in the cutting-edge oftechnological innovations. In this vein, Weick (1995) argues that
people make sense of the world through the lens of their identities, hence, when IT
professionals identities are threatened by technological obsolescence, they strive to redefine
their self-conceptions around new technologies. The multiplicity of identities provides them
with a sense of security and professional integrity. Pierre' sense of self, for example, is
strongly associated to the wide range of the technologies he used. In addition, while we
concur with Dubar (1996) as he states that identity is an ongoing process punctuated with
periods of relative stability, we suggest that identity, in the case of IT professionals, seems to
be continuously changing. Indeed, they constantly construct and reconstruct their identities
with respect to ever changing technological innovations.
Moreover, sorne IT professionals literally extend their sense of self to include highly
valued technological artefacts. The three informants demonstrated great enthusiasm and
keenness about using sorne technologies and tightly associate their identities with them. In
this vein, the case of Mathieu is relevant as his professional identity is extended to multimedia
deviees. We also note that the emotional attachment toward IT is of a particular interest as it
reveals that identities are not merely cognitive constructs but have an emotional dimension
that should not be neglected. Interviews, with the three IT professionals enfold variables that
are clearly affective, sorne are oriented toward the self, while others are oriented toward
particular information and communication technologies.
Furthermore, we remarked that aU three informants use various IT projects to build their
identity. Sorne IT projects are local - e.g. IT department- or global as it is the case of open
source projects. Global projects, particularly, serve as containers for sorne IT professionals, to
build their valued identity, particularly when other containers such as the department or the
organization do not confer an appropriate environment to sustain their identity. Therefore, we
124
HamidNach
suggest that the concept of the project identity as advocated by Casteil ( 1999) is also suitable
for IT professionals. For sorne IT specialists, open source is a project that provides a social
'milieu' to build a coherent and positive identity and also that allows challenging the
dominance of IT major players over the IT industry. Indeed, open source activists propose
alternatives to proprietary IT solutions and advocate software that are accessible to everyone.
Renee, we conclude that the project per se bas significant implications in the IT
professional' s identity. However, it is striking to note the absence of an enterprise business-
oriented project around which an identity may be built as most of projects we discussed are
IT -based. Simon, for example, is an active member of the open source community and builds
his identity around open source projects; it is not however a project that indicates sorne form
of identification to the organization he works for. Few elements, in the concept maps show a
direct or indirect link to a change project from a business perspective.
Overall, many authors have called for a paradigm shift of the role of IT professional in
today's world. IT professionals are prompted to develop 'value skills' and 'interdisciplinary
approaches' in addition to 'technical ski ils' to helping business unit partners through the often
arduous and difficult transformation process (Par and Jutras, 2004). However, we found little
evidence that such calls have been echoed by IT professionals. IT specialists continue to be
plunged deep into IT systems to remain technologically current and build principally their
identity based on their technical expertise. The "who I am?" as an IT professional is closely
tied to the technologies they use and construct.
Finally, this study is, in essence, exploratory and its research protocol is limited both in
time and scope, therefore, it has severa! limitations that should be recognized. We do not
pretend that the results or the conclusions we derived are generalized to the IT professionals'
community. Many questions are left unanswered following this exploratory investigation. For
example, what role academia should play to change the conventional view of the IT profession?
How can we change the perception of the IT professional as providing only technical solutions to
general information-processing problems? How to get the field organized so as to ensure
minimum knowledge requirement in both technical and business fields? However, this research
provides a jumping-off point for much-needed future research. We suggest to conduct further
empirical research, both qualitative and quantitative-based, to examine IT professionals'
identity. Besides we believe this research makes a methodological contribution as it showed
how cognitive mapping and the use of Decision Explorer can enrich our understanding of
individual and collective lives. Finally, in this research, we considered the particular case of
IT professionals because they are more and more requested to melt down with business
activities and organizational strategies, However, it is legitimate to ask "do we understand
how IT professionals develop their identities so that we exhort them to be agents of change
and innovation?"
In addition, being one of the few empirically-based IS researches that use cognitive
mapping as a methodology, the research may also make a methodological contribution, as we
believe the technique remains thus far underused in the IS field. Through this study, we
illustrate how cognitive mapping and the use of Decision Explorer can enrich our
understanding of IS related phenomena.
The 'IT Professional' Self-Identity
125
REFERENCES
Barley, S.R. 1989. "Careers, Identities, and Institutions: The Legacy of the Chicago School of
Sociology," In: Handbook of Career Theory: B. Arthur, and B. Lawrence (Eds.).
Cambridge, V. K.
Barr, P.M., Stirnpert, J.L., and Huff, A.S. 1992. "Cognitive Change, Strategie Action and
Organizational Renewal" Strategie Management Journal (13), pp 15-36.
Belk, R.W. 1988. "Possessions and the Extended Self," Journal of Consumer Research
(15:2), pp 139-168.
Castells, M. 1999. The Power of Identity - the Information Age. Cambridge, MA, USA
Blackwell Publishers, Inc.
Cassette, P. 2003. "Mthode systmatique d'aide la formulation de la vision stratgique:
Illustration auprs d'un propritaire-dirigeant de PME" Revue de l'Entreprenariat (2:1),
pp 1-18.
Cassette, P. 2004. L'organisation, une perspective cognitiviste. Qubec: Les presses de
l'Universit de Laval.
Cassette, P., and Audet, M. 1994. "Qu'est ce qu'une carte cognitive?," in: Cartes Cognitives
et organisations, E. ESKA (ed.). Qubec: Les presses de l'Universit de Laval, pp. 13-33.
Croucher, S.L. 2003. Globalization and Belonging: The Politics of Identity in a Changing
World. New York: Rowman and Littlefie1d Publishers.
Denning, J. 2001. "Who Are We?" Communications of the ACM (44:2), pp 15-19.
Dubar, C. 1996. La socialisation: construction des identits sociales et professionnelles. Paris:
Armand Colin/Masson.
Eden, C., Jones, S., and Sims, D. 1983. Messing About in Problems. Pergamon.
Fischer, C. 1992. America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940. Berkeley,
University of California Press.
Giddens, A. 1991. Modernity and Self-Identity. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Goffman, E. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday.
Henderson, N., and Venkatraman, J.C. 1993. "Strategie Alignment: Leveraging Information
Technology for Transforming Organizations" IBM Systems Journal (32: 1), pp 4-16.
Homer Reich, B., and Nelson, K.M. 2003. "In Their Own Words: CIO Visions about the
Future of in-House IT Organizations" The DATA BASE for Advances in Information
Systems (34:4), pp 28-44.
Ibarra, H. 1999. "Provisional Selves: Experimenting with Image and Identity in Professiona1
Adaptation" Administrative Science Quarter/y, (44), pp 764-791.
Kakabadse, A., and Korac-Kakabadse, N. 2001. "Multi-Skilled and Multi-Faceted: A
Comparative Survey of UK and Australian Information Systems and Technology
Professionals" Strategie Change, (10:2), pp 115-123.
Kilduff, M., Funk, J., and Mehra, A. 1997. "Engineering Identity in a Japanese Factory"
Organization Science (8:6), pp 579-592.
Knorr-Cetina, K. 1999. Epistemic Cultures: How the Sciences Make Knowledge. Cambridge
MA: Harvard University Press.
Kunda, G. 1992. Engineering Culture: Control and Comrnitment in a High-Tech Corporation.
Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
126
Hamid Nach
Lamb, R., and Davidson, E. 2002. "Social Scientists: Managing Identity in Socio-Technical
Networks," Proceedings ofthe Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Big
Island, Hawaii.
Lamb, R., and Davidson, E. 2005. "Information and Communication Technology Challenges
to Scientific Professional Identity" The Information Society (21), pp 1-24.
Lamb, R., and Kling, R. 2003. "Reconceptualizing Users as Social Actors in Information
Systems Research," MIS Quarter/y (27:2), pp 197-235.
Lord, R.G. and Foti, R.J. (1986), "Schema Theories, Information Processing, and
Organizational Behavior", In. Sims, H.P. Jr and Gioa, D.A. (Eds). The Thinking
Organization: Dynamics of Organizational Social Cognition.
Lutgen-Sandvik, P. 2008. "Intensive Remediai Identity Work: Responses to Workplace
Bulling Trauma and Stigmatization" Organization (15:1), pp 97-119.
Makoto, N., and Norma, G.S. 2001. "IT Skills Portfolio Research in SIGCPR Proceedings:
Analysis, Synthesis and Proposais," In: Proceedings of the 2001 ACM SIGCPR
conference on Computer personnel research. San Diego, Califomia, United States: ACM.
Masse, E., and Byme, E. 2005. "The Role of Identity in Health Information Systems
Development: A Case Analysis from Mozambique," Information Technology for
Development (11:3), pp 227-243.
Par, G., and Jutras, J. 2004. "How Good Is the IT Professional's Aptitude in the Conceptual
Understanding of Change Management?" Communications of AIS (14), pp 653-677.
Peter, J.D., and Robert, D. 2001. "The Profession of IT: The Core of the Third-Wave
Professional," Communication oftheACM(44:11), pp 21-25.
Ross, S. 1976. "Complexity and Presidency: Govemer Morris in the Constitunal Convention,"
in: Structure of Decision: The Cognitive Maps of Political Elites. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, pp. 96-112.
Sawyer, S., Eschenfelder, K.R., Diekema, A., and McClure, C.R. 1998. "Corporate IT Skill
Needs: A Case Study ofBigco" Computer Personnek, pp 27-41.
Simpson, B., and Carroll, B. 2008. "Re-Viewing 'Role' in Processes of Identity
Construction," Organization (15:1), pp 29-50.
Stryker, S., and Statham, A. 1985. "Symbolic Interaction and Role Theory." in: Handbook of
Social Psychology (3rd Ed.), In G. Lindzey and E. Aronson (Eds.) (ed.). New York
Random House. pp. 311-378.
Sveningsson, S., and Alvesson, M. 2003. "Managing Managerial Identities: Organizational
Fragmentation, Discourse and Identity Struggle" Human Relations (56-10), p 1163-1193
Weick, K.E. 1979. The Social Psychology of Organizing, 2nct Ed. New York: McGraw Hill.
Weick, K.E. 1995. Sensemaking in Organizations. Thousand Oaks. CA: Sage.
Yin, R. 2003. Case Study Research, Design and Methods, (3rct Ed.), Thousand Oaks. Sage
publications.
\
The 'IT Professional ' Self-Identity
Appendix 1: Systematic Exploration Grid (Cassette, 2004)
./
---
\.
.,
/ r ..
!/
-- ...
-
..
-
---
- - ~
- -
J
- ........
)
_ ..
.
.....
-
--
# ... --
.
..
127
-
_./