Beyond a common title: the formation of a professional identity among energy advisers

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore if and how a professional identity can be formed in the wake of the foundation of a new public service. In the article, the authors focus on how different forces, regulative and emergent, interact and contribute to a development of a coherent understanding of a professional identity in a decentralised service. The case of local authority energy and climate consultancy is an illustrative example of a nascent service occupation in Sweden where the individuals holding the job title are geographically dispersed.Design/methodology/approachThis paper has a qualitative approach and relies on three different data sources: participatory observations, written documents, and in‐depth interviews with energy and climate advisers working in a particular region in Sweden. The study covers the years 2005 to 2010.FindingsThe findings suggest that identity formation among geographically dispersed individuals in a nascent service occupation is possible. The development of collective understanding of the professional identity is influenced both by regulative and emergent forces, which interact.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to one particular service occupation in Sweden, from which generalisations are limited.Practical implicationsThe findings may serve as useful input for management in order to understand facilitation of identity building among professionals in decentralised functions.Originality/valueThe value of this study lies in the comprehensive approach to how different pertinent forces interact with each other in order for a cohesive understanding of a work‐related identity to develop in newly‐established service occupations.