Methods of Promoting Professional Agency at Work

Satu Kalliola,Salme Mahlakaarto

doi:10.3390/challe11020030

Abstract

In the midst of continuous changes in working life, finding a way to balance organizational demands and the needs of employees has become an important task. This task has highlighted the significance of agency and social interaction, as influencing factors that can enhance people’s potential to meet new learning tasks. In the Scandinavian and Finnish contexts, research institutions, in cooperation with work organizations, have developed practical methods to promote agency and learning at work. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of two different workplace development methods, identity (ID) training, and participatory action research (PAR) using dialogue forums if combined and applied as a two-level approach. The study asks what the characteristics of these methods are in general and if there are any key characteristics that could support their combined application. The research question is answered by a qualitative descriptive analysis of the literature on organizations, agency, and applications of the methods. The results shed light on and emphasize the intertwining characteristics of the methods. The research concludes with the hypothesis—to be tested in further research—that the methods are necessary for each other and recommends a preliminary investigation on the prevailing organizational culture, as a resource for organization-specific modifications.

Highlights

The environment of public sector organizations, consisting of many professional fields, like social services, health care, education, and teacher education, is characterized by a continuous lack of resources, new demands of active citizens, and, to some degree, an ideological emphasis on the privatization of public services
The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of two different workplace development methods, identity (ID) training, and participatory action research (PAR) using dialogue forums if combined and applied as a two-level approach
The literature on the methods that are the focus of this paper, ID training and participatory action research (PAR) using dialogue forums, is comprehensively gathered using criteria associated with the presentation of the methods, including both the underlying principles and practical details

Summary

Introduction

The environment of public sector organizations, consisting of many professional fields, like social services, health care, education, and teacher education, is characterized by a continuous lack of resources, new demands of active citizens, and, to some degree, an ideological emphasis on the privatization of public services. Employees are required to reshape their work-related identities, including their commitments and ideals at work, their relationships to their work organization, and their social relations with colleagues. In this situation, employees are at risk of losing their subjectivities at work. Comparisons between the European and Scandinavian context further showed a remarkable intensification of work in the public sector, especially women’s work. This situation indicates an urgent need to prevent further deterioration of the well-being of the employees in question. In 2018, Finnish employees experienced positive changes in their working life from the perspective of organizational changes and Challenges 2020, 11, 30; doi:10.3390/challe11020030 www.mdpi.com/journal/challenges

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Discussion

Conclusion