Nascent Occupations and the Challenge of Access in Cross-Occupational Collaborations

Abstract

This study examines the role of access in cross-occupational collaborations involving members of a nascent occupation. We find that when such collaborations are voluntary, members of nascent occupations may struggle to gain meaningful access and demonstrate their potential value to collaboration partners—as they typically lack institutional signals of credentialing and formalized training. Drawing on interviews and data from a three-year ethnographic study of first-generation responsible investment analysts in France, we document the divergent interactions and experiences they had working with two groups of asset management professionals. We find that occupational features underpin dispositions towards voluntary collaborations, influencing the forms of access granted and conditioning the possibilities for collaborative engagement. By opening up and closing down opportunities for engagement, these occupational dispositions not only influence interactional dynamics and approaches to collaboration, but the nature and effectiveness of collaborative outcomes. We conclude by discussing the study’s implications for future research on cross-occupational collaborations involving members of nascent occupations.