ERIC Number: ED663161
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 126
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3427-0906-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
From Solo to Social: Unraveling the Strategies Utilized by IT Professionals in Virtual CoPs
Allen Michael Heimbach
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Wilkes University
Many information technology professionals are isolated within their own companies or work with a limited number of experts in their specific domains (Jenkins et al., 2020). This phenomenon, known as professional isolation, occurs when professionals have limited access to collaborative opportunities in the workplace (Kutoane et al., 2023). Professional isolation can negatively impact job performance and employee retention, contributing to a lack of employee confidence (Mannir et al., 2023; Spilker & Breaugh, 2021). Virtual communities of practice can transcend geographical, organizational, and temporal limitations, offering a potential solution for professional isolation (Mannir et al., 2023). A qualitative instrumental case study was used to explore the complex interactions and strategies employed by information technology professionals within virtual communities of practice. The use of an instrumental case study allowed for an in-depth description, exploration, and analysis of a bounded system--"a specific, complex, functioning thing" (Stake, 1995, p. 2). The findings of this study investigate the strategies utilized by information technology professionals on these platforms, as well as other interconnected phenomena, including professional isolation. The results of this study may be influential for information technology professionals, organizations, and educators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Information Technology, Professional Personnel, Professionalism, Social Isolation, Computer Mediated Communication, Communities of Practice, Career Development
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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