NURS 602 Applying Critical Reflective Practice Research Examples

NURS 602 Applying Critical Reflective Practice Research Examples Example 1 UBG331 Applying Critical Reflective Practice Part A Aim and Context Human Resource professionals face an environment that is “complex, uncertain and changeable” (Gardner 2009), as I have experienced this within areas of a Management role and faced with this perception, I still wish to pursue a career within HR. The aim and purpose of this research is to explore whether my maternity (trigger) was the influence that led me to my career crossroad of leaving my job and undertaking an undergraduate degree. To discover this, my research context is framed around the professional body of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). My reasoning for this is because CIPD are known for setting the professional benchmark in HR whilst being a highly recognised accreditation. I am able to identify a deeper understanding about them from their vision and purpose, which is to; “Define, improve and represent practices in people and organisation development to benefit individuals, businesses, economies and society” (Our purpose, vision and mission - About us - CIPD, 2016). Using the CIPD Profession Map I am able to demonstrate through active imagination a diagnosis of why these three behaviors; Curious, Courage to Challenge and Driven to Deliver ("Behaviours | CIPD") describe my maternity trigger and most describe my HR journey and experience so far. Importantly, Pettica-Harris and McKenna (2013) argues that a professional person may have choices in which career path they take but will face struggles at the heart of discovering professional knowledge. This is due to CIPD’s own knowledge in action framework ("Profession Map For HR And L&D | CIPD") which shape’s and moulds professionals to be specific behaviours of what they have to ‘be’ (du Gay, 1994; McKenna, 2010 cited in Peticca‐Harris and McKenna, 2013, pg.823). This draws internal identity conversations of ‘Inside’ work (Peticca‐ Harris and McKenna, 2013) such as questions of; “Who am I? What should I be? How should I be it?” (Archer, 2003 cited in Peticca‐Harris and McKenna, 2013 pg. 824). Theoretical Direction As the focus of this research is knowledge in action (Schon, 1983) this will consider how my professional knowledge (practical wisdom) was triggered by my maternity. I begin my theoretical direction by researching critical reflection, Bolton (2010) Through-the-Mirror writing 5 step approach takes control of our experience by analysing our own stories through the lens to aid a better understanding of knowledge and experience to create awareness of HR developmental areas. Similarly, Bassot (2013) identifies the same reflection process as the metaphorical mirror, using the Driver’s Mirror is a way to see ‘what is behind us and identify how to move forward’. In order to critically reflective an individual need’s to understand their own values, Mezirow (1978; 1981) 7 levels of reflexivity focuses upon an individual’s feelings, attitudes and values, as Van Woerkom (2004) suggests individuals face implications when organisational and individual learning needs, behaviours and values collide, as my individual personal values attached to CIPD’s may differ, however the concept of critical reflective work can bridge understanding between the two (Van Woerkom, 2004). Mezirow 7 step process could identify ways to solve these implications. Gardner (2009) Affirming Values, stated within the research report “that workers believed the job was personally challenging and valuable to the wider community, and they perceived themselves as making a difference within their field”. The focus of this research is knowledge in action taking into account the reflective practitioner approach presented by Schon (1983). This approach supports the writing through-the-mirror as it allows me to see the professional knowledge I have collected over a period of time. The construction of personal and professional knowledge from learning from experience is an approach which gives me meaning because it allows me to look back at ‘action’ and how this ‘action’ has influenced my evolution of professional identity (McIntosh, 2008). The experiential approach to reflection allows me to consider the stages of the trigger using metaphor as a tangible event (Bolton, 2010). Umberto Eco (1979) stated 'live metaphors help our understanding of reality and that they should be kept if they work but once they become restricting they should be disregarded' (Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016, pg.618). I am able to identify my personal trigger ‘maternity as my turtle’ (Hunt, 2006) which lead me to my experience framing my professional identity and ultimately my transformation as an aspiring HR professional. By re-imaging the Pixar movie ‘Inside Out’ which illustrated how Riley’s (main character) emotions lead her everyday reactions to tangible events, I am able to express my active and artistic imagination (Winter et al., 1999) (see part b for method), with a dialogic process of journal entries (Ripamonti et al., 2016). Reflexive emergence allows transformation to begin from personal experience (in-action) to discussion and observation (diary) by placing my knowledge in action events (experience) with the Through-the-Mirror writing approach as a way of linking internal personal values with professional identity (Mcintosh, 2008). Bibliography Armstrong, P-A. (2016). Deciding the Theoretical Direction of the Research. Bassot, Barbara. The Reflective Journal. 1st ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print. Bolton, G. (2010) Reflective practice. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage, p. 4, 31, 128. "Behaviours | CIPD". CIPD. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Czarniawska, B. (2016). Reflexivity versus rigor. Management Learning, 47(5), pp.618 Gardner, F (2009) 'Affirming values: using critical reflection to explore meaning and professional practice', Reflective Practice, 10 (2), pp. 179-190 Hunt, Cheryl, (2006) "Travels with a turtle: metaphors and the making of a professional identity", Reflective Practice, 7, 3, pp.315-332 McIntosh, P (2008) 'Reflective reproduction: a figurative approach to reflecting in, on, and about action', Educational Action Research, 16 (1), pp. 125-143 Mezirow, J. (1978) Education for Perspective Transformation: Women’s Re-entry Programs in Community Colleges, New York: Centre for Adult Education, Columbia University. Mezirow, J. (1981) ‘A critical theory of adult learning and education’, Adult Education, 32.1: 13- 24. Our purpose, vision and mission - About us - CIPD (2016) C. Available at: Peticca‐Harris, A. and McKenna, S. (2013). Identity struggle, professional development and career. Journal of Management Development, [online] 32(8), pp.823-835. Available at: "Profession Map For HR And L&D | CIPD". CIPD. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Ripamonti, S, Galuppo, L, Gorli, M, Scaratti and A L Cunliffe (2016) 'Pushing action research towards reflexive practice', Journal of Management Inquiry, 25 (1), pp. 55-68 Schön, D. A. (1983) The reflective practitioner (New York, Basic Books). Van Woerkom, Marianne. "The Concept Of Critical Reflection And Its Implications For Human Resource Development". Advances in Developing Human Resources 6.2 (2004): 178-192. Web. 21 Nov. 2016. Winter, R., Buck, A. & Sobiechowska, P. (1999) Professional experience and the Investigative Imagination: the ART of reflective writing (London, Routledge). Part B Methodology The influence of this research was my maternity (trigger) and the underlying assumptions I reveal are; my maternity leave initiated my cross roads and new career path and to understand this I will use reflexive dialogic action research (Ripamonti et al., 2016) and a range of conversational lens to make sense of my reflexive consciousness (see method). Cunliffe (2002) suggests when one is positioned within a critical stance we try to make sense of it by engaging in dialogic to highlight our assumptions and by restructuring learning as a “reflexive dialogical practice” the critique is placed within the practice and within ourselves. Similarly, Rolf (2011) suggests a practitioner who reflects in action is a reflexive practitioner as reflecting-in-action can be seen as a form of action research. Method To facilitate my active imagination and diagnose the reasons why I am the CIPD behaviours I assume I am, I have taken a diagnostic approach of knowledge in action by using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998; Bassot 2013 pg. 58) as Cunliffe (2002) suggests ‘skilled practitioners use knowing-in-action to help their awareness within circumstances’. By choosing this method it has enabled me to make sense of my identity struggle which has detailed the different situations and challenges I faced and how I reacted to them. Using McIntosh 2008 “reflective reproduction” concept to utilise ‘active imagination’ has allow me to re-image the Pixar movie ‘Inside Out’ in the form of a critical incident analysis which makes sense of reflective lens and the interpretation of my personal data, by using different colours to identify feelings to CIPD behaviours and personal data source’s and reveals a connection between them (see trailer to storyboard introduction) and with journal entries for dialogic discussion. Bolton (2010) suggested “journals are records of experiences, thoughts, ideas about particular aspects of life and that reflective writing takes control of our experience by analysing our own stories to aid a better understanding of knowledge and experience to create awareness of our developmental areas” similarly Beveridge (1997) suggested ‘creatively noting things down without the anxiety of others opinions is an incredibly powerful thing’; transformation of personal diagnostics; Belbin, Myers Briggs and Life Value Inventory (B, 2016; M, 2016; Life Values Inventory, 2016) which was also completed on my behalf by peers gives an honest and unbiased view, as the value of ‘critical friends’ who can shed light on your hidden self (Bager- Charleston, 2010). Using multiple voices and sources during this process can reveal “different logics of action, cultures both professional and organisational and how they meet each other” (Shotter, 2010), I am able to link these with the CIPD behaviours which allows me to deeply look into myself to drop my ego and reveal the questions orientated from the unconscious to established personal forms of knowing (McIntosh 2008, pg. 141). Colour Key: Internal Emotions - Yellow, Blue, Purple, Green and Red CIPD, Personal Data and Journal are colour coordinated and linked to the above colour codes. Critique of Research Design I have chosen to critique two areas of my research; the use of Myers Briggs Type Indicator as a form of person data and reflection-in-action research. Firstly, Myers Briggs Type Indicator is not scientifically proven as the theory of psychological type was based from Jung’s observations and reflections and later progressed by Isabel Briggs Myers (Centre for Confidence and Well-Being, 2009). The Army Research Institute commissioned a review of Myers Brigg Type Indicator and stated the test should not be used for career planning counselling and suggested the “types may simply be an example of stereotypes” (Pittenger, n.d. pg. 6). The descriptions are “generally flattering” and “sufficiently vague” and it is thought that people will believe the extent of the description, this is known as the “Barnum Effect” (Dickson et al., 1985 cited in Pittenger, n.d pg. 6). Petersen (2006) states the reliability of the test is inconsistent as the same test can be taken by the same person on different occasions and receive different results, whilst the validity of the test is described as low due to a “distorted picture” which the test may reflection upon the individual giving not a true reflection. Secondly, research suggests there are two types of theory being used within reflection-in-action: “espoused theories” from interviews and “theories-in-use” which are taken from observations of actual practices. Espoused theories are versions of rationalist models of decision making and theories-in-use are suggested by Knorr Celina, 1981(Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016) are detailed observations rarely spoken about: ‘Managers do reflect-in-action however do this whilst ‘in-action’ resulting in their reflection remaining private and not available to others’ (Schön, 1983: 243. Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016). This is when theories-in-use should be made clear and to achieve this is to educate reflexive practitioners (Schön, 1987. Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016), similarity, Ann L. Cunliffe (2009) (Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016) suggests leadership education is an opportunity to reflect over practice in a context separate from that practice. Research suggests that reflection-in-action can only be taught if practitioners switch between acting and reflecting as it is impossible to do both at the same time (Niklas Luhmann, 1998. Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016) Schön’s (1983) stated reflective practitioners must establish a “double vision” (p. 164), as reflecting ‘observation needs action’ can only happen at a distance (Source: Extracted from Czarniawska, 2016). The legitimacy of reflecting-in-action is that “double vision” can be achieved in the form of journal entries, as logging the experience, actions and feelings relating to the practitioner, can lead to a reflexive approach to observation on one’s self and implementing this progress results in learning from experience and practitioner being further educated on themselves. Bibliography Bager-Charleson, Sofie. Reflective Practice In Counselling And Psychotherapy. 1st ed. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd., 2010. Print. Bassot, Barbara. The Reflective Journal. 1st ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print. B. (2016). Belbin Team Roles | Belbin. [online] Available at: Beveridge, I. (1997) Teaching your studies to think reflectively: the case for reflection journals. Teaching in Higher Education, 2(1), 33-43 Bolton, G. (2010) Reflective practice. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage, p. 4, 31, 128. Cassell, C. and P Johnson. "Action Research: Explaining The Diversity". Human Relations 59.6 (2006): 783-814. Centre For Confidence And Well-Being, Resources, Diversity And Type, Type Resources (MBTI), Section 4: The MBTI, Strengths, Confidence, Well-Being And Critiques, Criticism Of The MBTI. C. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Dec. 2016. CIPD. (2016). Profession Map for HR and L&D | CIPD. [online] Available at: Cunliffe, A. L. (2010). Why complicate a done deal? Bringing reflexivity into management research. In C. Cassell & B. Lee (Eds), Management research: Challenges and controversies (pp. 404-418). London, England: Routledge. Cunliffe, A. (2002). Reflexive Dialogical Practice in Management Learning. Management Learning, [online] 33(1), pp.35-61. Available at: %40sessionmgr4010&hid=4203&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d %3d#AN=&db=edswss [Accessed 16 Dec. 2016]. Czarniawska, B. (2016). Reflexivity versus rigor. Management Learning, 47(5), pp.615-619. Gardner, F. (2014). Being critically reflective. 1st ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, p.35. JOLLIMORE, T. (2005). Why Is Instrumental Rationality Rational?. Canadian Journal of Philosophy, [online] 35(2), pp.289-307. Available at: M. (2016). Belbin Team Roles. [online] Available at: McIntosh, P (2008) 'Reflective reproduction: a figurative approach to reflecting in, on, and about action', Educational Action Research, 16 (1), pp. 125-143 Method, Reliability & Validity, Statistics & Research: A Comprehensive Review of Belbin Team Roles. (2014). 1st ed. [ebook] Belbin Associates, pp.1-26. Available at: Dec. 2016]. M. (2016). The Myers & Briggs Foundation - The 16 MBTI® Types. [online] Available at: Ripamonti, S, Galuppo, L, Gorli, M, Scaratti and A L Cunliffe (2016) 'Pushing action research towards reflexive practice', Journal of Management Inquiry, 25 (1), pp. 55-68 Rolfe, G. (2011b) ‘Refection-in-Action’, in G. Rolfe, M. Jasper and D. Freshwater (Eds) Critical Reflection in Practice Generating Knowledge for Care (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan), p. 163. Life Values Inventory, I. (2015). Life Values Inventory — Values Clarification Program. [online] L. Available at: 2016]. Petersen, Verner. C. MBTI - Distorted Reflections Of Personality. 1st ed. Department of Management, 2016. Web. 15 Dec. 2016. Pittenger, David, J. "Measuring The MBTI... And Coming Up Short". . Web. 15 Dec. 2016. Shotter, J. "Situated Dialogic Action Research: Disclosing ''Beginnings'' For Innovative Change In Organizations". Organizational Research Methods 13.2 (2010): 268-285. Web. Van Woerkom, Marianne. "The Concept Of Critical Reflection And Its Implications For Human Resource Development". Advances in Developing Human Resources 6.2 (2004): 178-192. Web. 21 Nov. 2016. Part C Trailer to Storyboard: The Mind Map To reveal my underlying assumptions, I will take you through my ‘Mind Map’ re-imaging from ‘Inside Out’ (Source: Extracted from P, December 2016). The picture below is a representation of my 'Mind Map'. The mind map is made up of different areas within the mind such as 'imagination land, abstract thought, dreams, long term memory and circulated by the train of thought'. The centre of my mind also known as 'headquarters' is ran by feelings such as joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger, they control my 'Core Memories' which power and send memories to different aspects of my personality (the different islands attached to 'headquarters') such as; family, friendship, responsibility…. Feelings determine how a particular memory will feel and which to resurface from stored 'Core Memories'. They represent a significant moment in my life, this could be a joyous or sad time an example of this is my maternity (identity struggle), however each 'Core Memory' may start out a certain feeling but may change towards the end, this is explained further towards the end of my story. Mind Map (Source: Riley's Mind Map, 2016) Add comment Details To leave or not to leave? I am able to look through the lens to make sense of my reflexive consciousness to reveal the person I once was by describing my maternity. During the final stages of a previous management role I decided I wanted to start a family. I could not have been more excited when I became pregnant and as I had a good working relationship with my manager I knew she would be pleased for me too. Once the congratulations were over, I was advised that once I had returned to work after my maternity leave I would not receive the salary increase previously discussed within my performance review. The reason for this was because I did not have the legitimacy that others did with regards to an undergraduate degree in Human Resource. This realisation of not having “the badge” is identification of my identity struggle. This was a very crucial time within my life as I needed my employment and pay increase to support myself and my baby. I honestly could not believe this was happening to me, I felt anger, fear and sadness, as I always had the driven to deliver (Source: Extracted from CIPD HR Professional Map, located at Throughout my management role which did incorporate aspects of in-house HR too, I thought to myself, “Ok I don’t have the badge (degree) but I have the knowledge in action which is far more important!”. Anger is not usually a feeling I would express, disgust yes, anger no. Once the anger subsided sadness came to the surface, I always believe that being disappointed in something or someone and walking away has a much bigger impact than anger and conflict. So that is what I did, I walked away. I advised my manager that their decision was unfair and unfortunately as there was no agreement met or flexibility available from the organisation I handed in my notice. This decision made me fearful, “what was I going to do? How was I going to cope financially? And at the same time I ended up a single mother. As a result of this my internal feelings recalled 'Core Memories' from my subconscious relating to responsibility (Source: Extracted from Life Values Inventory, December 2016) within my childhood such as; when my mother was a single parent, I suddenly realised how hard it was for her working two jobs and caring for me, thankfully my grandparents were retired and were able to help everyday but I knew I was not going to have that level of support as my parents were both in full-time employment. Now the responsibility of taking care of my baby was solely down the myself. Another memory that surfaced was from when I was a teenager leaving school, I was unaware of which direction to go in even though I knew I wanted to study a degree. As I was now at a crossroads with my future in my hands, I felt great uncertainty and stress within myself however I knew I was going to survive this so I became proactive with the following quote in mind. A baby (Source: Extracted from CafeMom, 2016) Add comment Details Curiosity does not always kill the cat! At the start of my maternity leave I implemented the end of the quotation; “The past forgotten and the future worth living for” (Source: The Stir, December 2016) I believe this incident happening to me triggered a positive instance and new direction in my life, revealing the curious (CIPD) behaviour. As I was future-focused and open-minded, I reflected upon my management role and discovered the area I enjoyed the most revealed Human Resources. This curious behaviour quickly developed into a courage to challenge (Source: Extracted from CIPD HR Professional Map, located at Throughout the course I kept a journal (Source: Extracted from Bolton, 2010; Beveridge, 1997) to log and open up discussion about myself and the experience, looking reflexively through the lens I feel I unconsciously did that with an underlining reference to discover why I became a single mother and how my journal entries could identify parts of my personality that I could improve both personally and professionally. Being a single mother on maternity leave and studying I faced challenges personally and professionally. My journal entries revealed the professional challenges I faced and at times left me with feelings of disgust, anger and joy. With reference to working with other people who had very different personality traits to me, very different ways of conducting tasks and communicating. I identified with an extravert (Source: Extracted from MBTI, December 2016) I was decisive, consistent yet quickly impatient and irritable (Source: Extracted from Belbin in M, December 2016). To analyse my behaviour, I reacted this way due feeling solely responsible (Source: Extracted from Life Values Inventory, December 2016) for my career and judging of people and situations (Source: Extracted from MBTI, December 2016) as I wanted to gain as much theoretical knowledge within a short space of time, I did not have time for time wasters or anyone that slowed myself or the group down. The below picture summarises myself extremely well as should I keep a log of my personality as a person outside of the work place using a diagnostic approach I believe my diagnosis would be very different. Acting (Source: Extracted from I act differently, 2016) Add comment Details I want to break Free To conclude my storyboard, the use of reflexive dialogic action research has enabled me to not only analyse my journal entries but most importantly myself. The entries have enabled me to identify who I actually want to be and the behavioural changes I need to make within my own personality that will enable me to transform myself further both personally and professionally. Using multi conversational lens I am able to make sense of the different behavioural aspects to utilise within my personality such as; incorporating more feeling and co-ordinator, less extravert however this can be achieved by being calm yet still in control, gaining the best all round performance of the team and myself by showing harmony all round (Source; Extracted from MBTI, December 2016) and a concern for others by noticing their needs with a warm- hearted presents and loyalty (Source: Extracted from Life Values Inventory, December 2016). Within the detailing of the ‘mind map’ I revealed 'Core Memories' may change colour from their original, this is because over time our feelings change depending on whether a different feeling affected the 'Core Memory'. I believe this is exactly what happened when "train of thought" recalled my 'Core Memory' to 'headquarters' allowing joy to touch and change the colour from anger, fear, disgust and sadness to joy as I believe looking through the lens to my maternity (identity struggle) was the best life changing incident to happen to me. The below picture is a representation of the transformation I have under gone and how far I have actually come as a person. Understanding (Source: Extracted from God grant me, 2016) Add comment Details List of Personal Data Sources B. (2016). Belbin Team Roles | Belbin. [online] Available at: Beveridge, I. (1997) Teaching your studies to think reflectively: the case for reflection journals. Teaching in Higher Education, 2(1), 33-43 Bolton, G. (2010) Reflective practice. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage, p. 4, 31, 128. Brown, D. and Crace, K. (1996). LIFE VALUES INVENTORY. 1st ed. [ebook] Life Values Resources, pp.1-5. CIPD. (2016). Profession Map for HR and L&D | CIPD. [online] Available at: God grant me... (2016). [image] Available at: I act differently... (2016). [image] Available at: M. (2016). The Myers & Briggs Foundation - The 16 MBTI® Types. [online] Available at: P. (2016). Pixar. [online] Available at: Profession Map – Our Professional Standards V2.4. (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] CIPD, p.44. Available at: Profession Map – Our Professional Standards V2.4. (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] CIPD, p.50. Available at: Profession Map - Our Professional Standards V2.4. (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] CIPD. Available at: Dec. 2016]. CafeMom. (2016). [image] Available at: =OIP.M18b13dd8d6d6877c6856f694eH0&ajaxhist=0 [Accessed 18 Dec. 2016]. Example 2 UGB331: Applying Critical Reflective Practice Research Part A: Research Aims and Literature Review In order to pursue a career in marketing, it is imperative that I am able to identify with what marketing professionals consider makes a professional marketer. For that reason, this research will predominantly focus upon the research context ‘Formal Professional Identity as defined by the behaviour and values framework of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)’ with the aim of increasing self-awareness of values and behaviours which have developed my professional identity. This research aim will be investigated using the CIM framework; this is a “framework of competencies which provide a guide to the skills and behaviours that are expected of professional marketers” (CIM, 2016), and this will be used to critically reflect upon how I see myself and also how others see me in relation to the competencies outlined by the CIM; this reflection is fundamentally the root of gaining knowledge and improving (Wright, 2013). The reason I have chosen to focus my research on the CIM framework is because marketing is the career path I want to peruse once I have completed my degree; therefore, by reflecting myself against the competencies outlined in the framework, this will ultimately give me a clearer understanding and awareness of where I was, where I am and where I need to be in terms of generating a professional marketing identity. Additionally, it has been suggested that those with an association and awareness of the marketing professional body are found to be more familiar with the expectations of marketing and ultimately have a higher extent of personal identification with the requirements (Bennett, 2010) therefore by making myself familiar with their criteria, this will be advantageous when applying for marketing jobs as I will be aware of the competencies they are predominantly looking for in their future employees. To be able to successfully develop a strong professional identity, critical reflection is important; this is because an individual must have an understanding of their own personal experiences in relation to those specified by specialised bodies thus making them a reflexive practitioner; a reflexive practitioner is an individual who is capable of analysing how a professional structure corresponds to their own values (Bolton, 2010; p13-14) it essentially requires each individual to “focus close attention on their own actions, thoughts, feelings, values, identity and their effect upon others, situations and professional and social structures” (Bolton, 2010; p14). Critical reflection is essentially all about the imagination and this can be either active imagination (Jung, (2005), cited by McIntosh, 2008), artistic imagination (Winter et al, (1999) cited by Hunt, 2006) or a combination of the two. Active imagination is the process whereby there is a temporary suspension of the ego allowing individuals to momentarily give up their identity enabling the unknown to surface (McIntosh, 2008); in this case, images are seen as data and emphasise the importance of the process of reflection and not the sole result. Whilst artistic imagination is the use of metaphors and visual creative’s to represent identity and Hunt (2006) suggests that this is a crucial component of reflection as it enables “essentially wordless domains [to be] expressed as words or actions…helping appreciate the sensing’s from which they emerge”. The focus of my critical reflection will be to develop my self-awareness in order to understand why I am the way I am and how this relates to marketing values. According to Morgan (2009), the main benefit of reflective practice is to “develop personal knowledge and self-awareness” helping to acknowledge your open self, blind self and hidden self therefore increasing your self- awareness. To assist with this; the theoretical direction of this research will focus primarily on affirming values. According to Gardner (2009), critical reflection is “a theoretical approach and process” essential for affirming values as it helps people discover their own values and what significance these have in their occupation – “it encourages rigorous exploration of professional practice experience and is essential for learning and research” (Gardner, 2009) therefore making reflection an essential component for developing a professional identity. A study conducted by Gardner (2009) found that those who explored critical reflection found it helpful in being able to successfully express their values in their profession as it had helped “unearth the values they saw as fundamental” which consequently enhanced their sense of meaning as they were able to become more self-aware of what these values meant to them which would not be possible without reflection. Furthering on from this, Davys & Beddoe (2010 cited by Pack, 2011) have also recognised that reflective practice is essential in being able to affirm your values as they too believe that this exploration will help underlying assumptions about yourself come to light therefore assisting to unearth core values attributable to your professional identity. Ultimately, by using reflection as a tool of developing self-awareness, this will help affirm my values, develop my personal skills and help recognise my personal strengths (Billington, 2013) which are vital for developing a professional identity. Part A: Bibliography Billington, T., (2013). ‘Promoting self-awareness through reflective practice’. British Journal of Nursing. 22(1), p. 45. Bennett, R., (2010). ‘What makes a marketer? Development of marketing professional identity among marketing graduates during early career experiences.’ Journal of Marketing Management. 27, p. 13. Bolton, G., (2010). Reflective Practice: An Introduction. In: Reflective Practice Writing & Professional Development. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, p.13-14. Bolton, G., (2010). Reflective Practice: An Introduction. In: Reflective Practice Writing & Professional Development. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, p.14. CIM., (2016). Professional Marketing Competencies. [Online] Available at: Davys & Beddoe., (2010) cited by Pack, M., (2011). ‘More than you know: critically reflecting on learning experiences by attuning to the community of learners’. Reflective Practice. 12(1), p.115 - 125. Gardner, F., (2009). ‘Affirming values: using critical reflection to explore meaning and professional practice’. Reflective Practice. 10(2), p. 179 – 190. Hunt, C., (2006). ‘Travels with a turtle: metaphors and the making of a professional identity’. Reflective Practice. 7(3), p. 315 – 317. Jung,. (2005) cited by McIntosh, P., (2008) ‘Reflective reproduction: a figurative approach to reflecting in, on, and about action’. Educational Action Research. 16(1), p. 131. McIntosh, P., (2008). ‘Reflective reproduction: a figurative approach to reflecting in, on, and about action’. Educational Action Research. 16(1), p. 131. Morgan, G., (2009). ‘Reflective Practice and Self-Awareness’. Perspectives in Public Health. 129(4), p. 161 – 162. Winter et al., (1999) cited by Hunt, C., (2006). ‘Travels with a turtle: metaphors and the making of a professional identity’. Reflective Practice. 7(3), p. 315. Wright, A., (2013). ‘The eye of the storm: a mindful inquiry into reflective practices in education’. Reflective Practice. 14(3), p. 556 – 567. Part B: Reflections on Research Methods and Data Analysis Reflexive consciousness is the ability to self-reflect and make individual observations of our own journeys to increase self-discovery and awareness concerning the ethnographic focus of self-inquiry (Franks, 2016; p.49). According to Richards (2013) in order to develop a reflective consciousness, individuals must be able to draw on their direct participation in life events to be able to successfully generate and manipulate knowledge and give it meaning. In terms of developing a marketing professional identity, reflective consciousness can be more difficult due to the prescribed structure of the behaviours; therefore, it is imperative that individuals become researching professionals enabling them to enhance their awareness of their professional identity whilst giving them more opportunity for future professional development. For that reason, as I want to increase my self-awareness in relation to the CIM professional identity, in order to determine why I research the way I do, the methodology of this research will focus on reflexivity as reflexivity is all about understanding why you do what you do, helping to accomplish an identity as a professional. Reflexivity is fundamentally regarded as being able to stand outside the self to examine (Bolton, 2010; p13 - 18), looking at yourself from an outside perspective with a temporary suspension of the ego. However, this can be difficult for individuals as this can occasionally unearth unwanted revelations yet, although this can be unsettling, being able to look at yourself from an outsider view is essential at being able to identify ways to improve and to help discover your professional status (Meierdirk, 2012) which is what this research ultimately aims to achieve. The research that is being conducted is both inductive and deductive; this is because within this research I am aiming to generate meaning from the qualitative data that has been gathered in order to increase my self-awareness, affirm my values and develop a reflexive consciousness (Dudovskiy, 2016) whilst comparing myself against the existing marketing framework. In order to gather this qualitative data which will guide my critical reflection, personal data sources will be used and these will be in the form of self-awareness diagnostics; self-awareness diagnostics will be effective for this research as they will become reflexive accounts, ultimately enabling me to use my active imagination to increase my understanding and awareness of my ‘blind self’ whilst helping to affirm my values as they predominantly focus on identifying why you behave the way you do. To enhance the internal validity of this research, it is important that triangulation of sources is implemented; for that reason, the self-awareness diagnostic tools I will be using for this research are Myers Briggs Type Indicator which identifies which personality type a person belongs to and the Emotional Intelligence test which allows individuals to recognise their level of emotion both of which will help increase my self-awareness and identify why I behave the way I do. Although using these personal data sources will be advantageous in helping affirm my values and understand why I behave the way I do, they are ultimately subjective methods of analysis as the data that is drawn from them is from the individual’s personal opinion therefore reducing its authority (Alvesson & Skoldberg, 2009; p.11) as self-reports often lead to response biases as people want to be seen in a more favourable, socially desirable way (McDonald, 2008). Furthermore, the authority of the data is again lessened because of the numerical scoring systems that are often used in these tests meaning that, although straightforward to carry out (Kline (1993) cited by McDonald, 2008) individuals’ interpretation of the data is subjective and therefore reduced in validity and reliability. Nonetheless, despite the subjectivity, these self-report tests can be beneficial as respondents are more likely to be motivated to complete them and feel confident in doing so rather than having to talk about themselves directly to someone (McDonald, 2008). Therefore, because it has been suggested individuals have a distorted perception about who they are (John & Robins (1994) cited by McDonald, 2008) and want to be acknowledged in a socially desirable way, to increase the validity of these data sources it would be beneficial to have other people complete them on your behalf in order to overcome your ego and help affirm your values which is what I aim to do. However, although feedback can be beneficial in increasing validity and enhancing self- awareness, it too has its drawbacks as biases can occur when receiving feedback from peers including friends and family (Bijami et al, 2013). Furthermore, not everyone likes to receive feedback due to social anxiousness therefore, although feedback can be positive, this can be overlooked due to the cognitive disruptions that arise when feedback does not match their own views of themselves (Budnick et al, 2015). To analyse the qualitative data from the self-awareness diagnostics Johari Windows will be used to increase self-actualisation. This method of analysis will enable me to see ‘Where I Was’, ‘Where I Am’ and ‘Where I Want to Be’ in relation to a marketing professional identity as this method fundamentally “distinguishes between what you know and don’t know...and what others know and don’t know about you” (Vorce & Fragasso, 2016). In terms of my data analysis, the Open/Hidden self will be representative of ‘Where I Was’ and ‘What I Am’ and the Unknown self will be indicative of ‘Where I Want to Be’. Part B: Bibliography Alvesson, M & Skoldberg, K., (2009). Reflexive Methodology: New vistas for Qualitative Research. 2nd ed. London: SAGE Publications LTD, p.11. Batty, C., (2016). ‘Collaboration, critique and community of peers: the benefits of peer learning groups for screen production research degrees’. Studies in Australasian Cinema. 10(1), p. 65 – 78. Bijami, M, Kashef, S & Nejad, M., (2013). ‘Peer Feedback in Learning English Writing: Advantages and Disadvantages’. Journal of Studies in Education. 3(4), p. 91 – 97. Bolton, G., (2010). Reflective Practice: An Introduction. In: Reflective Practice Writing & Professional Development. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, p.13 – 18. Budnick, J, Kowal, M & Santuzzi, M., (2015). ‘Social anxiety and the ironic effects of positive interviewer feedback’. Anxiety, Stress & Coping. 28(1), p. 71 – 87. Cheng, K., Liang, J. & Tsai, C., (2015). ‘Examining the role of feedback messages in undergraduate students writing performance during an online peer assessment activity’. The Internet and Higher Education. 25, p. 78 – 84. Dudovskiy, J., (2016). Research Methodology: Inductive Approach. [Online] Available at: Franks., (2016). 'Purpose, Practice and (Discovery) Process: When Self Reflection is the Method'. Qualitative Inquiry. 22(1), p.49. John & Robins., (1994) cited by McDonald, J., (2008). ‘Measuring Personality Constructs: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Reports, Informant Reports and Behavioural Assessments.’ Enquire, 1(1), p79. Kline., (1993) cited by McDonald, J., (2008). ‘Measuring Personality Constructs: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Reports, Informant Reports and Behavioural Assessments.’ Enquire, 1(1), p77. McDonald, J., (2008). ‘Measuring Personality Constructs: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Reports, Informant Reports and Behavioural Assessments.’ Enquire, 1(1), p75-94. Meierdirk, C., (2012). The limitations of the reflective practitioner. [Online] Available at: Richards, R & Richards, L., (2013). ‘Sponges do not make their own water: student engagement through dialogue and the development of reflective consciousness’. Reflective Practice. 14(6), p.774 – 786. Vorce, J & Fragasso, P., (2016). ‘The 9-Step Springboard to Self-Knowledge.’ Women in Business. 68(1), p.6-8. Part C: The Reflexive Practitioner Storyboard In order to identify and understand why I behave the way that I do and to increase my self- awareness of my values and behaviours in relation to the Chartered Institute of Marketing framework the qualitative data gathered from the self-awareness diagnostics will be analysed and demonstrated using a ‘Critical Incident Analysis’ and this can be seen in the sections below. WHERE I WAS: Openly Collaborative whilst Subtly Influencing One of the competencies I was already aware of possessing, that is identified as a key behaviour in the Chartered Institute of Marketing framework was being collaborative which means having the ability to work with others. However, by actively being openly collaborative this has also enabled me to have a concealed, yet promising influence over people without having to take on a dictating role. “When being with a group of people you enjoy being directly involved.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: I consider myself to be openly collaborative and this is because I actively enjoy working with other people in order to enrich my knowledge through sharing my ideas and listening to the ideas of others. Throughout my entire education, I have had to be collaborative in order to accomplish tasks and succeed; therefore, had I not adhered to this competency then I would have lessened my chance of being successful within my education hence why I willingly display this behaviour. By acting collaboratively and getting directly involved with other people, I believe this ultimately helps to develop relationships with others, which is imperative for enhancing your learning and developing yourself as a person, essentially allowing you to build confidence and improve your communication. By being able to get directly involved in a group and build these relationships, I am able to demonstrate that I am a team player which has benefited me in terms of being subtly influencing; this is because people have been more encouraged and inclined to listen to my ideas and opinions as I too am willing to listen theirs. For that reason, even when working in a group situation, I can influence people to go with my ideas by expressing these confidently, and in a way that ultimately encourages people to back my decisions by being a good team player. “Other people find it easy to confide in me.” “I like to share my emotions with others.” (Extracted from ‘The Assessing Emotions Scale’ by Schute, Malouff & Bhullar, 2007. November 2016) Being openly collaborative has made it easier for people to communicate with me; this is because by being collaborative, I have become more approachable. As a result, other people whether friends, family, peers or future work colleagues will be more willing to open up to me and this is something I am appreciative of as it shows they find me to be a trusting individual. As being openly collaborative has encouraged people to be more trusting with me, this too has lead to me being more open to sharing my emotions with others thus again building trust and also effectively enhancing communication. By being able to successfully communicate with others, acknowledging their emotions and in turn being able to express my emotions to them, this fundamentally allows me to be subtly influencing, as I am able to identify common ground and approach them as equals therefore helping establish a relationship whereby we can put more trust in each other thus giving them more courage to trust my opinions. “You spend your leisure time actively socialising with a group of people.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: As I am openly collaborative, I am more eager to socialise with people in my free time; therefore, by possessing this competency it encourages social interactions with my friends and family. This social interaction, for me, is essential as I often find that when these social interactions have occurred, I am able to feel more positive and happier as a person – by finding time to take a break, it helps lessen stress and boost morale which is why, when possible, I find time to do this. Fundamentally, the qualitative data gathered from the self-awareness diagnostic tests have demonstrated that by being openly collaborative yet subtly influencing will be advantageous in building a professional identity as a marketer as I will effectively be able to work well with my colleague’s consequently increasing morale and communication whilst also enabling me to put forward my ideas without dictating. Furthermore, because I am self-aware of the fact I can collaborate with others and subtly have an influence on them, I will feel comfortable confiding in colleagues should any problems arise which is essential to minimise disruption and increase productivity. WHERE I AM: Openly Responsible for my Education, Future Career & Happiness In relation to the CIM framework, I believe the main competency I currently possess is being responsible; this means I am able recognise the impact my actions have on myself and other people around me. I am a firm believer that what happens in my life regarding my education and career is attributable to my actions and therefore I accept responsibility for the decisions I make that will affect this – I am ultimately the author of my own destiny. “Deadlines seem to you to be absolute importance rather than relative.” “Almost never late for appointments.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: “I present myself in a way that makes a good impression on others.” (Extracted from ‘The Assessing Emotions Scale’ by Schute, Malouff & Bhullar, 2007. November 2016) As someone who is openly responsible for the choices that they make commitment is something I always take seriously; the reason for this is because I want to ensure I do not let people down when things are expected to be completed in a certain time frame as this would lead to dissatisfaction and consequently create a bad impression. As someone with judging characteristics, I like to meet deadlines and set and accomplish goals; this is because it gives me a sense of fulfillment when the task itself is achieved therefore this is why I demonstrate the competency of being responsible because I do not like to let people down or be seen in a bad light. “You usually plan your actions in advance.” “When considering a situation you pay more attention to a possible sequence of events than to the current situation.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: To demonstrate my responsibility further, I have always been a rigorous planner whether this is in regards to education (completing my assignments) or the lead up to an event and this characteristic is something that has been recognised by both myself and people closest to me. Ultimately, I am an individual with sensing and judging characteristics who likes to take one step at a time in order to achieve something; this is because I am motivated to work to the highest standard and believe the best way to do this is by following a plan. Furthermore, rather than jumping into something, I like to consider what the outcome can be and what would be the best way to approach the situation therefore lessening the risk of something going wrong. “When I am faced with a challenge, I don’t give up even if I will fail.” “I know when to speak about my personal problems to others.” (Extracted from ‘The Assessing Emotions Scale’ by Schute, Malouff & Bhullar, 2007. November 2016) In order to be openly responsible, knowing when to talk to someone about any problems I have is imperative; this is because the problem will continue to fester away at me and restrict me from accomplishing my goals; therefore in order to overcome the problem I often find it best to seek advice about how I could possibly resolve the issue consequently enabling me to prosper and succeed rather than giving up on what I am trying to achieve. “I seek out activities that make me happy.” “I know why my emotions change.” (Extracted from ‘The Assessing Emotions Scale’ by Schute, Malouff & Bhullar, 2007. November 2016) “You spend your leisure time actively socialising with a group of people.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: As well as openly taking responsibility for my education and career, I also take responsibility for my happiness. I believe you cannot rely on other people to give you what you want; I am aware of what makes me happy and what does not therefore I don’t rely on other people to do this for me I instead make it happen myself – I take charge of managing my emotions. For that reason, I ensure when I have the opportunity to participate in things I enjoy, I utilise this as it fundamentally boosts my morale and increases my motivation when returning to a task afterwards. Having this self-awareness of being responsible will be imperative when conforming to a professional identity as a marketer; this is because I am a rigorous planner so will be able to ensure tasks are accomplished on time and to the highest standard and I will also feel confident enough to approach other employees if problems occur ensuring these do not affect the result of the task. Ultimately, I will be able to take into consideration how my work and attitude will affect the business as a whole. WHERE I WANT TO BE: Aspiring to be Entrepreneurial In order to develop a professional identity as a marketer, one of the competencies outlined in the CIM framework, which I have not yet acquired, is being entrepreneurial; being entrepreneurial means having the ability to spot, create and maximise opportunities however, as seen in the self-awareness diagnostics, I do not yet posses the capabilities to do this. “Feel more comfortable sticking to conventional ways.” “You are more inclined to follow familiar approaches than experiment.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: As an individual, I am currently more likely to stick to things I know and am familiar with - I am not a fan of change and often find this to be daunting therefore feel more comfortable following methods I already know and am confident with; this is because I do not want to risk something going wrong or being disappointed with the outcome when a different method is used when I am happy with the methods I know. For that reason, in order to succeed as a marketer and become more entrepreneurial I will need to be more enthusiastic to try new things, ensuring opportunities can be utilised to their supremacy. Although I am susceptible to change, I have demonstrated that: “I motivate myself by imagining a good outcome to tasks I take on.” “When I am faced with obstacles, I remember times I faced similar obstacles and overcame them.” (Extracted from ‘The Assessing Emotions Scale’ by Schute, Malouff & Bhullar, 2007. November 2016) “You easily perceive various ways in which events could develop.” (Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: Therefore, although not yet fully capable of being entrepreneurial, by working on increasing my self confidence and becoming more willing to try new things, looking at the positives rather than focusing on the negatives, I will one day be able to spot, create and maximise opportunities giving me a supreme professional identity as a marketer. Personal Data Sources Used Extracted from Jung Typology Test [Online] Available at: Extracted from ‘The Assessing Emotions Scale’ by Schute, Malouff & Bhullar, 2007. November 2016