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Strangers No More: A Collaborative Autoethnography on Early Career Professional Identities in Academia

Strangers No More: A Collaborative Autoethnography on Early Career Professional Identities in Academia
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Author(s): Beixi Li (Western Michigan University, USA)and Ajit Bhattarai (Idaho State University, USA)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 18
Source title: Academic Research Challenges for Modern Society
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Jan Vrba (Akademia Jagiellońska w Toruniu, Czech Republic)and Mohd Redzuan Mohd Sofian (Trichester Consulting, Malaysia)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-0897-5.ch010

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Abstract

In this collaborative autoethnography (CAE), we, two early-career academics in human resource development (HRD), explored the development of our professional identities in HRD academia. We began by reviewing the literature on the struggle of definitions and identities in HRD academia and argued for using autoethnography as a valid approach to explore professional identities in relation to HRD academia. Based on our experiences as graduate students in HRD Ph.D. programs and later as junior faculty members in research universities, we traced three important trajectories in the development of our professional identities – making sense of Ph.D. program renaming, situating dissertations in the dual pandemics, and first year on the tenure track. We discussed how this CAE project became a valuable process for us to engage in deep learning about ourselves as HRD academics and cultivate a sense of professionalism aligned with the field and our aspirations. This article highlighted the value of CAE as a tool to facilitate dialogue, empowerment, and collective transformation.

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