| This research explores the potential of narrative inquiry for the professional development of workers. Eight Canadian business individuals participate in guided reflection on their lived experiences to recreate knowledge and understanding of themselves as workers in order to reconstruct their professional profiles for improved workplace discourse. This thesis refers to workplace dialogue and modes of communication as discourse. In this context, I present discourse taking its form as a result of personal and professional experience. Personal narratives allow us to describe experiences, be inspired by them and resonate with the lives of others. My research uses narrative inquiry as both a message and a method; the participants and researcher tell, retell, live and relive their experiences. Together we uncover the values and images by which we live and reconstruct new meanings that become our professional knowledge. Participants portray their renovated professional knowledge in the form of a professional profile. With new knowledge come new discourses and a reshaping of the worker, the workplace landscape and the world. The traditional boundary between education and business is seen to be much more semi-permeable as we become a knowledge-driven society. My research breathes its life in the midst of this boundary. Unless we understand how we obtain and apply our knowledge, we are vulnerable to problematic uncertainty. Narrative inquiry accepts uncertainties as a fundamental condition of living. At the same time, narrative inquiry provides a way to reflect, uncover and create new meanings so the exploration of uncertainty can shape new professional knowledge, meaningful workplace discourse and the ability to influence the workplace landscape. My research upholds the value and significance of workers' personal practical knowledge accessible in the experiences they live, tell, retell and relive and reconstructed in their professional profile. |
