JCPSLP Vol 20 No 2 July 2018

emphasis on achieving clinical outcomes and client advocacy speaks to the unique input that SLPs provide. Participants identified more strongly as SLPs than as employees of an organisation which highlights the significance they ascribed to being a SLP, and is consistent with research suggesting that clinicians identify with their profession to a greater extent than their organisation or unit (Ashforth & Mael, 1989). Our findings related to professional identity are particularly important given past research suggesting that there is misunderstanding of the role of SLPs (Byrne, 2008) and that SLPs perceive their role is misunderstood by employers, consumers (O’Brien et al., 2013), and other health professions (Byrne, 2010). Perceptions that employing organisations do not recognise core professional values of consumer focus (O’Brien et al., 2017) may result in heightened sense of professional identity threat regarding decisions relating to workforce and role (McNeil, Mitchell, & Parker, 2013). Participants held a strong sense of their professional distinctiveness, but were not confident that organisational management, other health and education workers, or consumers understood their unique contribution. Blurring of boundaries and poorly defined professional identity has been identified as a source of professional rivalry, tension and hostility within clinical practice (Hudson, 2002). Poor understanding of the SLP role combined with perceptions of decreased valuation of the profession’s expertise may lead to an indistinct professional identity. Turner and Knight (2015) discussed the consequences of an indistinct professional identity, concluding that one of the key features is an inability to strategically react to change. This is an important consideration for the profession given the evolving nature of services and the diversifying future needs of the community. Professional identity threat Participants reported that they felt assistants threatened the three core components of their identity: professionalism, consumer focus and clinical autonomy. Participants were concerned that the introduction of assistants may negatively impact their level of involvement with clients and delivery of intervention, resulting in poorer clinical outcomes. This was seen as a threat to professional identity in terms of limiting SLPs’ ability to maintain a holistic focus on client assessment, intervention and evaluation, consequently impacting the provision of high levels of professional care and ethical practice (i.e., ensuring that intervention is both beneficial and also not causing harm). This research provides one of the first explorations of professional identity threats in speech-language pathology. It will be important for organisations to demonstrate and communicate the positive impact assistants may bring to the profession with a focus on the benefits to consumers, a factor that was found to encourage positive perceptions (O’Brien et al., 2017). With increased overall understanding of the intent of the workforce redesign and better knowledge of existing professional identity and influencing factors for SLPs, organisations can effect positive, rather than enforced change. Similarly, by encouraging interaction between professional bodies (e.g., Speech Pathology Australia) and employing organisations, strategies for change may be identified to create a diverse and dynamic future speech-language pathology workforce (Speech Pathology Australia, 2016b). The introduction of new roles into a profession with a strong and established sense of professional identity has

the potential to change the way people view themselves, in both a work and social context (Haslam, 2004). In cases where workforce redesign is likely, perceived threats to professional identity and the impact this has on an individual’s perceived status within the organisation, will be important barriers to overcome. There is evidence that in times of job and employment insecurity, the importance of understanding the role of professional identity in maintaining a positive employment relationship, is great (Alvesson & Willmott, 2002). Considering the tensions and efforts to maintain or increase control during a process of workforce redesign at the level of everyday practice, there is potential for resistance to start with low level discontent but escalate to potential destabilisation and creation of weakness in a work context (Thomas & Davies, 2005). It will be important for the speech-language pathology profession to have a clear message for ourselves, employers and consumers regarding the core features of the SLP professional identity. This will include the ethical standards and evidence base to which the profession is committed, as well as beliefs, values and rationales of the profession. Having this clearly articulated will allow the profession to respond in an informed and coordinated way if challenges to the professional values are experienced (Turner & Knight, 2015). Limitations and future directions Participants in this study were interviewed in a work context and asked to contribute from the perspective of a speech- language pathologist. It is therefore possible that the lines of questioning, context in which it occurred and participant’s degree of understanding of the study purpose and potential implications, may have contributed to heightened sense of professional identity. This factor must therefore be taken into account when interpreting the results. It must also be recognised that this study reflects the views of one group of speech-language pathologists from a focused geographic location and may not be representative of SLPs in other parts of Australia. Replication of this study across different locales and contexts would allow for further in-depth exploration and saturation of the codes, categories and themes. Given the paucity of information or a specific description of the professional identity of SLPs, further study is needed to determine what factors influence existing professional identity and how this identity might impact, or be impacted upon, by workforce redesign. It would also be beneficial to explore in greater detail who professionals perceive to be the source of professional identity threat in the context of workforce redesign (e.g., organisational management or the new occupational group). Another important area for further exploration would be the development of professional identity throughout SLP training and early graduate experiences and the factors that contribute to professional resilience in a changing employment landscape. Conclusion Perceptions of workforce redesign are not only informed by sense of self as an individual, but also by the sense of belonging to a distinct professional group (Haslam, 2014). This study has provided an exploration of speech-language pathology professional identity construction and role in understanding reactions to a workforce redesign. It offers insight into the ways professions and professionals may respond to the introduction of a vocationally trained group. Lessening the sharpness of professional boundaries

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JCPSLP Volume 20, Number 2 2018

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology