Professions, work, and digitalization: Technology as means to connective professionalism

Abstract

Abstract Developments within digital technology are often seen as an enabler, allowing professions to connect to outside players for competence and new ways of performing their professional work. At the same time, it is often seen as a threat, challenging professional claims to competence and status. This article explores how the implementation of new digital technology affects a profession. The empirical data are from a case study from the maritime industry that focuses on ship engineers and the implementation of an advanced sustainable fuel system and a subsequent new business model to enable its operationalization. Our findings indicate that digital technology created pressure on the profession when their existing competencies did not cover the maintenance of this new technology. The solution for the shipowner to mend the competency gap was more digital technology, specifically technology that enabled more connectivity toward the outside world. This article shows how the profession of the ship engineer was able to connect to outside partners so they could gain competence and incorporate the new digital technology in their professional work. These relations shape the professional work of the ship engineers and move the profession toward connective professionalism. The contribution of this paper is the identification of mechanisms like the pressure to connect to outside actors, removal of barriers, and the observed value of the professional work. These mechanisms are essential to understanding connective professionalism.