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May 21, 2017 - To God, my Heavenly Father, for inspiring me to write this scholarly discourse, ... contended that the dance of love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, ..... growing spiritual maturity and living out of one's life, whether in the ...
Running head: STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS

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Strategic Career Development: A Perichoretic Approach

Peter J. C. K. Gisbey Post-Doctoral Scholar-Practitioner

This thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder.

2017

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Declaration I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma of a university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.

Date: 26th May 2017

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Dedication To God, my Heavenly Father, for inspiring me to write this scholarly discourse, once again using my modest talents. Thank you and bless you! Amen!! * To Jesus, my Saviour and Lord, for giving me the heart, soul, strength, health and companionship needed along the way. Thank you and bless you! Amen!! * To the Holy Spirit, my Comforter, for being with me always, through good times and bad times, and for reminding me that you love me. Thank you and bless you! Amen!! * “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law.” – Holy Bible, Galatians 5:22 ** “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Holy Bible, Philippians 4:6-7 ***

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Foreword This work is inspired by meditations on the nature of the Holy Spirit, in terms of animating the lives of Christians in the world. On the one hand, the Holy Spirit draws Christians into an ever-deeper communion with the Heavenly Father and Jesus (the beloved one and only Son of God). On the other hand, the Holy Spirit both unites the Church of believers and equips them for good works, wherever they are placed, in line with God’s purposes for them. Blessed be God and the Lamb always. It is the thesis of this work that perichoretic considerations are therefore relevant for understanding how a Christian’s career unfolds and ultimately reaches its culmination, as they continue to walk in the light and live out their faith, As such, it is also contended that the dance of love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which is at the heart of what is meant by perichoresis, also serves to explicate to a significant extent the Christian strategic career development process. Next, I wish to acknowledge Mr. C. Setzer, who has greatly strengthened me since the beginning of January 2016. Specifically, his godly example and ongoing encouragement helped me tremendously, both with the writing of this work and with the preceding doctoral thesis. I trust in the name of Jesus that he will receive an ever greater anointing of the Holy Spirit in the years to come. In closing, my Heavenly Father, I pray in the name of my Jesus that you will bless all who read this work, and that they find it to be both of practical use in their particular vocations, and a source of inspiration for ever more Spirit-filled living. Bless you, my Heavenly Father. Bless you, my brother and Lord Jesus. Bless you, my Holy Spirit. Amen. -

Peter J. C. K. Gisbey MA (Cantab) MSc (Salford) CFA SIAff QTS PGCE FCMI FCIEA FInstAM DBA (SMC)* * = Final thesis already submitted – defence currently pending

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Synopsis The aim of this work is to explore how perichoretic considerations (that is, the interplay between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) may shed light on the strategic career development process. Chapter 1 begins exploring the concepts of perichoresis, strategic imperatives and strategic career development. In the context of the Triune God, with regard to perichoretic considerations, notions of ‘mystery’ and a ‘sense of wonderment’ were felt relevant. It also draws initial inspiration from the relevant literature (Eliot, 1942). Chapter 2 explores key related theories, along with research paradigm assumptions. It suggests a tentative connection between perichoresis and effective career development within groups over time, based on the relevant and extant research literature. Chapter 3 provides details of the research methodology. Inter alia, it stresses that the researcher is also the sole subject (participant) of the relevant primary research. Chapter 4 provides details of primary research concerning spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics. Ultimately, it serves to draw particular attention to the harmony of the interrelationship between the two aforementioned phenomena, in a growth context. Chapter 5 provides details of primary research concerning intra-group development and career development. Ultimately, it draws particular attention to the harmony of the interrelationship between the two aforementioned phenomena, in a cultural context. Chapter 6 provides details of primary research concerning spiritual maturity and career development. Ultimately, it serves to draw particular attention to the harmony of the interrelationship between the two aforementioned phenomena, with respect to ‘self-concept.’

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Chapter 7 provides details of primary research concerning perichoresis. Ultimately, it draws particular attention to the splendor of perichoresis. Chapter 8 provides details of primary research regarding strategic career development. Ultimately, it draws particular attention to the key theme of Truth, along with God’s infinite goodness and love. Chapter 9 provides details of two clear viewpoints concerning the significance of the primary research, in connection with the research question and research aims. Chapter 10 gives details of key limitations and possible areas for further study felt relevant to the scholarly work in question, also drawing final inspiration from the relevant literature (Eliot, 2009). This work is likely to be relevant in general to managers/directors and professionals interested in exploring how strategic career development from an organisational perspective may be melded with traditional Christian spirituality. The same writings are likely to be specifically relevant to Trinitarian Christians wondering how best to develop their career over the long term.

Keywords: Strategic, Career, Perichoresis, Spiritual, Maturity, Intra-Group, Development

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Table of Contents Synopsis ......................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 8 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 1: Overview ....................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 22 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 22 Research Paradigm Assumptions .............................................................................................. 23 Critique of previous research .................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 3: Methodology ............................................................................................................... 46 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 46 Research Design ........................................................................................................................ 48 Research Questions .................................................................................................................. 67 Bracketing One’s Personal Experience ..................................................................................... 67 Research Instrument .................................................................................................................. 72 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 4: Spiritual Maturity and Intra-Group Dynamics ............................................................ 78 Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary) ................................................................. 78 Chapter 5: Intra-Group Dynamics and Career Development ....................................................... 91 Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary) ................................................................. 91 Chapter 6: Spiritual Maturity and Career Development ............................................................. 105 Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary) ............................................................... 105 Chapter 7: Perichoresis ............................................................................................................... 119 Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary) ............................................................... 119 Chapter 8: Strategic Career Development .................................................................................. 127 Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary) ............................................................... 127 Chapter 9: Further Discussions and Conclusions ....................................................................... 135 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 136 Chapter 10: Epilogue .................................................................................................................. 142

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Key Limitations and Possible Areas for Further Study .......................................................... 142 References ................................................................................................................................... 147

List of Figures Figure 1. Career Development Model . ........................................................................................ 39 Figure 2. Perichoresis ................................................................................................................... 41 Figure 3. Spiritual Maturity ......................................................................................................... 90 Figure 4. Intra-Group Dynamics ................................................................................................ 104 Figure 5. Strategic Imperatives .................................................................................................. 118 Figure 6. Spiritual Breakthrough (1 of 2) – One Perspective .................................................... 141 Figure 7. Spiritual Breakthrough (2 of 2) – Another Perspective .............................................. 146

List of Tables Table 1 Description of what Phenomenology is and is not ......................................................... 47 Table 2 Methodological Structure for Phenomenology ............................................................... 66

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Chapter 1: Overview

“And all shall be well and All manner of thing shall be well When the tongues of flame are in-folded Into the crowned knot of fire And the fire and the rose are one.” – Eliot (1942)

Introduction The title of this work serves to draw attention to the significance of perichoretic considerations for understanding strategic career development. On the one hand, ‘perichoretic considerations’ may be understood as those pertaining to deep intimacy, mutuality and interdependence with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Hebblethwaite, 1977).

On the other hand, strategic career development can be usefully defined as the determined and considered pursuit of pre-determined career development objectives within an organisational context over the long term, given its overarching strategic objectives (Kaplan and Norton, 1996; Turner, 1993). Moreover, key influences on strategic career development include spiritual maturity (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2015), intra-group dynamics (Nakauchi et al., 2014) and strategic imperatives (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 2014).

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Perichoresis itself may be defined as: “….mutual interpenetration…or dancing around” (Batchellor & McFarlane, 2015, p. 3).

Perichoresis is therefore the basis for all forms of true, and therefore, Spirit-filled intimacy, the Church being of course God’s chosen vehicle for developing true intimacy and love between His followers in Jesus. The Church may also be seen as both the body of Jesus and a ‘family of believers in Him’ in its fullest sense. It is therefore represents the cornerstone of growing spiritual maturity and living out of one’s life, whether in the physical or spiritual realm (Best, 1971).

In light of the opening comments, the remainder of this chapter is divided into four key areas. The first section provides a brief review of contemporary career development theory and practice, whereas the second section puts forth an overview of strategic imperatives particularly relevant to ‘leading edge’ businesses in the rapidly unfolding, increasingly information-driven, 21st century.

This is followed by the third section which encompasses a collection of comments regarding perichoretic considerations. Lastly, the final section enumerates the conclusive comments and also suggests the nature and scope of further scholarly developments over the remainder of the work.

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Career Development – Theory and Practice. The Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) (Dawis, 2002a, 2002b; Dawis & Lofquist, 1984) is a class of theory in career development that is anchored on the individual difference tradition of vocational behaviour (Dawis, 1996) called person-environment correspondence theory, viewing career choice and development as continual processes of adjustment and accommodation in which: (a) the person (P) looks for work organisations and environments (E) that would match his/her “requirements” in terms of needs, and (b) E in turn looks for individuals who have the capabilities to meeting the “requirements” of the organisation.

The term satisfaction is used to indicate the degree that P is satisfied with E, and satisfactoriness is used to denote the degree that E is satisfied with P. To P, the most central requirements to meet from E are his/her needs (or reinforcers), which could be further dissected into categories of psychological and physical needs that are termed values.

To E, however, the most central requirements are abilities, which are operationalised as dimensions of skills that P possesses that are considered necessary in a given E. Overall, the degree of P’s satisfaction and E’s satisfactoriness would jointly predict P’s tenure in that work environment.

In the past few decades, Holland’s Theory of Vocational Personalities in Work Environment (2005) has guided career interest assessment both in the USA and internationally.

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It offers a simple and easy-to-understand typology framework on career interest and environments that could be used in career counselling and guidance. Holland postulated that vocational interest is an expression of one’s personality, and that vocational interests could be conceptualised into six typologies, which are Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E), and Conventional (C).

If a person’s degree of resemblance to the six vocational personality and interest types could be assessed, then it is possible to generate a three-letter code (e.g., SIA, RIA) to denote and summarise one’s career interest. The first letter of the code is a person’s primary interest type, which would likely play a major role in career choice and satisfaction. The second and third letters are secondary interest themes, and they would likely play a lesser but still significant role in the career choice process.

Among the many theories of career choice and development, Super’s Self-Concept Theory of Career Development has received much attention in the USA as well as in other parts of the world. Super (1990) suggested that career choice and development is essentially a process of developing and implementing a person’s self-concept.

According to Super (1990), self-concept is a product of complex interactions among a number of factors, including physical and mental growth, personal experiences, and environmental characteristics and stimulation.

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Whereas Super presumed that there is an organic mechanism acting behind the process of development and maturation, recent articulations (e.g., Savickas, 2002) of Super’s theory have called for a stronger emphasis on the effects of social context and the reciprocal influence between the person and the environment.

Building on Super’s notion that self-concept theory was essentially a personal construct theory, Savickas (2002) took a constructivist perspective and postulated that “the process of career construction is essentially that of developing and implementing vocational self-concepts in work roles” (p. 155).

A relatively stable self-concept should emerge in late adolescence to serve as a guide to career choice and adjustment. However, self-concept is not a static entity and it will continue to evolve as the person in question encounters new experiences and progresses through the developmental stages. Life and work satisfaction is a continual process of implementing the evolving self-concept through work and other life roles.

In contrast to the more established career development frameworks such as Super’s and Holland’s theories, Gottfredson’s theory of career development, focusing on circumscription and compromise, is a more recent contribution. Gottfredson (2002, 2005) assumes that career choice is a process requiring a high level of cognitive proficiency.

Furthermore, the same theory is based on the precept that a child’s ability to synthesise and organise complex occupational information is a function of chronological age progression as

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well as general intelligence. As such, cognitive growth and development is instrumental to the development of a cognitive map of occupation and conceptions of self that are used to evaluate the appropriateness of various occupational alternatives.

In recent revisions of her theory, Gottfredson (2002, 2005) elaborated on the dynamic interplay between genetic makeup and the environment. Genetic characteristics play a crucial role in shaping the basic characteristics of a person, such as interests, skills, and values, yet their expression is moderated by the environment that one is exposed to.

Even though genetic makeup and environment play a crucial role in shaping the person, Gottfredson maintains that the person is still an active agent who can influence or mould their own environment. Hence, career development is viewed as a self-creation process in which individuals look for avenues or niches to express their genetic proclivities within the boundaries of their own cultural environment.

In contrast to the established notion that choice is a process of selection, Gottfredson’s (2002) theorised that career choice and development could instead be viewed as a process of elimination or circumscription in which a person progressively eliminates certain occupational alternatives from further consideration.

Circumscription is guided by salient aspects of self-concept emerging at different developmental stages. Gottfredson maintained that the career aspirations of children are

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influenced more by the public (e.g., gender, social class) than private aspects of their selfconcept (e.g., skills, interests).

Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, 2005), also known as SCCT, is anchored in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (1977, 1997), which postulated a mutually influencing relationship between people and the environment. SCCT offers three segmental, yet interlocking process models of career development seeking to explain (a) the development of academic and vocational interest, (b) how individuals make educational and career choices, and (c) educational and career performance and stability.

The three segmental models have different emphasis centring around three core variables, which are self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals. Lent (2005) defined selfefficacy as “a dynamic set of beliefs that are linked to particular performance domains and activities” (p. 104).

Self-efficacy expectations influence the initiation of specific behaviour and the maintenance of behaviour in response to barriers and difficulties. Consistent with early formulation by Bandura (1977) and others (e.g., Hackett & Betz, 1981), SCCT postulated that self-efficacy expectations are shaped by four primary information sources or learning experiences, which are personal performance accomplishments, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and physiological and affective states. Lent (2005) suggested that of the four sources of information or learning experience, personal performance accomplishments have the most powerful influence on the status of self-efficacy.

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Overall, SCCT offers international career guidance practitioners and researchers an overarching framework to guide practice, as well as tangible propositions and hypotheses that could be tested empirically. In addition to hypotheses testing, efforts are needed to develop or adapt existing instruments so that variables associated with SCCT could be tested via measures that are valid and reliable across cultures.

Strategic Imperatives. A strategic imperative is a business goal, objective or target that has the highest priority. Businesses often engage in strategic planning that evaluates the entire business and sets out a plan of action. This type of planning helps businesses better manage current and future operations. Part of this process is identifying goals, objectives and targets for the company as a whole, and often for individual departments and job positions. Out of all of the things a business might want to accomplish, a strategic imperative is the one thing that must be accomplished ahead of all other things.

In the context of this work, it is important to note that a strategic approach to HR means going beyond the administrative tasks like payroll processing. Instead, managers and directors need to think more broadly and deeply about how employees will contribute to the company’s success.

Five examples of strategic imperatives relevant to career development over the long run are:

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(i)

Removing organisational barriers to employee performance;

(ii)

Developing enterprise-wide leaders, not just leaders of individual business units;

(iii)

Improving talent-related outcomes such as employee performance, quality of hire and employee engagement;

(iv)

Helping leaders change their mind-set, through redesigning leader evaluations to promote genuine collaboration;

(v)

Building a high-quality and team-based learning culture.

All managers and executives need to be involved in the determination and implementation of strategic imperatives because the role of people is so vital to a company’s competitive advantage (Becker & Huselid, 2006). In addition, organizations that value their employees are more profitable than those that do not (Huselid, 1995; Pfeffer, 1998; Pfeffer & Veiga, 1999; Welbourne & Andrews, 1996).

Research shows that successful organizations have several things in common, such as providing employment security, engaging in selective hiring, using self-managed teams, being decentralised, paying well, training employees, reducing status differences, and sharing information (Pfeffer & Veiga, 1999). When organizations enable, develop, and motivate human capital, they improve accounting profits as well as shareholder value in the process (Brian et. al., 2002). Arguably, the most successful organizations manage HR as a strategic asset and measure HR performance in terms of its strategic impact.

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Perichoretic Considerations. Christianity is generally centred on the commonplace understanding of God as the head, the Son in subordination, and the Spirit as helper or comforter. However, the doctrine of perichoresis reinforces the fact that the Holy Trinity may be known only as a whole for it is as a whole that God makes Himself known to us through Himself and in Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This mode of thinking enables Christians to appreciate more fully the truth that the Holy Trinity is completely self-grounded in His own ultimate Reality, and that God’s self-revelation is self-enclosed and may be known and interpreted only on its own ground and out of itself.

This also suggests for Trinitarian Christians that their knowing of God engages in a deep circular motion from Unity to Trinity, and from Trinity to Unity, since they are unable to speak of the whole Trinity without already speaking of the three particular Persons of the Trinity or to speak of any of the three Persons without presuming knowledge of the whole Triunity, for God is God only as He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and cannot be conceived otherwise.

According to Keller (2013), the importance of the Trinity is community. God is love but without another there is no love. As such, the reality of the Trinity for Orthodox Christians also means that God is essentially relational.

Indeed, Keller (2008) describes the Trinity as perichoresis, in terms of dancing or flowing around, with mutual movement and mutual indwelling. As Keller (2008) notes: “Each

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of the divine persons centers upon the others. None demands that the others revolve around Him. Each voluntarily circles the other two, pouring love, delight, and adoration into them. Each person of the Trinity loves, adores, defers to, and rejoices in the others. That creates a dynamic, pulsating dance of joy and love” (p. 215).

As Batchellor & McFarlane (2015) indicates, the concept of perichoresis is an ancient church doctrine, with Eastern roots, associated with Orthodox Christianity. It seeks to explicate how the three Persons of the Trinity can be God, or how God can be One and Three Persons, all distinct from one another, at the same time.

Crucially, Batchellor & McFarlane (2015) also affirms that Christ is in the Spirit and the Spirit is in us, just as the Word affirms that the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son. For example, in the Gospel of John, it is noted by Jesus Himself that “…the Spirit will dwell with you and will be in you, and then in that day you will know what I am in my Father and you in me and I in you” (ch. 14: v. 16-20). So, following from the interpenetrating nature of perichoresis, one can say that the Son (and therefore Jesus) is in all Christian believers, and all Christian believers are therefore in Jesus.

It is in the context of such harmony and oneness between God and humankind, specifically between God and His church (the community of believers in God and followers of Jesus), that perichoretic considerations may be viewed as relevant to strategic career development.

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To reinforce the last point, it should be noted that the behaviour of Spirit-filled Christians is necessarily in step with the Spirit, also leading to a society that is united (Boff, 1988).

Conclusion. Perichoresis is therefore the driving concept and phenomenon under investigation in this work, vis-à-vis strategic career development. Regarding career development theory and practice, it is instructive to note that of the five theories mentioned, Super’s Self-Concept Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) are considered to resonate particularly well with the notion of perichoresis, since they involve the adaptation over time of the ‘self-concept’ in response to a host of factors, both internal and external.

As for strategic imperatives, arguably the two most important ones in a perichoretic context are helping leaders change their mindset, and building a high-quality and team-based culture.

Concerning perichoretic considerations themselves, there is an obvious spiritual mystery and sense of wonderment in apprehending the oneness and unity of God (c.f. Deuteronomy 6:4), juxtaposed with the triune nature of God as recognised by Orthodox Christians. Nonetheless, a clear link is posited between the mediating work of the Holy Spirit and the unity of God and humankind, and therefore society.

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS The next chapter further develops the theoretical and conceptual background for the research that will form the centerpiece of this work.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

Brief overview of position of work. To briefly recapitulate, the over-arching focus of this work concerns understanding more deeply the relevant phenomenon of perichoresis in connection with strategic career development.

Related theories. In no particular order, the theories relevant to this work, and commented upon in suitable detail later on in the chapter, are as follows: (i)

Group Dynamics;

(ii)

Intra-Group Dynamics;

(iii)

Perichoresis;

(iv)

Spiritual Maturity;

(v)

Career Development;

(vi)

Strategic Career Development.

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Organisation of the chapter. In this chapter, one firstly addresses the relevant assumptions underpinning the relevant research and then outlines the associated theoretical basis through a suitable critique of previous research.

Research Paradigm Assumptions

Overview. As Mertens (2014) notes, “A paradigm is a way of looking at the world. It is composed of certain philosophical assumptions that guide and direct thinking and action” (p. 8). The same author indicates that the phenomenological method, as a particular qualitative research approach, fits squarely within the ‘constructivist paradigm’ and associated world-view.

The ‘constructivist paradigm’ is concerned with the philosophy of Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology, and Wilhelm Dilthey’s and other German philosophers’ study of interpretive understanding, namely hermeneutics (Clegg & Slife, 2009).

Broadly speaking, axiological questions concern what the nature of ethics is. However, ontological questions ask what the nature of reality is. Looking at the situation in question from yet another perspective, epistemological questions enquire into what the nature of knowledge is, as well as what the relationship between the knower and the would-be known is.

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Moreover, methodological questions ponder how the knower can go about obtaining the desired knowledge and understandings (Guba and Lincoln, 2005).

Furthermore, rhetorical questions may also be asked, where qualitative researchers employ a variety of approaches in an attempt to convince the reader that a study is trustworthy. There is a general focus on the parameters of internal validity, reliability and external validity (Merriam, 1995).

Axiological perspective. Guba and Lincoln (1989) proposed a framework for ethical practice of qualitative research based on a revised understanding of the researcher-researched relationship.

To this end, they put forth criteria for rigour as trustworthiness and authenticity, including: 

balance and fairness (inclusive representation of stakeholders in the process of the research);



ontological authenticity (respondents being made aware of their constructions of reality);



educative authenticity (others being educated about the realities experienced by all stakeholder groups);



catalytic authenticity (stakeholders being enabled to take action on their own behalf).

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As a result, the awareness of participants is raised and there are significant levels of community rapport.

The findings of Cannella & Lincoln (2009) reinforce those of Guba and Lincoln (1989) as appropriate criteria for constructivists.

Moreover, they add reflexivity, rapport, and reciprocity as additional and emergent criteria. They also suggest that, along with the emergence of the constructivist paradigm, additional ethical tensions have presented themselves.

For example, it is unclear how a researcher from a group imbued with unearned privileges by virtue of social class, language, race/ethnicity, gender, or other attributes can establish rapport in an ethical manner with people who do not share such privileges. In other words, the relevant underlying and non-trivial issues must perforce be carefully explored and considered.

Constructivists also borrow notions of ethics from feminists in the form of combining theories of caring and justice as holding potential to address issues of social justice in ways that are both respectful of the human relations between researchers and participants and that enhance the furtherance of social justice from the research (Cannella & Lincoln, 2009; Spalding et al., 2010).

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Ontological Perspective. Multiple mentally constructed realities can be apprehended, some of which may be in conflict with each other, and perceptions of reality may change throughout the process of the study. Constructivism “…means that human beings do not find or discover knowledge so much as construct or make it” (Schwandt, 2000, p. 197).

Crucially, constructivist researchers also reject the notion that there is an objective reality that can be known, taking the stance that the researcher’s goal is to understand the multiple social constructions of meaning and knowledge.

Epistemological perspective. The inquirer and the inquired-into are interlocked in an interactive process; each influences the other. As such, values are made explicit and findings are created. The constructivist therefore opts for a more personal, interactive, mode of data collection, where there is confirmability (Lincoln & Guba, 2000).

The assumption is made that data, interpretations, and outcomes are rooted in contexts and persons apart from the researchers and are not figments of their imagination. Data can be tracked to their sources, and the logic used to assemble interpretations can be made explicit in the narrative (Burnard et al., 2008).

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Methodological perspective. Interviews, observations and document reviews are predominant in this paradigm. These are applied in correspondence with the assumption about the social construction of reality in that research can be conducted only through interaction between and among investigator and respondents (Lincoln & Guba, 2000).

The methodological implication of having multiple realities is that the research questions cannot be definitively established before the study begins; rather, they will evolve and change as the study progresses. In addition, the perceptions of the variety of types of persons must be sought (Burnard et al., 2008; Mertens & McLaughlin, 2004).

Moreover, the constructivist researcher must provide information about the backgrounds of the participants and the contexts in which they are being studied. Therefore, a hermeneutical and dialectical approach is noticeable, and contextual factors are clearly identified and described (Gibson, 2011).

Rhetorical perspective. There is a general focus on internal validity, reliability and external validity (Merriam, 1995).

Indeed, Firestone (1987) notes that qualitative research seeks to persuade using its “…classical strengths…” of “…concrete depiction of detail, portrayal of process in an active

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mode, and attention to the perspectives of those studied…” (p. 19-20). Such comments serve to suggest that rhetorical questions are fundamentally concerned with effective communication. The approach taken by the qualitative researcher should therefore show an awareness of the interests of all the relevant stakeholders.

Critique of previous research

Spiritual Maturity and Intra-Group Dynamics. Some researchers (for example, Zinnbauer et al., 1997) have found an incredible diversity of definitions among hundreds of study participants, but the main conclusion of one relatively recent meta-analysis was that religion is predominantly associated with formal/organizational religion, while spirituality is more often associated with closeness with God and feelings of interconnectedness with the world and living things (Zinnbauer, Pargament, & Scott, 1999).

As Reave (2005) suggests, religion focuses more upon the specific group and the organization, while spirituality is more generic, and may even encompass more than one religious approach.

Moreover, Reave (2005) also indicates that leaders who emphasize spiritual values are often able to awaken a latent motivation in others that has been found to increase both their satisfaction and productivity at work.

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One might tentatively suggest that when addressing the values and higher goals of independent followers, these leaders do not so much transform individuals as awaken existing motivation.

Mitroff & Denton (1999) found that many individuals are looking for ways to express their spirituality in their work. Workers who are able to express their spirituality through their work find work more satisfying. Paloutzian, Emmons, & Keortge (2003) report that when work is seen as a calling rather than a job, or as an opportunity to serve God, work-related strivings take on new significance and meaning (Davidson & Caddell, 1994; Paloutzian et al., 2003, p. 127–8).

The authors cite a study of employees with a wide range of occupations that found that those who described their work as a calling reported less absenteeism than those who depicted their work as a job or career (Paloutzian et al., 2003, p. 128; Wrzesniewski, McCauley, Rozin, & Schwartz, 1997).

Leaders who view their own work as a means of spiritual growth have also been shown to increase organizational performance (Himmelfarb, 1994). Leaders who are able to help workers express their spiritual values through their work are also likely to be more effective in achieving worker job satisfaction.

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Emmons, Cheung, & Tehrani (1998) found that individual differences in spiritual goals predicted well-being more strongly than any other category of striving that has been studied, exceeding those for intimacy, power, or generativity goals (Emmons, 1999).

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) has shown that happiness is most closely associated with the experience of an optimal experience he calls the ‘flow state’, a state of being in which one is effortlessly and completely absorbed in an enjoyable activity. Indeed, the same researcher found that the activity most often associated with flow experiences was work, with flow occurring more than three times as often in work as in leisure (Csikszentmihalyi, 1982, p. 24; Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989, p. 818).

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) also found that this flow state has often been experienced by individuals participating in religious events (p. 76). Since the flow state is associated strongly with both work and spirituality, encouraging individuals to bring more of their spiritual values and goals into their work should increase their level of personal satisfaction (Dehler & Welsh, 1994).

Another study found that many individuals see a reciprocal benefit between their work and their spirituality, with 33% reporting that their work improved or greatly improved their spirituality (Lewis, 2001). Acknowledging individual spiritual goals and incorporating spiritual

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values in the workplace can be important goals for leaders because worker satisfaction has been shown to affect not only morale but profit, in a number of ways.

Emmons (1999) cites seven studies that have been done since 1995 that have found a significant correlation between spirituality and mental health indices of life satisfaction, happiness, self-esteem, hope and optimism, and meaning in life (p. 876).

Employee well-being and happiness in turn affect a number of workplace outcomes. Several studies show that these qualities are positively associated with performance, morale, and commitment, and they are negatively associated with absenteeism, turnover, and burnout (Paloutzian et al., 2003, p. 130; Wright & Staw, 1999).

Depression and stress-related absenteeism cost businesses billions of dollars in lost productivity and insurance claims (Zellars & Perrewe, 2003), so helping workers express spiritual values in their work improves leader effectiveness not only in worker motivation but in bottom-line issues of profit and productivity as well.

As Tienvieri (2002) notes, teamwork is thought to create added value, because it enables the integration of the specialised qualities of its members for a common goal. Often the term synergy

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effect is used in this context. However, in many cases, there are exceptional difficulties to get the teams to work at all.

Most failures in teamwork deal with inefficiency and poor group dynamics. Moreover, Tienvieri (2002) finds significant evidence of the existence of reoccurring group dynamic patterns in highly integrated work teams. Crucially, it is averred that the identification and monitoring of the factors and processes from where these patterns arise improves the odds for creating a high performing work team.

In connection with group dynamics, Van Katwyk (2010) notes that a group is more than the sum of its individual participants. It is the interaction between group members who through interdependent roles produce dance patterns or, as in a play, shape themes and narratives.

Each group culture or style of interaction is unique to its specific situation and circumstances. Important variables in group process include its purpose, leadership style, structure, size and developmental phase. For instance, in the initial stage of a group encounter, security concerns dominate with the interplay between trust and mistrust.

Moreover, as Van Katwyk (2010) notes, three basic interpersonal human needs have been generally recognized to drive group dynamics:

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS 

inclusion – the need to have a place to belong



control – the need to have a voice to influence



affection – the need to care and feel cared for

Common conceptualizations (Laikin et al., 1991; Pattison, 1977) of group development follow a similar process: 1) Forming 

Becoming a group and developing a positive work culture



Becoming connected and oriented



Developing group identity and commitment



Seeking structure and direction



Wanting to be accepted and included

2) Storming 

Dealing with individual issues of power and control



Anxiety about loss of one’s autonomy in the group



Confronting dependency on leader and/or group will



Self-assertion or withdrawal in self-protection



Tensions and conflicts among group members

3) Norming 

Managing conflict and establishing structure

33

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Clarifying control concerns



Fostering group cohesion and pride



Entering a period of relief, the group “honeymoon”

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4) Performing 

Balancing individual autonomy with group commitment



Functioning interdependently with shared goals



Communicating freely with trust and respect



Confronting constructively perceived problems and conflicts

Crucially, it is not until a group has moved through all phases of development at least once that it is able to begin performing at an optimal level. The phases will be repeated over and over at ever-increasing depth, and the group will move from one phase to the next more and more quickly.

Intra-Group Dynamics and Career Development. Intra-group dynamics, also referred to as in-group, within-group, or commonly just ‘group dynamics’ are the underlying processes that give rise to a set of norms, roles, relations, and common goals that characterize a particular social group (Chang et al., 2015).

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Examples of groups include religious, political, military, and environmental groups, sports teams, work groups, and therapy groups. Amongst the members of a group, there is a state of interdependence, through which the behaviors, attitudes, opinions, and experiences of each member are collectively influenced by the other group members.

Smith (2008) found that intra-group interaction enables group members to develop an understanding of their common ideology, which may establish the consensual basis of their identity content (in other words, their socially mediated self-concepts). If such consensualisation occurs, this provides them with a sense that their perceptions of reality are socially valid, and naturally gives rise (whether implicitly or explicitly) to in-group norms. In turn, it is contended that this provides individuals with a solid foundation upon which they may act.

One would suggest that what has just been contended follows, a priori, since the same persons will be confident of how their behaviours will be perceived and further acted upon within the context of the group in question.

The social group is a critical source of information about individual identity. An individual’s identity or self-concept has two components: personal identity and social identity (or collective self). One’s personal identity is defined by more idiosyncratic, individual qualities and attributes. In contrast, one’s social identity is defined by his or her group membership, and the general characteristics (or prototypes) that define the group and differentiate it from others.

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It may be averred that people in general naturally make comparisons between their own group and other groups, but do not necessarily make objective comparisons (Lord, 1967; Major et al., 1993). Individual behaviour is influenced by the presence of others. For example, studies have found that individuals work harder and faster when others are present, and that an individual’s performance is reduced when others in the situation create distraction or conflict. Groups also influence individual’s decision-making processes. These include decisions related to in group bias, persuasion, obedience, and group think. There are both positive and negative implications of group influence on individual behavior. This type of influence is often useful in the context of work settings, team sports, and political activism (Gruenfeld et al., 1996; Milgram & Gudehus, 1978; Paulus, 2015).

In well-functioning groups, evaluations are made that are self-enhancing, emphasising one’s own positive qualities.

In this way, such comparisons give the individuals in question a distinct and valued social identity that benefits their self-esteem. Social identity and group membership also satisfies a need to belong. Of course, individuals belong to multiple groups. Therefore, one’s social identity can have several, qualitatively distinct, parts. For example, one’s ethnic identity, religious identity, and political identity may be separately considered. (Brewer, 1991; Hogg, 2016).

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Spiritual Maturity and Career Development. Career is often seen as a secular notion, not a spiritual one (Frigerio, 2016). Clearly, it is easier for that to be seen as the case when definitions of career focus on the external, the objective. But to incorporate the subjective, some writers have sought to address that by explicitly considering spirituality and career (Bloch and Richmond, 1997; Lips-Wiersma, 2001).

If we connect spirituality with meaning, connectedness and transcendence, Christian spirituality sees this transcendence as accessed through a Trinitarian divine. As such, there is something to explore about a Christian spirituality of work and relating this to understandings of vocation and calling (Benner & Pennington, 2015; Berkelaar & Buzzanell, 2015; Bott et al., 2015; Bloch & Richmond, 2015; Stevens, 2000).

Treatment of calling within Christian traditions makes its own binary distinction – that between a universal or primary call of the gospel to be in relationship with God or be ‘in Christ’, and a specific call to an area of ministry or work. This is sometimes described as the distinction between calling as a disciple or apostle, or a primary and a secondary calling. This can then easily lead to the preferring of some areas of work over others, particularly ordained ministry (Placher, 2005; Hahnenberg, 2010).

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Theological perspectives on work may then become relevant. The classic view of call gives attention to God through one’s work rather than a focus on the self. This indicates a tension with the dominant discourse around career management of self-actualisation. This is perhaps the key distinction, rather than whether the call is external or internal (Badcock, 1998; Elangoven et al., 2010).

In research with people of faith about their decision making processes, Hambly (2011) identified the interdependence of a combination of means that included those specific to people of faith (prayer and meditation) as well as those which people of no faith might identify (community interaction, researching opportunities, being open to the unexpected and listening to inner voice or feelings).

Christian spirituality focuses one on the process of discerning and following a call and the decisions taken along the way, as a response to a call. It also confirms, through its positive affirmation of all creation and humanity, not just the ‘what’ of work, but the ‘how’ (Krishnakumar & Neck, 2002; Veith, 2011).

The results of Dudeck (2004) reveal a low, but statistically significant relationship between spirituality and intrinsic work values (r=0.40). Between spirituality and extrinsic work values, an even lower, but statistically significant relationship is seen to exist (r=0.15), with men exhibiting higher degrees of relationship than women. On the one hand, such findings inform the practice of

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career counselors by raising awareness of gender influences on spirituality and career development. On the other hand, they also serve to indicate the important role spirituality may play in the nature of career development for both men and women over their working lives. Weinberg and Locander (2014) wonder how workplace spirituality can best be deployed to the individual level and sustained over time. They suggest, in the first instance, the extension of an “…integrative nurture system on the micro level through the development of a concept and temporaral sequence of spiritual mentoring” (p. 392).

Figure 1: Career Development Model – CareerProCanada (2017)

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Perichoresis. The work of Hay (2014) suggests that the phenomenon of perichoresis, apprehended by Orthodox Christians as indicated earlier in this work, cannot be separated from the trinitarian basis of the Church’s light, which is the light of the triune God. Specifically, He, the radiant One, is the basis of the Church’s life and of its work. As such, it follows that the Church is the light of the world, because God is the true light of the world. Indeed, as Hay (2014) notes, “…therefore, the light of the church is a matter of humbly turning to face the works and ways of the radiant triune God” (p. 133).

It is in the context that one wishes to situate perichoretic activity; it is a manifestation of the interactivity of the Triune God, with God also including those who believe in Him and Jesus in the dance of love. The dance of love is therefore a dance of light. True light. Not only because God is the true light of the world. But, above all, because “God is light” (c.f. 1 John 5-10).

Horsthuis (2013) understands the practice of perichoresis to be “…a pastoral theology that helps ministering persons to navigate how their ministry practice can be done participatively (with God), attentively (in situations of ministry) and authentically (personal life and ministry). Moreover, as Horsthuis (2013) notes, such a theology “…is constructed in the hope of helping ministering persons to live and minister in an ever-deepening cadence with the triune God” (p. v).

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As Butner (2016) notes, “…a theology of common grace allows social actions within the marketplace to be identified as grace even when the economic agents who contribute to and participate in these social interactions may not be believers” (p. 4). Indeed, Butner (2016) also sees “…the Father working through social imaginaries, the Son through identity, and the Holy Spirit through norms” (p. 4).

Figure 2: Perichoresis (Trinity) – Generally associated with St. Gregory of Nazianzus in first instance (Anon.)

Spiritual Maturity. Newton (2004) contends that: “God is ultimately responsible for the growth process in our lives from beginning to end. He chose before the world was created to make us a part of His garden where we could grow into the holy likeness of His Son, Jesus (Eph. 1:4)” (p. 12).

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It is also noted by the same author that: “God provides the context of the multigenerational family of God as our opportunity to learn, grow, and develop into Christlikeness. Healthy local churches provide a community where people of all ages, walks of life, ethnicity, and vocations learn together to love God and other persons” (p. 18).

Furthermore, Newton (2004) remarks that: “The Holy Spirit works as a supernatural catalyst throughout our life. He first brings us into a personal relationship with Jesus and then molds us into His likeness. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). God is ultimately responsible for all spiritual growth in the believer’s life” (p. 12).

As Copeland (2001) indicates, it is important for people committed to achieving higher levels of spiritual maturity to block out negativity. Indeed, Copeland (2001) notes: “With the right selftalk and the right companionships, we can avoid becoming hardened by the sin of negativity (c.f. Hebrews 3:13)” (p. 17). One would add that it is therefore important to foster a positive attitude within oneself and others in order to spur on the spiritual growth process.

Moreover, Copeland (2001) contends that it is important to “…live in the present, with an eye to the future” (p. 17). One would suggest that in the process of growing spiritually, this is essential for the simple reason that without a ‘spiritual growth mindset’, the spiritual growth process will be necessarily impeded or even stopped.

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Strategic Career Development. As Purda-Nicoară (2011) suggests, strategic career development is a judicious combination of career management (the process of planning and implementing career-relevant strategies and plans within an organisational context) and career planning (a complex process involving a harmonious combination of HR needs and opportunities for individual career development offered by organisations).

Moreover, as Purda-Nicoară (2011) notes: “An effective career management requires a harmonious combination of the needs and aspirations of …..employees with the requirements of the organisation” (p. 594-595). Achieving this goal is, however, impossible without the contribution of all those involved in this process namely the employee, the organization and the management.

Strategy may be understood as the direction and scope over the long-term, which leads to the achievement of one or more distinct advantages through a particular arrangement of resources within a challenging environment. It seeks to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations. Simply put, Purda-Nicoară (2011) therefore suggests that strategy is a carefully designed plan of action designed to serve a particular purpose or advantage and achieve a vision.

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One suggests that, viewed from a secular perspective, effective career development strategies need to: i) Create value; ii) Be realistic; iii) Aim straight; iv) Be flexible; v) Not undervalue the individual or individuals in question in the job marketplace.

Hirsh (1996) contends that: “The term ‘career development’ itself implies that there is a career to be developed. However, it is no longer appropriate to think of a career as progression up an organisational career ladder. Rather, the term ‘career’ is used simply to describe a person’s work experience over time” (p. 5).

Moreover, as Hirsh (1996) notes: “The development of a strategy for career development is being recognised increasingly as an area of major challenge for organisations. A strategy for career development needs to embrace….changing ideas about what a career consists of as well as….changed assumptions about development” (p. 6).

Crucially, as Ström (2016) notes, a “…..perichoretic conception of the Trinity…” points to a “…relational understanding of power…not restricted to the inner life of God” (p. 13). Moreover,

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Ström (2016) also contends that: “The sending of the Son and the Spirit into the world opens up the Trinity to all of creation. Thus, instead of exercising sovereign power over the world, the triune God enters into relationship with creation, drawing it into God’s very life” (p. 13).

In other words, the concept of the Trinity can be usefully viewed in social terms, based on relationality and reciprocity (and therefore fellowship) between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It is in this sense that a connection may be tentatively made between perichoresis and effective career development within groups over time, since genuine fellowship (with its peculiar mixture of care, accountability and encouragement) will ideally be at the heart of both, and not only the Trinity.

As Merchant (2010) notes: “Career Development Programs have evolved because of changes in the workforce (work-life balance, diversity, focus on quality), advances in management theory (employee motivation), changes in managerial styles and the increasing complexity of technology” (p. 5). One would suggest that it is these contemporary trends which have encouraged and indeed accelerated the growth of career development programmes.

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Chapter 3: Methodology

Introduction

As a qualitative research method, phenomenology is both an inductive and descriptive approach to the world as a person experiences it or has lived it. The goal of phenomenology is to accurately describe a phenomenon as it is experienced and exists in the consciousness of the individual, with the understanding that each person’s social reality is unique and valid, within his or her own perception of a situation (Boyd and Munhall, 1993).

Phenomenology is suggested when a researcher seeks to fully describe an experience as it is lived by a study’s participant. In particular, research participants are asked to describe their world of experience, and the words participants use in describing their experiences become the data of the study (Burns and Grove, 2001).

As already indicated, this study aims to gain richer and more discerning qualitative awareness of the possible relationships between varying degrees of spiritual maturity and the perichoretic nature of God, as apprehended by Trinitarian Christians. It is hypothesised that such relationships necessarily impinge on the lived experiences of such individuals vis-à-vis strategic career development.

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Table 1 Description of what Phenomenology is and is not IS

IS NOT

Study of lived experience

An empirical science

As we immediately experience it

Does not generalise or develop theory

Explication of phenomenon as they present

Not mere speculative inquiry in the sense of

themselves to consciousness

unworldly reflection

Consciousness is retrospective, we cannot understand an

Concrete experiences understood through language

experience until it is reflected on The study of essences

Neither mere particularity, not sheer universality

That which makes the “thing” what it is

Paradoxically explicates what makes something unique and different

Description of the experiential meanings we live as we

Does not solve problems

live them

Meaning questions that allow for thoughtful and tactful action

Human scientific study of phenomena The systematic, explicit, self-critical and intersubjective analysis of the lived world Attentive practice of thoughtfulness Constant awareness of what it means to live a life Search for what it means to be human Quest to live to our fullest potential A poetising Activity Discovery of memories Note. Adapted from Van Manen (1990, p. 8-13 & p. 21-23)

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In light of this, and the preceding points for this section, the phenomenological approach was considered to be an eminently suitable vehicle for achieving the objectives of the study. Table 1 above usefully highlights key points concerning the research method in question.

Regarding the remainder of this chapter, further comments are next made regarding the research design. Thereafter, the relevant research questions are unambiguously stated. Moreover, a bracketing exercise concerning one’s personal experience is detailed. Following on from this, the research instrument, data collection procedures and data analyses are discussed. Lastly, a summary is provided.

Research Design

Opting for phenomenological inquiry. Regarding the phenomenological approach, this is a research methodology, within the qualitative research framework, focusing on the concepts of ‘phenomenon’ (Creswell, 1998; Creswell, 2002; Husserl, 1970) and ‘phenomenology’ (Van Manen, 1997).

Creswell (1998) points out that the essence of this study is the search for “the central underlying meaning of the experience and emphasize the intentionality of consciousness where experiences contain both the outward appearance and inward consciousness based on the memory, image, and meaning” (p. 52).

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It is also averred that the procedural format concerns writing the research questions that explore the meaning of the experience, conducting the interviews, analyzing the data to find the clusters of meanings, and ending with a report that furthers the readers understanding of the essential structure of the experience. The relevant study then collects data that leads to identifying common themes in people’s perceptions of their experiences.

Creswell (2002) amplifies the significance of the findings of Creswell (1998), regarding the distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research. It confirms that qualitative research is the approach to data collection, analysis, and report writing differing from the traditional, quantitative approaches. This has obvious implications for phenomenological research, with its focus on perceptions rather than numbers.

Importantly, the findings of Husserl (1970) indicate that phenomenological research seeks essentially to describe rather than explain, and to start from a perspective free from hypotheses or preconceptions. They complement those of Creswell (1998), which suggest that the essence of this mode of research is the process of looking for “the central underlying meaning of the experience and emphasize the intentionality of consciousness where experiences contain both the outward appearance and inward consciousness based on the memory, image, and meaning” (p. 52).

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In general, a phenomenological study (Creswell, 1998; Moustakas, 1994; Patton, 2002) involves an appreciation of ‘essence’ (Van Manen, 1990; Moustakas, 1994), lived experiences (Moustakas, 1994; Creswell, 2013), ‘epoche’ or ‘bracketing’ (Moustakas, 1994; Walsh, 1988), horizontalisation (Moustakas, 1994), clustering meanings (Moustakas, 1994), textural descriptions (Moustakas, 1994; Van Manen, 1990) and structural descriptions (Moustakas, 1994).

In this regard, Creswell (2013) succinctly notes that phenomenological research “…culminates in the essence of the experiences for several individuals who have all experienced the phenomenon” (p. 42).

Van Manen (1990) provides a set of guidelines for phenomenologists to follow, within the hermeneutic phenomenological tradition (Hein & Austin, 2001; Meyer-Drawe, 1997).

Regarding data sources, Van Manen (1990) states that phenomenologists can utilise a variety of data sources including their own personal experience; gain insights into the phenomenon from tracing its etymology; obtain experiential descriptions from others via interview or observation; utilise experiential descriptions in literature (i.e. poetry, novels, plays, biographies, diaries) and art that will yield experiential data; and consult the phenomenological literature.

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All of these sources are said to be legitimate ways of helping phenomenologists understand the phenomenon in question. In regard to data analysis, Van Manen (1990) outlines a number of considerations. For instance, a phenomenologist should conduct a thematic analysis which helps to unravel the themes or “experiential structures of experience” (p.79).

Van Manen (1990) maintains that themes can be isolated in three main ways. The holistic approach which asks what phrase captures the meaning of the text/data source; the selective approach which asks what is essential or revealed in the text/data source; and finally the detailed or line by line approach in which every sentence is examined to see what it reveals about the phenomenon.

Moustakas (1994) emphasises that hermeneutics involves the careful reading of text or appreciation of experiences such that the intention and meaning behind the appearances are understood. In this light, the aim of empirical phenomenological research is therefore to determine what the experience means for the people who have had the experience, using the notions of ‘reduction’ and ‘horizontalisation’. Thereafter, general meanings may be arrived at, particularly through imaginative variation and the synthesis of meanings and essences.

Memorably, the same author propounds the notion that meaning is generated when ‘the object’, as it is perceived in a person’s consciousness, in some sense intertwines or otherwise interacts with ‘the object’ in nature.

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In particular, Moustakas (1994) notes that: “what appears in consciousness is an absolute reality while what appears to the world is a product of learning” (p. 27).

The ‘essence’ is the condition or quality without which a thing would not be what it is: it is ‘the final truth’. This therefore completes the journey “back to the things themselves” (Husserl, 1975, p. 252).

Phenomenological research is a design of inquiry coming from philosophy and psychology in which the researcher describes the lived experiences of individuals about a phenomenon as described by participants. This description culminates in the essence of the experiences for several individuals who have all experienced the phenomenon. This design has strong philosophical underpinnings and typically involves conducting interviews (Giorgi, 2009; Moustakas, 1994).

Regarding the phenomenological approach, this is a research methodology, within the qualitative research framework, focusing on the concepts of ‘phenomenon’ (Creswell, 1998; Creswell, 2002; Husserl, 1970) and ‘phenomenology’ (Van Manen, 1997).

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Importantly, the findings of Husserl (1970) indicate that this form of research seeks essentially to describe rather than explain, and to start from a perspective free from hypotheses or preconceptions.

They complement those of Creswell (1998), which suggest that the essence of this mode of research is the process of looking for “the central underlying meaning of the experience and emphasize the intentionality of consciousness where experiences contain both the outward appearance and inward consciousness based on the memory, image, and meaning” (p. 52).

In general, a phenomenological study (Creswell, 1998; Moustakas, 1994; Patton, 2002) involves an appreciation of ‘essence’ (Van Manen, 1990; Moustakas, 1994), lived experiences (Moustakas, 1994; Creswell, 2013), ‘epoche’ or ‘bracketing’ (Moustakas, 1994; Walsh, 1988), horizontalisation (Moustakas, 1994), clustering meanings (Moustakas, 1994), textural descriptions (Moustakas, 1994; Van Manen, 1990) and structural descriptions (Moustakas, 1994).

In this regard, Creswell (2013) succinctly notes that phenomenological research “…culminates in the essence of the experiences for several individuals who have all experienced the phenomenon” (p. 42).

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In order to arrive at such a fundamental and lived experience, Husserl developed the concept of bracketing or ‘epoche’. This is a conscious process by which the researcher suspends or lays aside what is known about the phenomenon of interest, thus allowing the phenomenon to speak for itself rather than through beliefs about it (Giorgi, 1985; Omery & Mack, 1995). Bracketing is therefore the first step in conducting a descriptive phenomenological study.

Phenomenological approach. Within the qualitative tradition, the phenomenological approach has been selected, which focuses on the everyday reality of participants concerning the phenomenon in question (Sun, 2009).

As noted by Creswell (2009, 2013), phenomenological research involves: “The exploration of (a) phenomenon with a group of individuals who have all experienced the phenomenon” (p. 78).

Phenomenology is a term that appears in two contexts: philosophy and methodology. It originally emerged as a philosophical movement concerning how to look at the world. When taken as a methodology, phenomenology provides aspects of how to conduct qualitative research (Dowling, 2007).

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According to Creswell (2007), a phenomenological study “describes the meaning for several individuals of their lived experiences of a concept or a phenomenon” (p. 57).

In other words, it focuses on describing a phenomenon that all the participants have experienced. The purpose of the phenomenological method is to “reduce individual experiences with a phenomenon to a description of the universal essence” (Creswell, 2007, p. 58). To achieve this goal, a researcher will usually identify a phenomenon for study.

For example, Miller (2003) identified children who experienced life with diabetes. The researcher then collected data from the children who experienced this phenomenon; then, they described what all the experiences had in common, which is considered the essence of the experiences of this group of children. This description provides “what they have experienced” and “how they experienced it” (Creswell, 2007, p. 58).

Creswell (2007) identified five major steps in conducting a phenomenological study. First, the investigator will determine if the phenomenological approach suits the research problem. When the research problem is to understand the common experiences of several individuals about a phenomenon, a phenomenological study is appropriate. Second, the researcher will identify a phenomenon that is pertinent to the research question. Third, the

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investigator will usually collect data through phenomenological interviews with participants who have experienced the phenomenon.

Often, data collection takes place through in-depth interviews and multiple interviews (Creswell, 2007). Other forms of data, collected through observation or reviews of journals and art, can be included as well (Creswell, 2007).

During an interview, an investigator may ask very general questions, such as, “What have you experienced in terms of this phenomenon?” and “What situations have typically influenced or affected your experiences of this phenomenon?” Indeed, Genise (2002) found that one significant advantage of conducting interviews concerns the gathering of rich (and therefore highly complex) data from a relatively small number of participants.

A fourth step occurs during data analysis; researchers begin with highlighting significant statements and subsequently develop clusters of meaning from these statements into themes. These themes, at the final stage of a phenomenological study, will provide a backbone for a description that presents the essence of the phenomenon.

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The fifth step, as Van Manen (1990) suggests, is to present a meaningful phenomenological description that focuses on a vivid example and/or includes an incident in such details as how one’s body feels or how things smell. This description would give the reader the feeling of being there.

What distinguishes phenomenological research from other qualitative research is that with an emphasis on the subjective point of view (in terms of consciousness and experiences), phenomenology allows the researcher to reflect on the lived experiences of human existence.

This reflection is regarded as a thoughtful process, free from theoretical, prejudicial, and suppositional interference (Van Manen, 2007). A researcher may employ phenomenology in his or her systematic search to determine the essential properties and structures of consciousness and conscious experience.

In addition, an investigator using a phenomenological approach in his or her study may explore the relationship between the individual and the world and may examine how individuals understand the world through consciousness. As McKenna (1982) has noted, “The thesis that consciousness constitutes the world is the thesis that the being-there (Dasein) for us of the world and of anything that is in it is an achievement (Leistung) of consciousness” (p. 6).

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A phenomenological inquiry will bring forward all the peculiarities of the object constituted with or without notice or attention (McKenna, 1982). The object is an unnoticed part of the researcher’s environment, which is what is implied by being there for me. The concept of being there for me includes not only the focal object, but also the “horizon of what is explicitly before” (McKenna, 1982, p.7), and even, in a more limited sense, what is to come.

Phenomenology is concerned with “whatever of the world I am conscious of is there for me through my being conscious of it” (McKenna, 1982, p. 7).

As Van Manen (1990) has noted: “A lived experience does not confront me as something perceived or represented; it is not given to me, but the reality of lived experience is there-for-me because I have a reflexive awareness of it, because I possess it immediately as belonging to me in some sense. Only in thought does it become objective” (p. 35).

In summary, the aim of the phenomenological researcher is to describe the essence of lived experience, which gives the reader a feeling of re-living it. In addition, it provides the tools for discovering something meaningful and insightful; “through meditations, conversations, day dreams, inspirations and other interpretive acts, we assign meaning to the phenomena of lived life” (Van Manen, 1990, p. 37).

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Indeed, the essence of a phenomenon may be revealed “in such a fashion that we are now able to grasp the nature and significance of this experience in a hitherto unseen way” (Van Manen, 1990, p. 37). Shi (2013) helpfully indicates that through the essence of a lived experience being described, this gives the reader a feeling of re-living it.

Creswell (2007) notes that “…a phenomenology provides a deep understanding of a phenomenon as experienced by several individuals” (p. 62). Therefore, the ‘purposive sampling’ approach (also known as judgmental sampling) is to be employed, through which subjects are chosen because of their understanding of the phenomenon of interest (Creswell et al., 2006). ‘Snowball sampling’ (Kleiman, 2004) will also be used, where new persons of interest are generated through initial encounters by the researcher with pre-determined persons of interest.

Understanding lived experiences marks phenomenology as a philosophy as much as a method of research (Creswell et al., 2003). As a method, the procedure involves studying a small number of subjects through extensive and prolonged engagement to develop patterns and relationships of meaning (Dukes, 1984; Oiler, 1986).

Slevitch (2011) clarifies fundamental differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies from ontological and epistemological perspectives. Additionally, it explicates the issue of compatibility and integration of the two approaches. Through the synthesis and analysis

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of previously published materials the author shows that the ultimate difference between quantitative and qualitative approaches lies in the logic of justification, not methods. The two approaches stem from two entirely different ontological and epistemological perspectives representing two distinct worldviews.

Moreover, the phenomenological approach stands out as being particularly pertinent to the work at hand. Crucially, the importance of text is highlighted, along with necessarily indepth and highly personal interviews and focus groups (Minichiello et al., 2000; Moustakas, 1994).

Additionally, researchers in a phenomenological study seek to explicate the “essence” of lived experiences concerning the phenomenon in question (Creswell et al, 2007; Creswell, 2013). Furthermore, all forms of qualitative research, including phenomenological research, use multiple sources in order to triangulate results and thereby enhance credibility.

Clearly, though, there are significant challenges associated with qualitative research including its resource-intensive nature, especially in terms of commitment of time, and the inability to generalise results.

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In short, a phenomenological model has been employed because it provides the methodological framework best felt to support the purpose of this study. To briefly recapitulate, the focus of phenomenology is on understanding the essence of experiences concerning relevant perceptions.

In contrast, a biography focuses on the life of an individual, not on a phenomenon. While researchers in a biography study a single individual, researchers in a phenomenological study talk with several individuals about a phenomenon (Creswell, 1998).

‘Grounded Theory’ researchers have a different objective -- to generate or discover a theory, an abstract analytical schema of a phenomenon, while the phenomenological inquiry focuses on the meaning of people’s experience toward a phenomenon.

According to Creswell (1998), “The centerpiece of grounded theory research is the development or generation of a theory closely related to the context of the phenomenon being studied (p. 56).

While researchers in a phenomenological study seek to understand the meaning of experiences of the individual (not a group), researchers in ethnography examine the group’s

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observable patterns of behavior, customs, and ways of life. According to Wolcott (1994), “The ethnographer’s task is the recording of human behavior in cultural terms” (p. 116).

A case study is chosen for an in-depth study of a single case or multiple cases with clear boundaries (Creswell, 1998). In a case study, researchers gather extensive material from multiple sources of information. Yin (1989) recommended six types of information: documents, archival records, interviews, direct observations, participant observations, and physical artifacts.

In a case study, it is important for researchers to have contextual material available to describe the setting for the case and need a wide array of information about the case to provide an in-depth picture of it.

But in a phenomenological study, researchers collect data through primarily interviewing (Creswell, 1998). In a phenomenological study, it is important for researchers to capture and describe how people experience some phenomenon – how they perceive it, describe it, feel about it, judge it, remember it, make sense of it, and talk about it with others. To gather such data, researchers must undertake in-depth interviews with people who have directly experienced the phenomenon of interest; that is, they have “lived experience” as opposed to secondhand experience (Patton, 2002, p. 104).

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Therefore, what distinguishes phenomenological from other qualitative research is that, with an emphasis on the subjective point of view (in terms of consciousness and experiences), phenomenology allows the researcher to reflect on the lived experiences of human existence. This reflection is regarded as a thoughtful process, free from theoretical, prejudicial, and suppositional interference (Van Manen, 2007). So reflective journaling and poetry is a valid source of qualitative information since it is an expression of one’s inner life. It may be wholly unfocused and ‘free form’ in the sense of being a ‘stream of consciousness’, with respect to both intent and scope; however, it may also have distinct levels of foci, such as in the case of the study in question.

Specifically, concerning the study of interest, it is considered important to reflect on, and meditate upon, themes directly or indirectly related to spiritual maturity, perichoresis and strategic career development.

By way of contrast, for example, archival records and physical artifacts, which are required in a case study, are considered to be less suitable for this study. Other research methods are seen to be also problematic, since the nature of the research undertaken in this discourse is both highly personalised and inseparably related to one’s ‘Trinitarian’ Christian faith. This lends further support to one’s belief that the phenomenological method is the most suitable research framework for this study.

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Descriptive versus interpretive phenomenology. There are two major schools of thoughts on phenomenology: descriptive phenomenology and interpretive phenomenology. Descriptive phenomenology, in the Husserlian tradition, aims to capture the essence of participants’ experience through structuring phenomena.

In descriptive phenomenology, participants are considered the experts, and the researcher is an instrument who describes, compares, distinguishes, and infers information provided by participants and then constructs the information into a structured description. However, interpretive or hermeneutic phenomenologists take the liberty to interpret the unspoken, unconscious, and hidden meaning they perceive to exist in the phenomenon under investigation, rather than simply provide a full description of the data (Cohen & Omery, 1994).

This approach permits researchers to make inferences about informants’ experiences beyond that which is conveyed.

Consistent with the purpose of this study, the central goal of a descriptive phenomenological inquiry is to describe the experience of participants (Porter, 1999). Descriptive phenomenological inquiry is used to describe and clarify “the essential structure” of the experience through participants’ reflection of the experience (Porter, 1999).

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The other phenomenological approach, interpretive or hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry, is typically deemed less suitable by researchers because it is interpretive and seeks to uncover hidden meanings. However, this phenomenological approach makes available an additional range of methods for discovering something meaningful and insightful. Indeed, as suggested by Van Manen (1990), “…through meditations, conversations, day dreams, inspirations and other interpretive acts, we assign meaning to the phenomena of lived life” (p. 37).

As such, the essence of a phenomenon may be revealed “in such a fashion that we are now able to grasp the nature and significance of this experience in a hitherto unseen way” (Van Manen, 1990, p. 37).

In light of the preceding points in connection with phenomenology, Table 2 below indicates a suitable research approach for drawing upon the foundations of this framework.

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Table 2 Methodological Structure for Phenomenology Turning to the Nature of

Existential Investigation

the Lived Experience

Phenomenological

Phenomenological

Reflection

Writing

1. Orienting to the

4. Exploring the

6. Conducting thematic

8. Attending to the

phenomenon

phenomenon: gathering

analysis

speaking of language

9. Varying the examples

data 2. Formulating the

a. Using personal

a. Uncovering thematic

phenomenological

experience as a starting

aspects in lifeworld

question

point

descriptions

3. Explicating assumptions

b. Tracing etymological

b. Isolating thematic

and pre-understandings

sources

statements

c. Searching idiomatic

c. Composing linguistic

11. Rewriting: (A) to (D)

phrases

transformations

etc.

d. Obtaining experiential

d. Gleaning thematic

descriptions from subjects

descriptions from artistic sources

e. Locating experiential

7. Determining essential

descriptions in literature,

themes (invariant

art, etc.

horizons)

5. Consulting phenomenological literature Note. Adapted from Van Manen (1984, p. 42)

10. Writing

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Research Questions

The first research question to be addressed is: Are there linkages between spiritual maturity, perichoresis and strategic career development? (R1) For the first research question, two related sub-questions may therefore be posited: i)

Is there a causal link between spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics? (R1a)

ii)

Is there a causal link between intra-group dynamics and strategic career development? (R1b)

The second research question to be addressed is: If there are linkages between spiritual maturity, perichoresis and strategic career development, to what extent? (R2) For the second research question, two related sub-questions may therefore be posited: i)

Is the strength of any perceived association between spiritual maturity and intragroup dynamics significant? (R2a)

ii)

Is the strength of any perceived association between intra-group dynamics and strategic career development significant? (R2b)

Bracketing One’s Personal Experience

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Nature of bracketing exercise. With this approach, one’s reflective awareness is focused more keenly on appreciating key aspects of their life thus far. In particular, important values and strongly held principles are identified, along with key events and motivations.

Goals of bracketing exercise. The goals of the bracketing exercise were: a) To attain objectivity by consciously identifying biases and assumptions and; b) For one to be ready as a researcher and interviewer to see the phenomena under study in an unfettered way, neither by knowledge from academic and professional pursuits nor by prejudice based on un-reflected everyday experience.

By explicitly examining preconceived ideas, one developed a conscious awareness of potential sources of bias that may be unintentionally projected onto the data. Through doing so, one sought to minimise data collection and analysis bias.

Pertinent Details. The researcher is first and foremost a committed Trinitarian Christian, and was baptised in April 2004. Secondly, he is English and was born in 1970. Since early childhood, the researcher has been very interested in matters of philosophy, religion and spirituality.

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On the one hand, the researcher would not describe themselves as either ‘fanatical’ or ‘fantastically naïve’ in terms of their views of the nature of life and living.

On the other hand, the researcher does have a strong and abiding sense that ‘there is more to life than meets the eye’. As such, the researcher has a deep and longstanding sense of ‘transcendental yearning’.

As an experienced and highly qualified teaching professional, based in the private sector, the researcher’s socio-economic status is managerial/professional and therefore notionally affluent.

In particular, the researcher had some experience of living in low-cost/social housing when growing up in London in the 1970s and early 1980s. This experience made him generally appreciative of the role governments may play in ensuring that citizens can obtain shelter at affordable rates or otherwise on acceptable terms.

Moreover, the researcher attended King’s College (Cambridge University) between October 1995 and June 1998, specialising in Economics, and eventually receiving two degrees in the same subject, one at Master’s level.

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Furthermore, the researcher qualified as a financial analyst in September 2002, after completing the three-year Chartered Financial Analyst programme and the relevant set of professional exams administered by the Association of Investment Management and Research (now known as the CFA Institute). Moreover, the researcher worked in the City of London between September 1998 and August 2003 in project accounting and corporate finance.

Although one would describe themselves as notionally conservative, one is not politically active and does not espouse political views, whether in public or in private. In particular, the researcher is certainly not ‘libertarian’.

Rather, one would describe oneself as an unashamed meritocrat, on the basis of a longstanding commitment to ‘lifelong learning’ and its exploitation for personal and corporate transformation.

In this context, one critically engages with a great variety of ‘social justice’ issues on an ongoing basis, being motivated to both explore and learn about them ever more deeply.

The researcher has continued to develop their thinking concerning the ‘world of commerce’ in its widest sense, as the researcher understands the phenomenon. In particular, the researcher is concerned to maintain an open mind to new possibilities and modes of perceiving.

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Moreover, the researcher’s personal experiences have helped to shape their views in many ways on the optimal role of governments and indeed elites in society, and the social merits or otherwise of incentives, in the context of modern commerce and contemporary market-based economic systems.

There are two quotes that the researcher has been struck with for a long time, one concerning the ancient Greek philosopher Plato and the other concerning the ancient Roman emperorphilosopher Marcus Aurelius, namely: “And what is good, Phaedrus, and what is not good? Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?” (for example, Plato and Rowe, 1998); “Our actions may be impeded, but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way” (Aurelius et al., 2006).

Along with the other remarks made in this section, one considers that the aforementioned quotes also serve to shed some light on the researcher’s inner discourses. It is therefore instructive to bring all of the same to light, where they can be clearly appreciated in the context of the further unfolding of the study of interest.

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Research Instrument

Validity of the study. In qualitative research, validity describes research that is “plausible, credible, trustworthy and defensible” (Johnson, 1997, p. 282).

In particular, triangulation (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2007) will be primarily achieved through the following three-pronged approach as per the relevant research plan: i)

Poetry;

ii)

Meditation/prayer/quiet reflection (with a summary of the pertinent details kept);

iii)

Reflective journals (diarising and commenting on designated weekends).

In particular, the poetical works will be compared with the written material concerning both the meditation/prayer/quiet reflection and reflective journals in order to corroborate the same, lending weight to its validity.

The use of multiple sources of data collection as a form of triangulation prevents reliance exclusively on a single data collection method and thus helps to counter any bias inherent in a particular data source. More importantly, it also facilitates the achievement of a holistic understanding of the situation and generally converging conclusions (Anfara et al., 2002).

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In short, as Fielding and Fielding (1986) opine: "Triangulation puts the researcher in a frame of mind to regard his or her own material critically, to test it, to identify its weaknesses, to identify where to test further doing something different" (p. 24).

Credibility and utility. Regarding credibility, the trustworthiness of research is seen as important in evaluating its worth (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). Trustworthiness is associated with establishing a number of relevant aspects and evaluation techniques (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Noyes et al, 2011).

“Credibility evaluates whether or not the representation of data fits the views of the participants studied, whether the findings hold true - that is in other words - confidence in the truth of the findings” (Noyes at al., 2011, p. 5e). Evaluation techniques include, for example, having outside auditors or participants validate findings, peer debriefing, attention to negative cases or independent analysis of data by more than one researcher.

In the relevant research literature, it is noted that: “…the utility of qualitative study depends on how users perceive the different characteristics of the study such as the reliability, validity and credibility of the researcher. The thorough description of the study can provide specific context where the theory is applicable and useful under specific situations” (Sun, 2009, p. 21).

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Role of the researcher. In qualitative studies, the research (and specifically the researcher) is considered an instrument of data collection (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003). This means that data are mediated through this human instrument. This also means that consumers of the research need to know about the human instrument. In the case of the study in question, however, the researcher will also be the sole subject (participant) of the researcher.

In this context, it is considered vital to honestly explore one’s thoughts, feelings, emotions and essential modes of being, concerning one’s inner life as much as possible.

The qualitative researcher needs to describe relevant aspects of self, including any biases and assumptions, any expectations, and experiences to qualify his or her ability to conduct the research (Greenbank, 2003). This has already been done earlier in this chapter.

Also, Lincoln and Guba (1985) indicate that trustworthiness, credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability are key criteria for qualitative research; therefore attempts to demonstrate these qualities should be reflected in everything that the qualitative researcher does. Moreover, the relevant research literature suggests that the qualitative researcher needs to make clear whether their role is primarily that of an insider or an outsider (Punch, 2013).

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Furthermore, it is incumbent on qualitative researchers to build a good rapport in all of their encounters with participants to aid with disclosure and allow meaningful access to the phenomenon under consideration (Ceglowski, 2000; Goodwin et al., 2003; Grbich, 1999; Liamputtong and Ezzy, 2005; Minichiello et al., 2000; Payne, 1994; Taylor and Bogdan, 1998; Dickson-Swift et al, 2007).

Additionally, an open and reflexive approach is most welcome, and to be encouraged, with the qualitative researcher carefully and proficiently using a combination of questioning, listening, thinking skills to get at the ‘essence’ of the phenomenon, through facilitating everdeeper levels of disclosure (Ritchie et al, 2013).

Summary

Research strategy. The research questions framed generally concern the various and relevant perceptions linking the lived experiences of strategic career development vis-à-vis the apprehension of perichoresis.

Research design. With the clear importance attached in the proposed research study to arriving at a better understanding of the lived experience of research subjects vis-à-vis issues connected with the phenomenon of strategic career development situated within a perichoretic framework, the phenomenological approach is felt to be most appropriate, especially in a form

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that focuses on describing the relevant phenomenon as accurately and insightfully as possible. Crucially, as already indicated, regarding the study in question, the researcher will also be the sole subject (participant) of the researcher.

Creswell (2007) notes that “…a phenomenology provides a deep understanding of a phenomenon………” (p. 62). It is therefore anticipated that deep contemplation on one’s creative output and meditative processes proves to be highly valuable. Greater awareness concerning how purported perichoretic activity influences oneself and, through oneself, others is the primary goal in this regard. Of course, this is especially the case with regard to strategic career development.

Research instrument. To enhance confirmability of the study, a bracketing exercise was employed (in the previous chapter). As such, prior to the interview process, one made a conscious effort to identify my personal worldview and any biases regarding the phenomenon.

In the relevant research literature, it is noted that: “…the utility of qualitative study depends on how users perceive the different characteristics of the study such as the reliability, validity and credibility of the researcher. The thorough description of the study can provide specific context where the theory is applicable and useful under specific situations” (Sun, 2009, p. 21).

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In qualitative studies, the research (and specifically the researcher) is considered an instrument of data collection (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003). This means that data are mediated through this human instrument. This also means that consumers of the research need to know about the human instrument. The qualitative researcher needs to describe relevant aspects of self, including any biases and assumptions, any expectations, and experiences to qualify his or her ability to conduct the research (Greenbank, 2003).

Also, Lincoln and Guba (1985) indicate that trustworthiness, credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability are key criteria for qualitative research; therefore attempts to demonstrate these qualities should be reflected in everything that the qualitative researcher does.

Data collection procedures. Generally, data was collected in accordance with generally accepted principles of “…beneficience, respect for human dignity and justice” (Polit & Hungler, 1999, p. 153-159).

Data Analyses. One conducted these in line with the approach for phenomenological data analysis developed by Moustakas (1994).

As recommended by Merriam (1988) and Creswell (1994), simultaneous data collection and analysis for generating categories and developing understanding was carried out.

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Chapter 4: Spiritual Maturity and Intra-Group Dynamics

Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary). Saturday 6th May 2017 This morning I am just happy to be alive. I know that God and the Lamb are looking out for me at all times but on some days like today, it is so obvious. All my senses – especially my seeing and hearing and touching – are so powerfully activated at present. And I am not only aware of any physical state, and indeed the physical environment around me, to a greater extent. More importantly, I sense I am communing more deeply with my Heavenly Father, my Lord Jesus, my Holy Spirit and indeed my spirit, the ‘real me’. In other words, my spirit is ministering my soul, and my soul is ministering my spirit, more attentively today. As I say these things, I know that there is a struggle going on between the members of my being. And, yet, through the power of the Holy Spirit, my fellowship with my Heavenly Father and my brother and Lord Jesus is more than enough to win the day and night. God, you mean everything to me. Your Word is both life, the Life, and Truth. Thank you for today, my Heavenly Father. Blessed be God and the Lamb forever. Blessed be the Holy Spirit forever. Amen. Sunday 7th May 2017 As I bask in the afterglow of my initial morning prayers and meditations, I am once more reminded of how much beauty there is in the world. No wonder William Wordsworth could write of dancing with the daffodils. Your glory is in all of Creation. To seek you and to know you, my God, is so right and with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength, just as your Word exhorts. All that I am points to you, my Heavenly Father. All that I am points to you, my Jesus. There is

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always hope in you, my God. There is always joy in you, my God. There is always solace in you, my God. You are my everything, my God. Yes, the Word affirms that God is love. And, yes, my God, you are my first love. The Word also affirms that I am already perfect in your eyes, even though I am still being perfected in you and by you. What makes me perfect in your eyes? Your love for me shown in the sacrifice of my peerless and perfect brother and Lord Jesus, who died an abominable death for all sins, once and for all. Once more, my heart is quietened and my mind is slowed down. Such grace. Such truth. Such love. Such mercy. Such holiness. Such glory. Such joy. So much glory. So much joy. Infinite glory! Infinite joy! Blessed be you forever, my Heavenly Father. Amen. Alleluia. Blessed be you forever, my Holy Spirit. Amen. Alleluia. Thank you for this new day, my God. I rejoice in it. Rejoice, O my soul. Rejoice!

Development (Poetry).

Poem A

Impact One’s impact clarifies and refines; One’s heart is both emboldened and tempered.

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS In seeking to truly influence, one is truly influenced and changed; In wishing to truly become more, one becomes less in themselves And more in Jesus.

Interaction To interact, to interact, that is not simply the question; It is the object of being, the essence of living. Living life to the full is the subject of living well, Not merely living.

In interacting well with others, God stoops down from Heaven to kiss humankind, And humankind reaches up from Earth to kiss God.

Identity My identity is not demonstrated through a piece of paper, Or a speech or a good work; such things have certain merit,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS But do not confirm the truth about who one is.

My identity is that of the little boy deep in my heart Who only wants to embrace and be embraced By those who truly love him, Especially his Godfamily.

Value Value is seen in the quality of what is Apprehended if it meets desired standards; Value is felt in the kindly, knowing, approved, touch Of another or others.

Value is heard in the utterances of those Who speak with understanding And touch one’s spirits with their spirits;

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Value is tasted always in the Word, in the Light Of the Gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Which is the ambassador of God.

Behaviours Compassionate behaviours of committed groups And their constituent members point unerringly to A higher and overarching Purpose, a shining Way, A wonderful Waymaker.

God is both the First Cause And the Highest Purpose; Jesus is both the Way And the Waymaker. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Attitudes

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Attitudes of happy And spiritually aware Group members Are typically reverent and hopeful; Akin to a child’s joy, Akin to a child’s heart.

Humility and boldness, With a generous sprinkling of humour And perceptiveness, Go a long way In shaping and moulding Inspirational intra-group dynamics And connectivity and fellowship. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Growth

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Growth of the individual Is growth of the group; Spiritual growth is both Further spiritual development And the further unfolding of spiritual truth. Amen, Heavenly Father. Growth implies death in a sense But also implies life to a fuller extent; Growth is the manifestation of Love, And Love forever conquers death. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Poem B

Growth Once more I seek to become more than I am, and at the same time become paradoxically

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS More fully all that I am in God. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Once more, I recognise your saving grace, My brother Jesus. To truly love you Is to obey your commands. To truly love you is to truly grow. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Attitudes In being with others, my attitudes speak volumes For how well I know you, my Lord Jesus. Where they are wholesome and edifying, They point to God and His glory; Where they are in error, They also point to God and His saving grace,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Shown in you, my Lord Jesus. May my attitudes glorify you all the more, My God and my Lamb. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Behaviours In being with others, my behaviours also speak volumes. They reveal the quality of my soul and spirit; To the extent that they align with what I really believe And my beliefs are godly, then they show a soul and spirit That walk in step with the Spirit. O my soul, rejoice in your God, your Saviour. O my spirit, rejoice in your Jesus, your Lord. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Values

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS My values are both few and many, For they apply to the universe within And without oneself; They concern all matters and yet One’s highest values concern You, my God, and you, my Lord Jesus.

Most of all, I value love and truth; In your love, I know love, my God, my first love; In your truth, I know truth, my Jesus, my only Truth.

Identity My identity does not generally depend on others At the first remove; But there is a sense in which a person May be defined and understood By the company they keep.

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This is no less true Of work groups Or other public associations, Then it is true of relationships In the private sphere.

My God and my Jesus, May I therefore edify The company I keep; And may I therefore be edified By the company I keep.

Interaction Whoosh! Speed! Efficiency! Focus! Product! Productivity!

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Process! Process! Intra-group dynamics is above all About process. Product is the fruit Of the process. The process is more Valuable than the product.

Impact Attention! Reflection! Reflect! Apply! Time is of the essence, So one is often told.

Our impact on others in our groups Depends on the confluence of time And the exigencies of the relevant situations; It also depends on the work you have already done, My God,

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In their hearts and minds. Further Evaluation (of reflective journal summary and poetry). As for one’s poetry in this section, one is particularly struck by the significance of the key theme of growth, with all its physical and spiritual characteristics.

With respect to spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics and intra-group dynamics. The thing that perhaps stands out most about one’s reflective journaling is that it is an affirmation both of the power of my Word and the wonderful joy of basking in my God’s love in the power of my Holy Spirit.

Conclusion. The work in this section serves to indicate above all the harmony of the interrelationship between spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics, especially underpinned by growth-related considerations.

Figure 3: Spiritual Maturity (from a Christian Perspective) (Anon.)

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Chapter 5: Intra-Group Dynamics and Career Development

Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary).

Friday 12th May 2017 (AM) Heavenly Father, here I am. My brother and Lord Jesus, here I am. My Holy Spirit, here I am. I have many things on my mind this morning, yet it is still light. I want to bring to the forefront of my mind my growing awareness of having being changed by all of you once more over the past few days, particularly last night. Yes, faith is indeed the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen, just as the Word affirms. In other words, faith is real, just as love and hope are real. Yes, God is love. You, my God, are love. Your love dwells in me, my Heavenly Father, and I love you. Your love dwells in me, my brother and Lord Jesus, and I love you. Your love dwells in me, my Holy Spirit, and I love you. I see more clearly now that wherever I go, we are dancing with one another. Even when life does me wrong or I do something wrong or both, you are still dancing with me, my God. When I am overwhelmed with shame, fear or self-pity, you abide with me and nurse me back to good health in my deepest being. Then, once more, we enjoy one another’s fellowship. And I grow and change and experience more of life, using all the faculties you have given me, physical and otherwise. And I grow and change all the more. And I change all the more. And become all I am meant to be. All I really am. A perfected and holy expression of you, my God.

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Friday 12th May 2017 (PM) My Heavenly Father, thank you for watching over me today and filling my heart and all of my being with your love and joy. I recognise only too well that today is a blessing and that life is a blessing. Although I am far from perfect, I remain very much in love with you, my true Father. It would only be too easy to wish that my life up until now had been different, but that would also be to spurn your providence and the meaning and purpose with which you imbue my life. Thank you for everything. Bless you, my wonderful daddy.

My brother and Lord Jesus, not only are you the Way, the Truth and the Life, you are my Way, my Truth and my Life. I know all those years ago, when I was exploring faith issues and clutching at straws, you were gently knocking on the door of the my heart. You knew when I would open the door. You knew I belonged to you and you to me. Apart from you, I am nothing. And, in you, I have everything that matters. The flawless love of my Heavenly Father and a brother who accepts me fully for who I am, and also loves me flawlessly. Thank you for everything. Bless you, my wonderful brother.

My Holy Spirit, the dance of love goes on; sometimes you lead, sometimes the Heavenly Father leads, sometimes the Lord Jesus leads. You draw me into the inner life of God by leading me into all spiritual truth, a gift of my Heavenly Father and my brother and Lord Jesus. Yes, you are my Comforter. Yes, you are also my Counsellor. Above all, though, for me, you are my Friend.

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A very dear Friend and a wonderful gentleman. Even when I do wrong, you have just the right words and actions for the situation. I know I grieve you sometimes, Holy Spirit. Thank you for continually abiding with me, both cleansing and changing me at the same time. Bless you, my wonderful Friend.

Development (Poetry).

Poem C

Dialectic My thesis for this morning is That love divine conquers all, even death. My anti-thesis for this morning is That love divine does not conquer all, especially death. Yet, my Holy Spirit, I know that this is one synthesis prospect You will not abide. My thesis stands pure, unsullied,

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Because it is God-breathed. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Work-play My Father in Heaven is always at work, And I enjoy playing with Him. And when I am at work, He enjoys playing with me. Amen, Heavenly Father. My brother and Lord Jesus is always at work, And I enjoy playing with Him. And when I am at work, He enjoys playing with me. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Play-work Play is light, a show, a dazzle.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Light is love; Play is love. Work is light, an effort, a programme. Work is play; Work is love. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Development The Word says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And what is prophecy if not forthtelling? The testimony of the Son is the testimony of the Father, For the Son and the Father are always in perfect accord. So the tapestry of my life resembles both a work in progress And a work that is complete. As I continue to unfold, my essential nature is, And always has been, apparent to you, my God. Thank you for sustaining my pursuit

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Of all I can be and am in you, my Jesus. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Culture You, me, he, she; Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Lover. You have your ways, my neighbour. And you perceive that I have my ways, my neighbor. Our dance together; our light shows, Our power dynamic, if you will, Is the way we do things wherever we are. Our way is our signature, our commonality, and shared truth. We are different, yet we are one. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Roles We all play our parts in the spectacle of every new day

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Wherever we are placed by God Most High. Indeed, we may perform several parts Over the course of our careers, Our veritable light shows In the world of work and the public sphere. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Values Our hopes, our fears, perhaps serve to animate us and transform us; Equally, such attributes may encase our souls and spirits, Like a butterfly trapped in vitreous fluid. In the same way, what we stand for Serves to either vivify or mortify us, spiritually speaking. Your values are my values, my Heavenly Father. Your ways are beyond tracing out, But your qualities are of incomparable worth. Amen, Heavenly Father.

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Poem D

Values What do I value, O my spirit? What do I value, O my soul? What do I value, O my body? I value most of all, O my spirit, the love of my Heavenly Father. And I value most of all, O my soul, the grace of my brother and Lord Jesus. And I value most of all, O my body, the fellowship of my Holy Spirit. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Roles Commander-In-Chief is a role I am not generally acquainted with, But one you are only too well acquainted with, my brother and Lord Jesus. Senior Officer is a role I am generally acquainted with, Such has been the flow of my life, right up to the present day.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS You too, my Lord, Jesus, you too. Junior Clerk is a role I am generally acquainted with, Such has been the flow of my life, right up to the present day. You too, my Lord, Jesus, you too. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Culture As I remember a certain harbinger of truth telling me some years ago, Taste is a personal matter and artists are contemporary critics. It seems to one that while fashions come, go, and return, One paradigm in particular is classic, timeless, Endlessly beautiful, infinitely lovely And utterly worthy of Love. Lord Jesus is the Eternal Paradigm. Amen, Holy Spirit.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Infuriating fits and starts, and sometimes the most beguiling of quantum leaps, and much else besides, typify one’s progress in this mysterious world. Viewed at from the first heaven, the clouds and stars, my traversal resembles that of a mite in a desert in itself. Viewed at from the second heaven, infernal principalities, powers and all, I am sure that my traversal is only too apparent in itself And resented, since I call on Jesus. Viewed at from the third heaven, Where my God and my Jesus are enthroned, The deep secrets of my traversal Are fully known to them alone. I grow, because you make me grow, My Heavenly Gardener, my Heavenly Father.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Words such as laughter, frivolity and mirth Typify many children when they play. But what of the humble worker or indeed the master worker? What select words can aptly Describe their most excellent nature? I will venture a few, if I may, O reader – Diligence, vigour, hope, light, integrity and love. Of course, love is the most excellent of all virtues. And a loving environment is what all children seek when they play. So, speaking metaphorically, Play equates to work and work equates to love in the fullest sense. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Work-play When I am at work, when I essay my latest chore, When I divide and conquer, and arrive at completion of sorts, At the end of the day,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS I eventually rest in the holiness of my Heavenly Father. When I play immodestly, when I dance with gay abandon, When I engage in eloquent banter with others, As we have for each other, I eventually rest In the holiness of my brother and Lord Jesus. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Dialectic Once again, one returns to the Socratic contraption, The Socratic method, the thesis, the antithesis, The synthesis. You have your merits, O famed method. But you are not the first or last word in methods Of truth revelation.

Some truths cannot be apprehended by logical reasoning. Some truths are eternal, higher than reason, hidden from reason, Certainly fallen mankind’s reasoning.

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And recall, O my spirit, that the Word attests That the secret things belong to the Lord. So, my Heavenly Father, and my brother and Lord Jesus, As Alpha and Omega, You have the first and the last Word always.

Further Evaluation (of reflective journal summary and poetry). As for one’s poetry in this section, one is particularly struck by the significance of the theme of culture, which is typically a keenly contested concept, and highly variable both between different groups in society, work or otherwise, and indeed between different groups in society. With respect to intra-group dynamics and career development, the thing that perhaps stands most about one’s reflective journaling is that it is an affirmation both of my God’s holiness and my Holy Spirit’s faithfulness.

Conclusion. The work in this section serves to indicate above all the harmony of the interrelationship between intra-group dynamics and career development, especially underpinned by cultural considerations.

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Figure 4: Intra-Group Dynamics (Anon.)

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Chapter 6: Spiritual Maturity and Career Development

Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary).

Saturday 13th May 2017 As I gather my thoughts at the beginning of a new day, I am moved to recall the words of Isaiah Ch. 53 v. 5: “The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes, we are healed.” Yes, Jesus, it was with your stripes that your chosen people that we are healed. Once more, my heart is stilled, stunned, slowed, by you.

I am also moved to recall the words of Jeremiah Ch. 17 v. 14: “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. Yes, my Heavenly Father, you are the Lord who heals. Yes, my Heavenly Father, you are my Saviour, and my Praise. Once more, my heart is stilled, stunned, slowed, by you, my Lord Jesus, by you my Heavenly Father.

Finally, I am moved to recall the words of Matthew Ch. 5 v. 14: “You are the light of the World”. Yes, you are my Light, my Jesus. Yes, you are my Light, my Heavenly Father.Yes, you are my light, my Holy Spirit. For the world has no light in itself. It is in darkness. Thank you for leading me out of darkness into your incomparable light, my Lieges. Blessed be you forever, my Heavenly Father. Amen. Alleluia. Blessed be you for ever and ever, my brother and Lord Jesus. Amen. Alleluia. Blessed be you for ever and ever, my Holy Spirit. Amen. Alleluia.

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Sunday 14th May 2017 As you know, my Heavenly Father, today the dance of love has led me to the ground and inescapable conclusion that to make further progress in you, and to fulfil my career in you, over the remainder of my days in this tent of a body, I must set my face to the future. But not with sadness. No. Rather with joy. Blessing my past, even as I seal it and charge myself to let it rest in peace.

And blessing my future, as yet unknown, but drawing ever closer. Thankfully, I know you. You are my true Joy.

As you know, my brother and Lord Jesus, today the dance of love has led me to the ground and inescapable conclusion that to make further progress in you, and to fulfil my career in you, over the remainder of my days in this tent of a body, I must recommit myself. In what sense? To flying on from my present state in you. And there will be no turning back. You have already gone ahead of me, my Shepherd. And I must follow. Thankfully, I am your sheep. You are my true Pasture.

As you know, my Holy Spirit, today the dance of love has led me to the ground and inescapable conclusion that to make further progress in you, in the Spirit, we must dance a new dance. You must teach me a new way of being. A new way of living. A new way of interacting with others,

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both in the private and public sphere. I long to love my Heavenly Father more deeply. I long to love my brother and Lord Jesus more deeply. I long to love you more deeply, my Holy Spirit. Dance with me a new dance. Teach me a new dance. Let us delight in one another’s embrace all the more deeply, knowing and being known, cherishing every new ‘now’. You are my true Love.

Development (Poetry).

Poem E

Calling You have called me, my heavenly Father, To perform works in your Name. You have called me, My brother and Lord Jesus, To perform works in your Name. You have been called, my Holy Spirit, By my Heavenly Father, And my brother and Lord Jesus,

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS To assist me in performing works That bring greater glory To God and the Lamb. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Interests I am interested in love, love divine, love unchanging; I am interested in light, the light of God, The light of Jesus. I am interested in deepening my spiritual understanding, In knowing Jesus more, In living out my love, Of Jesus more in my career. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Adaptability Bend me out of shape, my Holy Spirit,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS And then let me try out my new shape for a while. Mould me, grow me, my Heavenly Father, My choice delight. Strengthen me, temper me, My Lord Jesus, my God, my All. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Self-Concept I am but an infinitesimally small part of Your cosmos, my Heavenly Father. I am but an infinitesimally small part of your plans, My brother and Lord Jesus. And, yes, I am the apple of your eye, My Holy Spirit, my wonderful Friend. My Divine Lover! Imitate my Lord Jesus, O my soul, O my spirit,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS O my body, O all I am. Well-being My well-being comes from knowing you, My Heavenly Father, and more importantly, From you knowing me.

My well-being comes from knowing you, my Brother and Lord Jesus, and more importantly From you knowing me. My well-being stems from you dwelling in me, My Holy Spirit, all the more powerfully, And animating me all the more vividly, For the greater glory of God and the Lamb Amen, Heavenly Father.

Presence Presence, Joy, Presence, Solace,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Presence, Solitude, Presence, Spiritual Growth. Presence, Career Change, Presence, Paradigm Shift. Be my presence, Lord Jesus. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Fulfilment I am fulfilled when my spirit sings for joy, And knows it is loved and appreciated.

I am fulfilled when my soul is content, When it is assuaged, when it is no longer grasped.

I am fulfilled when my body is healthily and nobly used, And at one with God and the Lamb. Amen, Holy Spirit.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Poem F

Fulfilment My lover is fulfilled more deeply Because I fulfil her more deeply. My friend is fulfilled because their life Brings them deep and abiding joy. My Heavenly Father is fulfilled more deeply because I, along with the rest of His People, bring Him Ever greater joy. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Presence My lover’s presence overwhelms me, Because my presence overwhelms her, Ever more deeply. My friend’s presence overwhelms

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Their beloved because their beloved’s presence Overwhelms them, Ever more sweetly. My brother and Lord Jesus’ presence Is ever more commanding because I, along with the rest of His people, Bring Him ever more precious living sacrifices. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Well-being My lover’s wellbeing is my wellbeing. My friend’s wellbeing is their lover’s wellbeing. My Heavenly Father’s wellbeing is the wellbeing Of I, along with the rest of His people. You are eternally glorious, my Heavenly Father, Yet you cry when I cry, when your children cry; And you are happy when I am happy,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS When your children are happy. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Self-Concept And what of my lover’s self-concept? And what of my friend’s self-concept? And what, indeed, of my self-concept? Are they not as nothing in themselves, Next to you, my God, my Saviour, My Healer, My Teacher, My Rock, My Gardener, My Resurrection, My Way, My Truth, My Life. And yet, in Jesus, each of these Patterns of being, each of us, Matter to you very deeply, my God. Imitate my Lord Jesus, O my soul, O my spirit, O my body, O all I am.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Adaptability To be adaptable to the impressions and promptings Of the Holy Spirit is a blessing. Why a blessing? Because God has chosen to work with such persons In co-creating the communities of faith and love in action, Only He can sustain; Because God, the First and the Last, Has chosen to live with His people And love them in Spirit and Truth, And work through them. Amen, Heavenly Father.

Interests To have interests that are edifying and excellent Is a blessing. Why a blessing? Because life is short and human beings

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Are made in the image of God. Just as God is excellent, Those who would honour God, must seek To apply their hearts and minds To purposes and pastimes that are Wholesome and praiseworthy. Amen, Lord Jesus.

Calling To have a calling that one knows is divine And pure is a blessing. Why a blessing? Because such persons know that they cannot be stopped From achieving all that God desires for them, Although they may be impeded and checked, Even marred, By forces of disorder and dissonance, And indeed forces of evil,

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Whether in themselves or others. Because such persons know that God has already won And they greatly rejoice in playing their part In this victory. Amen, Holy Spirit.

Further Evaluation (of reflective journal summary and poetry). As for one’s poetry in this section, one is particularly struck by the significance of the key theme of ‘self-concept’, which of course varies from one person to the next, both in terms of its particular configuration and its level of coherence. Self-concept coherence levels are never of course in the case of fallen human beings. My Jesus, you are the only example of a human being, post-Fall, who once walked the Earth and had a perfectly coherent self-concept. In other words, being sinless, you had and still have a perfectly integrated personality.

Conclusion. The work in the section serves to indicate above all the harmony of the interrelationship between spiritual maturity and career development, especially in connection with the notion of ‘selfconcept’.

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Figure 5: Strategic Imperatives (Anon.)

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Chapter 7: Perichoresis

Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary).

Saturday 20th May 2017 (PM) What are my thoughts concerning today? A mixture of colliding impressions, and dreams, and reflections and resolutions. Senses and forebodings, convictions and desires. There is no fear, no impatience, no haste; rather, surrender, deep surrender, and acceptance. I have a clearer sense of what my purpose is to be for the foreseeable future and am well aware of the changes and challenges I face. What are my thoughts concerning today? A kaleidoscopic montage of priorities and callings, with one or two deadlines/key chores thrown in. And what of my career? It is progressing. I am progressing. I am fuller now than I was yesterday, fuller of mindful experiences, fuller of knowingness. And, more importantly, my faculties of critical understanding are also developing. What are my thoughts concerning today? That I am full of love and faith and hope, and thinking that needs to be continually renewed and spiritually uplifted and made pleasing to God. How? By being cleansed by His Word. Amen. Whither PJ? Wherever the Holy Spirit wills one to go. Some may see my career trajectory as purely about eclecticism and a desire for exploration, experimentation and adaptation/augmentation. But, above all, strategic career development in God concerns choreographed movements between oneself and the Triune God.

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Development (Poetry).

Poem G

Binding Heavenly Father, my Rock, Bind me to yourself All the more, even as You loosen from me All that hinders; All that sullies your Name. Connect me with Love, And Truth, my Holy Spirit.

Pneuma Lord Jesus, my Shepherd, Breath even more of your Spirit,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Into my inmost being; Your words sustain my breathing, And are my breath, My life And my bread. Animate me with cheerfulness and purpose, My Holy Spirit.

Fire Holy Spirit, my Inspirer, Your fire consumes me. But I am not consumed; You abide with me and Continually cleanse deeply, Also animating my better self, Being my better self. Light my heart and all

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Of my being, With radiance divine, My Holy Spirit.

Love Love, you remain my Friend, Above all other friends; Whether I dance joyfully with you, As my Living Rock; Whether I play determinedly with you, As my Wonderful Shepherd; Whether we embrace passionately, My Holy Inspirer. Pour in me From my Heavenly Father, And pour out of me, From my Lord Jesus,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS My Holy Spirit.

Dance So it is with the light of an ever-new day That I dance; So it is in the light of your Light, My God, that I move; That I meditate, that I Coordinate my steps, with those of others. It may appear haphazard, But you never make mistakes, So my traversal through Time and space in you Is ordained by you. Father, Son, Spirit, Dance the day away; Father, Son, Spirit,

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Dance with me always.

Belonging Once, there were fruits of doubt in my heart; Once, all I had to offer others and myself, Was a paltry husk of being. Now, there are fruits Of joy in my heart; Now, I give others and myself You, my God, My Truth, My Heart. No more searching, O my soul; No more doubt, O my spirit. Body, you are home in your God And your God is home in you.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Around My steps around you, my Heavenly Father, Are wonderfully intricate; And your steps around, my Lord Jesus, Are always deft and assured. Even when I stumble, my Holy Spirit, You spur me on Delightedly, and my being continues To dance around, from one moment To the next, always trusting in Our divine choreography. In our intense play of love and light, Projected across time and space, Transcending time and space, Yet always lived vitally In the present. Father, Son, Spirit,

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Dance with me always; Father, Son, Spirit, Dance the day away.

Further Evaluation (of reflective journal summary and poetry). As for one’s poetry in this section, one is particularly struck by the significance of the key theme of dance, not simply because it is at the heart of perichoresis, but also because of its implication that one’s movements are being guided across time and space by my Holy Spirit’s divine hands. With respect to perichoresis, the thing that perhaps stands out most about one’s reflective journaling is that it is an affirmation both of my continued need for cleansing by the Word, and of the directing influence my Holy Spirit has over one’s life.

Conclusion. The work in this section serves to indicate above all the splendour of perichoresis, a palpable reality for oneself.

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Chapter 8: Strategic Career Development

Introduction (Relevant reflective journal summary).

Sunday 21st May 2017 (AM) Today is a rest day. A day for reflection, planning, meditation, harmonious simplicity, musicality, fellowship, solitude, prayer, and perhaps napping. On a day like today, there should be play and recreational activities as well. It is so good to reserve one day of the week for nonwork-related issues. God is so very good. God is exceedingly good. Today is a rest day. A day to wonder what might be, concerning one’s future, and to maintain peace with what once was, concerning one’s past. In what sense is today therefore harmoniously simple? Because today is above all a day for being light-hearted, rather than heavy-hearted. Because today is above all a day for enjoying you, my God. For tasting you, my God. And for knowing that you are good. Infinitely good. Today is a rest day is a rest day. In my heart and mind, much music will be made and played. And my spirit will enjoy fellowship with my Heavenly Father and my brother and Lord Jesus and my Holy Spirit. On the face of it, I remain much of the time a solitary presence in a mysterious world. Away from work or other social groups, I often resemble a small island of sorts, superficially. Unconnected. Lacking meaningful and sustained interactions with others. But in you, my Jesus, in you, my Heavenly Father, I am never lonely. I am never an island unto

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myself, whether small or large. I am your Lover, my God. Your perfect lover in Jesus. And you, my God, are my Beloved. And you, my God, are Love.

Development (Poetry).

Poem H

Purposiveness Pentecostal anointing; my awakening. Spiritual fire; my sustaining power. My Lord’s Covenant; my eternal Rock. Be my guiding presence, my Heavenly Father; My First Love, my First Muse.

Meditation Facade removed; understanding heightened. Fulfilment secured; stillness re-embraced.

STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Home again; my God, you are my true Home. Be my sweetest of thoughts, My most wonderful of reflections, My Word, my Truth, My Lord Jesus.

Accountability Sanctuary and altar; my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus. Wonder and constancy; my ongoing spiritual transformation And my Light from Light. Virtue and valediction; my God and my undying solace. Be both my Coach and my Mentor, My divine taskmaster and my eternal friend, My Holy Spirit.

Clarity Liberation costing everything; your life, my Jesus.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Purification by grace; your love, my Heavenly Father. Motive divine; your inspiration, my Holy Spirit. Be my Clarion Call, Be my Tuning Fork, Be my Guiding Light, O True Light, My Heavenly Father.

Depth Dove descending; Hope ascending. Sin and error; Frailty and dissonance. Living fire; Love in action. Animate my projects, my schema, My campaigns, my programmes of action, At the tiniest level of detail, At the highest level of abstraction, My Holy Spirit.

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Resonance Beginning and ending; my Alpha and Omega. The moment of the rose; my sweetest moment of becoming. The moment of the yew-tree; the manifestation of many beautiful things, That were once hidden. Animate my world, Even as you animate me, My Holy Spirit; Unfold me all the more, Even as you unfold all the more Those around me, Those you have called to me, My Holy Spirit.

Truth One’s exploration undimmed; One’s immediate resolution

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STRATEGIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT PERICHORESIS Temporal, Provisional. One’s increasing awareness Of how little they really know; One’s growing understanding of God, Who perfectly discerns everything. Eternal harmony implies All things being made anew, Through divine agency; Through the faithful prompting of the Holy Spirit, Through the testimony of the Word, Lord Jesus, Through the unfathomable ways of the Heavenly Father. Career development in God Over the long term Implies one’s inner heavens Being outwardly manifested, By God’s loving hands.

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To know is to arrive; To project into the future and Work through an ingenious plan, Is to know the end From the beginning. But only you, my God, The Alpha and the Omega, Know the end From the beginning; In your Truth, My God, I am forever Fulfilled, complete.

Further Evaluation (of reflective journal summary and poetry). As for one’s poetry in this section, one is particularly struck by the significance of the key theme of Truth, which points to the end of one’s career development over the long term being both completion and homecoming in my God.

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With respect to strategic career development, the one thing that perhaps stands out most about one’s reflective journaling is that it is an affirmation both of God’s infinite goodness and of my God’s infinite love for me.

Conclusion. The work in this section serves to indicate above all the intimate and intricate relationship between one’s walk as a Spirit-filled Christian and one’s strategic career development process.

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Chapter 9: Further Discussions and Conclusions

Introduction.

In the context of career development, the literature notes that: “… the fast paced movement, turnover, and re-definitions of most jobs—even careers—may seem to render the notion of “vocation” and “calling” irrelevant in the information age” (Weiss et al, 2003, p. 6).

Additionally, as the literature notes elsewhere, an individual’s career may be “…seen as a lifelong series of identity changes and continuous learning” (Weiss et al, 2003, p. 7).

There is also an increased interest and emphasis on “relational approach” in the workplace (Kram, 1988).

Weiss et al. (2003) suggest that three related relational and spiritual themes include (1) interdependence, (2) mutuality, and (3) reciprocity. In this regard, relating to and sharing values and life experiences with others becomes a significant element in one’s workspace and career.

Moreover, Weiss et al. (2003) opine that ‘strategic career development’ from a Christian perspective may be understood as: i) On the one hand, following in Jesus one’s “path with a heart…and soul” (p. 20); ii) On the other hand, again in Jesus, “losing oneself…to God’s purpose for us” (p. 20).

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The work of Weiss et al. (2003) chimes well with that of Giacalone & Jurkiewicz (2003) who define ‘workplace spirituality’ as: “…a framework of organizational values evidenced in the culture that promotes employees’ experience of transcendence through the work process, facilitating their sense of being connected to others in a way that provides feelings of completeness and joy” (p. 13).

In general, there is support from a broad swathe of the literature regarding the desirability of organisational processes that foster spirituality. For example, Krishnakumar & Neck (2002) conclude that: “The organisation that has a policy towards spiritual freedom will make its employees develop their potentials fully. This, again, would lead to better work performance and a friendlier corporate world” (p. 162).

Moreover, Thompson (2000) strongly suggests that workplaces that foster spiritual development have done better with respect to profitability. One might add that it is not just the ‘bottom line’ that is at stake in the context of strategic career development; it is prudent to also place the ‘triple bottom line’ in the spotlight, with its additional implications regarding employee well-being and social well-being (especially regarding the local and wider community).

Initial Development.

In light of the preceding remarks, it is therefore useful to continue by summarising, from a biblical perspective, the overall primary research process. This took place between Wednesday

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5th April 2017 and Sunday 21st May 2017. It was underpinned by meditation, prayer and quiet reflection, and one special day of fasting, on Saturday 20th May 2017.

Concerning the period from Wednesday 5th April 2017 to Friday 21st April 2017, key bible commentary included 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 13:12. One sees from these particular verses a concern with true revelation, which is not from man, but of God. One is also reminded of how the Scriptures regularly mock man’s ‘wisdom’!

Concerning the period from Saturday 22nd April 2017 to Monday 8th May 2017, key bible commentary included Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 46:1-3. One sees from these particular verses a concern with fearing God, in the sense of hoping in Him and trusting in Him. One is also reminded of how the Scriptures regularly stress that God is the Rock of His people.

Concerning the period from Tuesday 9th May 2017 to Saturday 13th May 2017, key bible commentary included Galatians 3:3, Proverbs 19:23, Isaiah 40:28 and Phillipians 4:6-7. One sees from these particular verses a concern with walking in the Spirit, which is also the same as fearing the Lord. One is also reminded of how the Scriptures regularly contend that the Lord never grows tired, and is always a source of comfort and refreshment for His people.

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Concerning the period from Sunday 14th May 2017 to Sunday 21st May 2017, key bible commentary included Zephaniah 3:17 and John 3:8. One sees from these particular verses a concern with appreciating the mysterious ways of God, alongside acknowledging His omnipotence and deep compassion, especially joy, in His People. One is also reminded of how the Scriptures regularly indicate that the ways of God are beyond tracing out; this crucially applies also to people who belong to Him in Jesus.

Further Development. From the conclusion of Chapter 4, it is clear that growth is a vital aspect of the interplay between spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics. From the conclusion of Chapter 5, it is clear that cultural considerations perform a crucial role in explicating the interplay between spiritual maturity and career development. This initially points to the manifold, enriching and enabling role of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, crucially impinging on the strategic career development process vis-à-vis oneself. From the conclusion of Chapter 6, it is clear that self-concept considerations are a vital aspect of the interplay between spiritual maturity and career development. From the conclusion of Chapter 7, it is clear that splendor is a vital aspect of the apprehension of perichoresis for followers of Jesus, both regarding the dance of love and regarding Love itself, namely God.

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From the conclusion of Chapter 8, it is clear that one’s walk in God through faith in Jesus and the strategic career development process concerning oneself are vitally interconnected.

Further Evaluation.

Returning to John 3:8, Coxhead (2012) notes that: “Regeneration by the Spirit, therefore, remains a sovereign act of God. God has mercy on whomever he wills, the implication being, that he has mercy on “everyone,” which is to say, on Gentile as well as Jew. This is the sense in which the Spirit blows where he wills.” On the one hand, this is a fitting way to understand the work of the Holy Spirit through whom He has called to Himself all of His People in Jesus. On the other hand, this is also a particularly appropriate way to understand the animating role of the Holy Spirit in directing Christians in all aspects of their lives. It follows from this logic that the Holy Spirit can be expected to have an active role to play in the strategic career development of all Christians.

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Conclusions. It is abundantly clear to one in light of the preceding loci in this section, personally apprehended in my Jesus, and through one’s research, namely that:i)

the work of the Holy Spirit is manifold, enriching and enabling;

ii)

regeneration of oneself and indeed all Christians is solely by the grace of God (c.f. Coxhead, 2012) ,

only two clear viewpoints, both inescapable and pervasive, fit both the narrative of this work thus far, and the practicalities of the strategic career development process.

The first one is that perichoretic considerations have a profound, driving, influence on the strategic career development process of all Spirit-filled Christians, true Christians who both hear and obey the Word, particularly through transforming intra-group behaviours and outcomes.

The second one is that my God Himself, as the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, actively ordains all processes concerning one’s dynamically altering interactions in the workplace, in line with His wonderful purposes.

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The preceding two conclusions resonate strikingly with the key contentions of Newton (2004), but also build on this seminal article by shining more light onto the process by which God impacts the workplace through Spirit-filled Christians.

Perichoretic considerations do not relate primarily to the inner lives of ‘Born Again’ Christians, but even more so to their outer lives. They are lived out in time and space in a social context, particularly in the workplace. As such, strategic career development may also be understood as a carefully weaved narrative of finely weighted actions, choices and priorities, both informed by and informing spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics, all mediated and guided by the Holy Spirit.

In closing, it is worth reminding the reader that ‘Born Again’ Christians, such as oneself, do not live for themselves, but for Jesus, God’s One and Only Son, their Lord and Saviour. It therefore follows that their individual wills are perfectly aligned with God’s will when they walk in step with the Holy Spirit. Indeed, as Evangelical Training Association (1988) notes, this brings great joy to believers, who see their lives “…multiplied through sharing Christ with others” (p. 96).

Figure 6: Spiritual Breakthrough (1 of 2) – One Perspective (Anon.

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Chapter 10: Epilogue

Key Limitations and Possible Areas for Further Study.

On the one hand, it clearly follows from the preceding chapter that regarding the first research question posed, linkages were found between spiritual maturity, perichoresis and strategic career development (R1). Moreover, evidence was found of a causal link between spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics on the one hand (R1a), and intra-group dynamics and strategic career development, on the other hand (R1b).

On the other hand, it clearly also follows from the preceding chapter that regarding the second research question posed, the linkages found between spiritual maturity, perichoresis and strategic career development are extremely strong (R2).

Furthermore, the strength of the perceived association between spiritual maturity and intra-group dynamics was found to be particularly significant (R2a), and the strength of the perceived association between intra-group dynamics and strategic career development, was additionally found to be particularly significant (R2b).

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However, it is instructive to also shed light on the relevant key limitations, the most important one of which is that the research method used, namely the interpretive phenomenological approach has been modified in such a way that the researcher is the sole research participant.

On the one hand, the research literature questions the validity of the researcher as an instrument of data collection, particularly with regard to trustworthiness (Poggenpoel & Myburgh, 2003) and validity (Bahrami et al., 2015).

Moreover, as Golafshani (2003) indicates, even if the researcher is able to demonstrate that the research instrument satisfies the key criterion of reliability, the instrument itself may not satisfy the other key criterion of validity.

However, on the other hand, Chenail (2011) offers a number of approaches for attending to research instrument and/or researcher bias concerns, focusing on instrumentation rigour and bias management. Both of these areas have been addressed in the relevant research methodology used (see Chapter 3), respectively regarding the primary research process and the bracketing exercise. One might also add that the reflexive nature of the research involved was enabled by the researcher being the sole participant of the research involved, given its concern with shedding more light on the transcendental reality of the Holy Spirit for Trinitarian Christians (for example, Bloesch, 2000; Taylor, 2015; Torrance, 2016).

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Other key limitations, pertaining to interpretive phenomenological analysis, the mode of research pursued in this work, arguably relate to:



Theoretical constraints of interpretive phenomenological approach (Braun and Clarke, 2006)



Qualitative research such as interpretive phenomenological analysis being “kept somewhat mysterious” (Brocki and Wearden, 2006, p. 38).



There being “…no, single, definitive way to do IPA” (Smith and Osborn, 2015, p. 54).

Moreover, it is also instructive to explicate possible areas for further study, the most important one of which is that it would be highly efficacious for more phenomenological research in the future to be done involving multiple research participants, especially using the descriptive approach.

For one thing, multiple research participants are typically presumed in qualitative research involving the phenomenological approach (for example, Creswell, 2013; Lewis, 2015; Marshall and Rossman, 2014).

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For another thing, the descriptive phenomenological approach concerns systematic description and thematisation of lived experience “ (Bevan, 2014). Such an approach might therefore be expected to strengthen claims regarding both reliability and validity of the relevant research, compared with the interpretive phenomenological approach. Also, bigger and richer data sets will be yielded if this approach is also combined with the interpretive phenomenological approach.

Other possible areas, pertaining to perichoretic activity, for further study relate to:



Exploration of the possible connection with organisational leadership (Davis, 2013)



Explication of the possible connection with economic stewardship (Stevens, 2006)

“We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.” - Eliot (1942)

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Figure 7: Spiritual Breakthrough (2 of 2) – Another Perspective (Anon.)

146

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