CORE ASSIGNMENT – THEMATIC ANALYSIS Peterson 1

Core Assignment – Thematic Analysis

Zack Peterson

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University

OGL 482: Org Leadership Pro-Seminar II

Professor Kenneth Willmott

November 08, 2020

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Introduction

Throughout my time thus far in Org Leadership Pro-Seminar II, much like the entirety of

my time studying at Arizona State University, I have conducted several self-assessments, which

have provided me with an almost newfound knowledge pertaining to the type of person I am

today. Even though the data from these assessments is nothing new to me, reading about specific

parts of why I am the way that I am seems to hit differently for me this time; as if I have been

rediscovering myself during this nearly four year-long academic journey. The analytical results I

have received regarding the natural state of the fibers of my being has given me clarity on some

unanswered questions I have had about myself for quite some time now. For instance, I have

often asked myself why I am drawn to certain work rather than other, more generalized work;

have there been any standout moments, in particular, over time which may have impacted or

influenced the course of my life to some degree; what is my purpose in life, since I still do not

have a clear enough answer to that as it is at the age of twenty-six. The data I have obtained for

my thematic analysis has mostly been derived from my time in this course, including such

sources as my Life Story Personal Narrative and Identities Exercise, as well as from previous

courses I have taken over the years of my academic journey, such as the Jung Typology Test and

the Big Five Personality Test.

Data Source Citation Code

Three Questions 3Q

Identities Exercise IE

Values Checklist VC

Dreams and Desires Worksheet DDW

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Life Story Personal Narrative LSPN

O’NET Interest Profiler OIP

Career Anchors Assessment CAA

Jung Typology Test JTT

Keirsey Temperament Sorter KTS

Big Five Personality Test B5PT

Based on the information I have gathered from the self-assessments, I began to notice

recurring themes, which led me to search for evidence from the assessments that could either

support or contradict the why or how for such themes. For instance, how my queerness seeps into

my professional life, why I feel the necessity to build and foster community in most, if not all, of

my professional work, and how I have developed a knack for the work I thoroughly enjoy doing

most. During the process of compiling this collection of data and analyzing its application to me,

both personally and professionally, I have adopted a stronger sense of self-awareness. The

O’NET Interest Profiler assessment, for example, proved to me I am more likely to pursue

starting up artistic work with a high social impact as opposed to conventional work with a low

social impact. In writing my Life Story Personal Narrative, I was reminded of certain instances

during my formative years which greatly contributed to how I am navigating my adult years.

Additionally, the Identities Exercise revealed to me just how closely connected my personal life

and professional life truly are. All in all, between the collected data and my personal

interpretation of these informatively rich sources, I have arrived at establishing several themes

which paint a more meaningful and purposeful portrayal of myself as a person and a

professional.
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Themes:

1. Being queer plays a large role in who I am and what I do in my personal life, as

well as my professional life.

2. Pivotal moments throughout my life have made an influential impact on me on

me, both professionally and personally.

3. I feel a need to create community in the work I do.

4. Having hands-on experience has shaped the type of worker I am today.

5. I enjoy working. A lot.

6. The arts – specifically, fashion, photography, and music – have always been and

will always be an integral part of my identity.

7. I have found that being of service to others is the most rewarding work of all.

8. The relationship I have with my family is, bar none, the most important

relationship to me.
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Theme 1: Being queer plays a large role in who I am and what I do in my personal life, as

well as my professional life.

Supporting Evidence:

 “Experiencing this type of treatment by my peers at an early age caused me to develop a

thicker skin in how I handle myself and carry on throughout my day.” (LSPN)

 “For me, personally, what I believe the world needs me to do for the greater good of

those around me, both near and far, is to contribute myself and my work for my own

community: the LGBTQIA+ community.” (3Q)

 “As a queer person, nearly everything I do is heavily influenced by those within the

LGBTQIA+ community; from those who came before me, to those who are here today.”

(IE)

 “I had just left a place where I was made to feel less than by my peers simply because of

who I was, and had now arrived in a new place where I can start over with new peers; it

seemed to be the Christmas present I did not know I needed.” (LSPN)

 “The underlying meaning I discovered through exploring my dreams and desires in this

manner is I, ultimately, want to work with and for those within the LGBTQIA+

community.” (DDW)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

Being able to fully come into my queerness has been a journey for me ever since I was

young, going back to such early recollections as kindergarten. Even though I may not have

always had support from my peers growing up, I always had the support of my family, who

allowed me to be myself despite what others thought. This freedom I was able to have, to be able
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to be myself, deeply and positively impacted my personal life as it provided me with the

opportunity to freely and openly express my interests, which would then turn into skills that

would, in time, lead to professional opportunities. Seeing as how I have been able to come into

my queerness, as well as how I have continued to learn about myself throughout my life thus far,

I am reassured of the person and professional I have become in reflecting upon this theme of my

life through this analysis.

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Theme 2: Pivotal moments throughout my life have made an influential impact on me, both

personally and professionally.

Supporting Evidence:

 “My sister was a monthly subscriber to Teen Vogue, which I was fond of, but it was not

until she had received a copy of Vogue Magazine in the mail one day where I felt as

though I had found my place in the world at large.” (LSPN)

 “Much like the two aforementioned self-assessment instruments, this test provided me

with more clarity in understanding how I see myself in the world when it comes to both

my personal life and professional life.” (B5PT)

 “These experiences have built me up, torn me down, and built me back up again in order

for me to be able to be the best possible version of myself for not only myself, but for

others as well.” (LSPN)

 “After we arrived back home, I turned twelve on my birthday and was introduced to

something which would impact my world even more than reading my first issue of

American Vogue. This time, it was the film The Devil Wears Prada, based on the book

written by Lauren Weisberger.” (LSPN)

 “I think back to this moment in my life rather frequently, which I identify as a peak

experience for me, both professionally and personally, and came back to the conclusion

that what had happened, happened for a reason.” (LSPN)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason, which is why I feel as though

specific moments that have occurred throughout my life, both good and bad, have been for a
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specific, influential reason. Whether it was to teach me a valuable life lesson, to strengthen me as

a person and a professional, or to provide me with guidance when I needed it most; there have

been pivotal moments which have made a lasting impact on my life. For instance, discovering

the fashion industry at the young age that I did was not only impactful on my personal life as a

means of escapism from the reality I was living, but it was impactful on my professional life, as

well, as it introduced me to multiple career paths within the industry that I could later work

towards and, eventually, pursue. The experience I had interviewing for the role at Urban

Outfitters’ home office in Philadelphia was another pivotal moment in which I feel it happened

for a reason because that process gave me a glimpse into the kind of reality I thought I was

prepared for when, actually, I was not at all ready for what would have come after it.
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Theme 3: I feel a need to create community in the work I do.

Supporting Evidence:

 “Community, for me, is of the upmost importance when it comes to what I do; whether it

is work I do for myself or work that I do for someone else.” (VC)

 “[Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community] Causes me to learn more about myself and

about other people within my community.” (IE)

 “Now, looking back on that time of my work life, I grew to learn how important

community is to a business. Without having the network of support that a community can

bring, it is not only impossible to keep a business from going under, but it also leaves

little to no purpose to the work a business can do for others within the community.”

(LSPN)

 “In learning of my guardian-like tendencies from the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, what

I learned about myself is how I unintentionally resort to being someone with whom my

friends, family, and coworkers can be dependent upon for anything.” (KTS)

 “My primary Career Anchor is Sense of Service/Dedication to a Cause.” (CAA)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

In my eight years of experience, primarily working in the service industry, I have

witnessed firsthand how imperative it is for an organization to establish community. Having

worked for large, corporate companies, such as Starbucks and Anthropologie, to working with

small, independent brands, such as Boy Smells and Hello Mr., it is important for an organization

to be able to reach a desired audience through their body of work, which is the starting point in

creating their community. In what I do, as someone who is simply adding onto the body of work,
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it is important for me to understand who their desired audience is and how I can best tap into the

community they’re continuing to create and grow. It is from this experience, which has impacted

me greatly, that I have developed a passion for community building myself through my own,

personal work of visual storytelling, using photography as my primary medium.

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Theme 4: Having hands-on experience has shaped the type of worker I am today.

Supporting Evidence:

 “In working on the yearbook staff, I learned how to adhere to deadlines, what it really

meant to work with others within a group, how to brainstorm new ideas or concepts for

upcoming work, and find ways to bring it all to life through hard work and dedication.”

(LSPN)

 “Part of what gives me joy about creating new work or projects lies in the job itself;

creating new work that is conceived from my own ideas and thought-out concepts.” (3Q)

 “From concept to artistic and creative direction to styling, photographing, and retouching,

I have been involved throughout the entire process, which has benefited me in terms of

how I am able to bring a concept to life and see it all the way through.” (OIP)

 “My secondary Career Anchor is Technical/Functional Competence.” (CAA)

 Whether it was a landscape, my mother or sister, an object, or even a piece of clothing, I

photographed it all. I found that through those days of trial and error, I was able to find

what I perceive to be my photographic point of view; how I see a moment by way of

imagery.” (LSPN)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

The impact of having a very hands-on approach to any line of work I have done, whether

it is in the past or present, has benefited me tremendously well. I enjoy being involved in the

many processes in which a job entails, learning about the ins and outs of a job-related duty, and

being able to execute as many of those duties that I possibly can. There is a high-level of

satisfaction I feel in absorbing and learning as much work-related knowledge to where I can have
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a hand in nearly every aspect of the organization. For me, it is not so much about being the best,

but more so about challenging myself and stepping out of my comfort zone
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Theme 5: I enjoy working. A lot.

Supporting Evidence: [find new evidence, as these are from the old theme]

 “The role of being a barista carries with it many technical do’s and don’ts, which adheres

to the step-by-step approach I prefer to follow in my performance at work.” (JTT)

 “Since I will be promoting myself to other organizations in an attempt to land a job with

one of them, I will have to prioritize my profession first, which could likely affect my

identity and the prioritization I have right now.” (IE)

 “In the summer of 2014, after I had just finished my freshman year at Columbia State, I

managed working two jobs, both as a barista at Starbucks and as a movie theater

attendant at The Franklin Theater, which is a restored, locally owned, single-theater

movie theater that happened to be across the street from Starbucks.” (LPSN)

 “Part of what gives me joy about creating new work or projects lies in the job itself:

creating work that is conceived from my own ideas and thought-out concepts.” (3Q)

 “During my time there, I experienced some positive and negative moments which aided

me in bettering myself as a leader for others, rather than being a leader for an

organization.” (LSPN)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

After reviewing the data I collected for my analysis, this theme was one in which I kept

noticing rather consistently in every piece of data. While it sounds a tad bit ridiculous at first,

reflecting upon my data proved to me how much I genuinely enjoy working; so much so, it could

be argued I enjoy working way more than the average person does. I find the work I do to be

rewarding for not only those with whom it immediately affects, but it is rewarding for me, as
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well, because it provides me with a sense of purpose. Having worked as a restaurant host, movie

theater attendant, clothing retail associate and team leader, then working my current roles as a

barista and content creator, I have found and continue to find myself enjoying the time I spend

working more than the time I spend not working.

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Theme 6: The arts – specifically, fashion, photography, and music – have always been and

will always be an integral part of my identity.

Supporting Evidence:

 “I initially thought I wanted to be a fashion designer, so I would spend any free time I

had sketching clothes and accessories on numerous sheets of printer paper.” (LSPN)

 “People with Artistic interests like work that deals with the artistic side of things, such as

acting, music, art, and design.” (OIP)

 “Similar to language arts and reading, learning about music from Mr. LaGratta provided

me with an escape which fueled my own passion for music and the arts.” (LSPN)

 “Ever since high school, when I started taking photography seriously, my ability to

capture a moment which adds to the story, besides creating the story itself, is something I

have always found comfort in.” (3Q)

 “In the future, once I have graduated from Arizona State University, I plan on playing

towards my strength of photography and content creation for an organization which

dedicates themselves to being of service to others.” (CAA)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

Dating back to some of my earliest memories, I have always found myself through the

arts. Whether it was styling and dressing up dolls in pre-school, taking photos on disposable

Kodak film cameras that my mother would get for my sister and I to use on our family vacations,

or learning how to read music while I was involved in chorus and band during elementary

school; I have discovered various parts of myself through my artistic interests. As I have gotten

older, especially since I started my studies at Arizona State University, I have reflected upon
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those interests in regard to how I could act on them when it comes time to find work post-

graduation. Seeing as how I have a variety of skills and art-related experience already, I plan on

using that knowledge to my advantage and expanding upon it in the years ahead for my

professional work.
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Theme 7: I have found that being of service to others is the most rewarding work of all.

Supporting Evidence:

 “For instance, from this Big Five Personality Test, I learned that I am mostly a well-

disciplined, organized, and detail-oriented worker who shows a high degree of

compassion and cooperation since I tend to go out of my way to please people.” (B5PT)

 “When I reflect upon making the decision to come back to Starbucks, with the intent of

serving my community and myself, as a student, in the only way I know how, I recognize

that decision as both a major turning point in my work life and a peak experience.”

(LSPN)

 “Contributing myself to others in a way that only I know how to do is what I can do to

fulfill my higher purpose for the betterment of many individuals within my community.”

(3Q)

 “After coming up with my top five values list, a common theme which was found from

each dream and desire was to be of service to others in some extent; whether it was

working with others directly, working for them through my work, or collaborating with

someone or some people to create work which would benefit and support the

community.” (DDW)

 “The connection I made as to how my primary and secondary career anchors correlate to

that of my current life, both professionally and personally, stems from the fact that I favor

being of service to others in a way which plays to my technical strengths.” (CAA)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

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Before I started my working career, I did not believe I was a people person. I used to

have minimal patience with most people for no particular reason, other than the fact that I did not

enjoy being in the company of others. However, after a couple of months into my first job as a

host for a local restaurant in Franklin, TN, this personal belief of mine changed completely.

Suddenly, I found myself enjoying the work of helping people and ensuring they had their

desires or expectations met. There is a high degree of satisfaction I feel in being able to help

others, no matter the circumstance; whether it is booking a reservation for them, assisting them

with shopping for clothes, or making a latte to start their morning off on the right foot. Reflecting

on my genuine passion for being of service to others through this analysis, I look forward to

navigating which career opportunities I may be able to fulfill after I graduate.

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Theme 8: The relationship I have with my family is, bar none, the most important

relationship to me.

Supporting Evidence:

 “Taking family trips to visit her happened at least once a year ever since I was born, but

the trip we took that summer, in particular, was special because my mother taught me

how to sew on the same machine she was taught how to sew on as a child.” (LSPN)

 “The role of brother/son influences my priorities and actions in a way that makes me

think, would this make my mom and sister proud of me, or could this be considered

harmful.” (IE)

 “I promised my mother I would earn a college degree, after years of telling her I did not

see myself going to college and how I wanted to prioritize work over school, and I

promised myself I would work hard in order to earn a degree I believe in.” (LSPN)

 “How I currently prioritize my roles is by, firstly, being a brother and son to my sister

and mom. I will always put them first before anything or anyone else.” (IE)

 “Now that we had a place there to call home, our motivation to move was stronger than

before.” (LSPN)

Reflection – The impact of this theme on my personal and/or professional life:

While the relationships my mother, my sister, and I have with our extended family

members has been somewhat rocky for most of my life, the relationship I have with my

immediate family, being my mother and sister, is something I have never had to question or raise

concern about. It is not only the most important relationship to me, but the strongest relationship

I have had in my life. The experiences we have shared together, as well as those we have
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experienced individually, have bonded us together over the years. This type of relationship,

being one of honesty, transparency, loyalty, compassion, and empathy, is one in which I use as a

basis for other personal relationships in my life, as well as professional relationships. Being able

to create and maintain these long-lasting relationships, both personally and professionally, allows

me to be my best, most authentic self.

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Personal Purpose Statement

 To fulfill a role which better serves the community, especially the LGBTQIA+

community.

 To bring happiness, positivity, and joy to people, both personally and professionally.

 To be my most authentic self, no matter what consequences may arise from doing so.

 To never settle for what I believe is less than what I should have.

 To be honest and transparent in the work I do and the life I lead.

 To arrive at a place within myself where I am happy, confident, and satisfied with who I

am and who I am becoming.

 To be there, both mentally and emotionally, for my family and friends, as well as those I

may not know all too well.

 To always pay attention and listen to what others are saying, even if it is something I am

not privy to.

 To live in the moment and be present with those I am surrounded by.

 To work with others on generating new ideas, concepts, or projects which could benefit

the greater good of the community, if not humanity at large.

 To be grateful for what I have the privilege of doing, seeing, hearing, and owning; to not

take anything for granted.

 To exude and embody the change I aspire to see in the world.

In creating my purpose statement, I reflected on what I consider to be of the upmost

importance to me, both now and going into the future. Keeping a sense of professionalism in

mind, as I believe there is a strong interconnectedness between what my purpose and what my
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mission is, I dived into the core of my being, which brought forward some sentiments that are

more personal and sincere compared to the sentiments mentioned in my mission statement.

Writing these sentiments down was a profound experience for me, personally, because I rarely

take the time to think about what my purpose or vision is. I am usually fixated on what I am

currently working on or what kind of work is ahead that I deprive myself of the time I could use

to check in with myself and lay out where my intentions are, as well as where they could go later

on; time in which could benefit me greatly to recenter myself with who and where I am. I

developed this purpose statement with the strategic tool presented to my fellow classmates and I,

which outlined how to formulate a purpose statement. From this tool, I grasped an understanding

in what differentiates one’s purpose from their mission. I feel as though the two could get

confused for each other or considered to be the same statement, when, really, the two could not

be any more different than they are similar. Having used this tool to my advantage, I was able to

successfully craft this purpose statement to outline where I see myself in the present tense, as

well as the future tense.

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Personal Mission Statement

 I will graduate from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational

Leadership.

 I will challenge myself with new opportunities, both personally and professionally;

opportunities in which will encourage me to think outside of the box, push me out of my

comfort zone, and broaden my expectations of what can or cannot be done.

 I will continue to support and uplift those within the LGBTQIA+ community, especially

those with whom are queer, trans, intersex, and people of color; for their fundamental

rights, as well as their right to live in a world which works for them rather than against

them, are just as important and valid as my own rights as a white, queer person.

 I will actively pursue professional opportunities which embody the same, if not similar,

values and moral obligations I personally possess.

 I will be an involved, supportive, empathetic, honest, and trustworthy son, brother, friend,

colleague, peer, and stranger to those with whom I interact with on a daily basis.

 I will continue to build upon my skills with each and every opportunity that lends itself to

me, perfect my craft as a professional through experiences I endure, and work on myself

along the way to be the best person and professional that I can be for the betterment of

myself and those around me.

 I will remain true to who I am by remaining true to my moral compass, remembering

what my values are, and always being knowledgeable of where I have come from.

In order to create my mission statement, I thought deeply about what matters most to me

on a professional level, as well as on a person level. My professional life and personal life are

strongly interconnected; however, with my mission statement, what I found to be the case in
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developing this statement was for my sentiments to have a more professional relevance while

maintaining some personal relevance. Initially, I mostly thought about my short-term plans, such

as graduating from college and going on to pursue new career opportunities shortly thereafter,

which led me to consider how my short-term plans could become long-term, too. I reflected on

how I could make the most out of my future endeavors in a sustainable effort. For instance, the

type of colleague I aspire to be could also be the type of leader I aspire to be, which could, in

time, lead me to becoming the type of business owner I aspire to be. This happens by

maintaining the same moral obligations, values, and personal characteristics throughout the

course of my professional life. Similar to my purpose statement, I developed my mission

statement with the assistance of the same strategic tool used to develop my purpose statement.

This tool lent itself to me the necessary insight of what separates my mission from my purpose,

while also revealing to me how the two are not all that different from each other. My mission can

become a part of my purpose, just like how my purpose can become a part of my mission.