Exploring Autoethnography: Embracing Storytelling and Pragmatism to Find the Meaning of My Layoff Survivor Journey

In this manuscript, the author provides insights about the data management approach and offers guidance on giving meaning to dissertation research findings through autoethnography. It describes a dramatic shift in the pragmatic mindset of the author toward a constructivist worldview. The manuscript is autoethnographic, detailing the journey of the author to identify a relevant research methodology that describes and explores the struggle and transformation during and after a mass layoff. The author proposes three main approaches to supporting data management in autoethnography: (1) inferring practical and theoretical assertions related to identified conceptual themes, (2) framing findings within a theoretical context, and (3) making relevant connections by comparing and contrasting her experiences with existing literature. Additionally, the author identifies and explores ways to incorporate structure and pragmatism to provide meaning and purpose in autoethnography related to the phenomenon being reflected upon.