Abstract
There is a need for analyzing professional identity formation research and practice centered around the mapping of this complex longitudinal endeavor. Work in identity formation is found in a variety of areas including student development as well as in professional work settings and areas concerned with human development. Industrial engineering and management have been ventures exploring workplace identity within the development of engineers at the student and professional levels. Along this vein of thought have been explorations at the more advanced areas of specialized identity formation such as research on the development of researcher identity in doctoral students. At issue is how a university's research programs help in transforming incoming doctoral students into competent researchers. Any experienced researcher managing a research group can testify to the validity of this need and the importance of the transition being well managed. Current research has incorporated UX journey mapping and "Persona" development with Systems Theory Behavior over Time (BOT) graphing techniques. The next needed step is developing UX-BOT mapping techniques to delve into the critical interaction effects in complex systems. Systems Theory developed Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD) to address this issue. CLDs provide a rich capture of the critical interactions and impacting delays that often mask complex behaviors. This research presents the work on the methodological approach for UX-CLD mapping to assist in identity formation management for working professionals and researcher identity formation. This work is of interest to both researchers and practitioners in industrial engineering and engineering management.