Professionalism and Management in Public Sector (Not-for-Profit Organizations): Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

For a long time, sociologists of professional occupations have differentiated professionalism as a special means of organizing work and controlling workers compared with and in contrast to the hierarchical, bureaucratic and managerial controls of industrial and commercial organizations. It is argued that professionalism is essentially different to organizational manageralism and, in public service sector work, professionalism has real advantages for both practitioner-workers and their clients. This interpretation of professionalism has a long history and in it professionalism is regarded as an occupational value. But professionalism is changing and being changed as public sector professionals (such as doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers) now work in organizational places of work and where organizational and managerial methods of work and worker control are affecting professionalism.