Understanding the Logic of Professionalism

Abstract

This chapter details how the logic of professionalism is maintained, and more precisely what it is that is maintained. It seeks to identify why professional service organizations persist, and thereby provides an answer to the question of how the logic of professionalism maintains its existence despite the threats posed against it. The chapter argues that there is great variety in the way in which professional service organizations work, and in the way professional service work is managed. Often professionalism is seen as being under threat. Yet, it seems to be surprisingly resilient over time. The chapter offers a brief discussion of a recurring theme: the persistence of ambiguity. It introduces the idea of latent pattern maintenance, and identifies two maintenance mechanisms in professional service organizations: functional ambiguity and opaque transparency. Finally, the chapter explicates the Janus-like character of institutional logics, and the role latent patterns play in maintaining them.