Professional identification
Encyclopedia
Professional Identification is a type of social identification and is the sense of oneness individuals have with a profession (e.g. law, medicine) and the degree to which individuals define themselves as profession members.
and colleagues recently found that professional identification actually conflicts with organizational identification
. Organizational identification
leads employees to believe that administrators are “like them” and “on their side," whereas professional identification leads employees to believe that administrators are “not like them” and “not on their side.”
Sources of Professional Identification
Researchers have found that a desire for quality (rather than profits) is associated with professional identification. Organizations tend to be concerned with efficiency and profitability, whereas professions care mainly about providing the highest-quality service (as defined by the professions), almost regardless of cost or revenue considerations (Freidson, 2001). Administrators are usually seen as promoting profitability at the expense of profession-defined quality (Freidson, 2001). In one notable study, practicing physicians viewed administrators with medical degrees (MDs) as “outsiders” to the medical profession because of what the physicians believed to be the administrators’ undue emphasis on organizational goals (Hoff, 1999: 336). Practicing physicians viewed administrators with MDs more negatively than those without MDs because the former were thought to have “betrayed” the medical profession by assuming administrative roles (Hoff, 1999: 344).Recent Research
For over 50 years, researchers have studied whether or not professional employees' social identities influence their work behaviors. David R. HekmanDavid R. Hekman
David R. Hekman is an assistant professor of management at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.- Early life and education :A Michigan native, Hekman received his Bachelor of Business Administration in 2000 at Grand Valley State University, where he was voted "Outstanding Finance Student of the...
and colleagues recently found that professional identification actually conflicts with organizational identification
Organizational identification
-Definitions of Identification and Organizational Identification:Phillip Tompkins one was of the first to use the phrase 'organizational identification' and is a pioneer in the study of organizational communication . Simon has also been given credit for establishing organizational identification...
. Organizational identification
Organizational identification
-Definitions of Identification and Organizational Identification:Phillip Tompkins one was of the first to use the phrase 'organizational identification' and is a pioneer in the study of organizational communication . Simon has also been given credit for establishing organizational identification...
leads employees to believe that administrators are “like them” and “on their side," whereas professional identification leads employees to believe that administrators are “not like them” and “not on their side.”