Deprofessionalisation : striking at the heart of professionalism

In the contemporary political-economic context professionals are increasingly working as employees in organisations. This paper examines the meaning of professionalism and the values that professionals embrace. The paper argues that there is an inherent tension between organisational values and professional values and that compliance with organisational goals in preference to professional goals results in deprofessionalisation. Research into organisational-professional conflict indicates that job satisfaction and organisational commitment are reduced and organisational turnover is increased by organisational-professional conflict. The paper argues that organisational-professional conflict research needs to be expanded and refined to develop a clearer understanding of factors contributing to organisational turnover among professionals.