Book Review: Johan Alvehus, The Logic of Professionalism: Work and Management in Professional Service Organizations

Abstract

In this succinct, stimulating monograph, Johan Alvehus explains how professional work perpetuates professionalism. The Logic of Professionalism (hereafter LOP) comprises eight chapters beginning with an outline of the author’s intentions and his approach. Chapter 2 explores the meaning of professionalism and how in professional service organisations (PSOs), a professional institutional logic co-exists with market and bureaucratic logics. In Chapter 3, Alvehus discusses the organisation of case and client-related problem-solving that creates ambiguities enabling professionals to retain control over their work. In addition, Alvehus shows how professionals often succeed in appropriating control over quality and HRM systems. Chapter 5 focuses on relational control. Leadership in PSOs is shared among senior professionals who acquire influence by political manoeuvring. Analysis then shifts in Chapter 6 to the organisational level where LOP co-exists with other logics. Chapter 7 explains the persistent dominance of the professional logic in PSOs leaving the final chapter to investigate whether LOP in the future will remain powerful or be undermined. Despite a deliberately selective engagement with relevant literatures, Alvehus succeeds in fulfilling his aim of exploring management and work practices that maintain LOP in PSOs (p. 6). Key concepts are explained, and where appropriate, relevant empirical studies are drawn on to support the author’s argument. For example, we learn that LOP refers to ‘professional workers’ discretion and judgement’ (p. 21), which helps to justify continuing control over the work process, high earnings and elevated social status. Professional work in PSOs is characterised by several attributes, including application of abstract knowledge, worker autonomy, adaptation to client needs and continuous learning (pp. 7–8). PSOs are governed by professionals and address complex public or private sector problems. Arising from the co-existence of professional, market and bureaucratic logics, PSOs are hybrid in form, generating recurrent patterns of behaviour that are frequently contested (p. 29). 1150097WES0010.1177/09500170221150097Work, Employment and Society X(X)Book Reviews book-review2023