Professions and Organisations: Embracing Complexity and Change in the Digital Era (I)

Bellini, Andrea

This session explores the interactions between professions and organisations, inviting theoretical and empirical presentations. It addresses critical questions about the evolving landscape of professions within organisational contexts, particularly in healthcare. The following points are examples and do not cover all possible topics and questions:

How do emerging digital technologies, such as AI, reshape professional roles and responsibilities? Digitalisation necessitates new skills and training due to structural job changes.
What are the implications of organisational settings on professional identity formation, maintenance, and change? Professionals must navigate their roles within increasingly digital and automated workplaces.
How do organisations adapt to and manage the growing diversity of professional backgrounds? The rise in interdisciplinary roles, especially in healthcare, requires effective management of professional heterogeneity.
What are the challenges for fostering effective interprofessional collaboration? Integrating diverse professional skills is vital in sectors like healthcare, where teamwork is essential for comprehensive care delivery.
How do broader social changes and managerial practices impact professional autonomy? Managerialism and the focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness often challenge traditional professional norms and values.
How are organisations involved in the processes of professionalisation, deprofessionalisation, or counterprofessionalisation? Understanding the dynamic nature of professional status within organisations is crucial.
What new patterns of professionalism are emerging within modern organisational frameworks? Digital transformation and the increasing emphasis on sustainability are driving changes in professional roles and expectations.

This session promises to foster rich dialogue among sociologists and organisational theorists, enhancing understanding of the evolving relationship between professions and organisations in the contemporary world.