Professions and professionalism have played an integral part in business and society. In this book, Mike Saks provides a thorough overview of this field through an analysis of a range of professions, including, amongst others, accountants, doctors and lawyers.The book offers a critical analysis of such privileged occupational groups in modern societies. Anticipating a positive if changing role for such groups in the years ahead, the book outlines conflicting theoretical perspective...

This unique book enhances our understanding of the links between professions, the state and the market – and their implications for the public in terms of professional practice. In so doing, the book adopts a neo-Weberian perspective, in which professions are seen as a form of exclusionary social closure based on legal boundaries established by the state.To illustrate the overarching theme, the book considers how healthcare in general, and medicine in particular as a form of profes...

The importance and influence of professions in public life has grown increasingly over the twentieth century but the question of whether they subordinate their own self-interests to the public interest has yet to be adequately researched within a major sociological perspective. In Professions and the Public Interest Mike Saks develops a theoretical and methodological framework for assessing professional groups in Western society. The empirical applicability of this framework is de...

The rapid development of NHS trusts is making unprecendented demands on those responsible for strategic planning and management for which many are unprepared. This manual is based upon the experience of those who have faced the questions and found the answers. It is intended for all those involved in Trust management. The questions are not all board-level strategic questions; some are quite mundane and managerial. However, the questions will have to be asked and the answers will determine ...

With a range of well-respected voices from across the business, political, third sector and research spectrum, this important book provides an accessible insight into responsible leadership. It represents the most comprehensive and informed work on responsible leadership linked to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) produced to date.This carefully edited volume, based on a collaborative partnership between the Institute for Responsible Leadership (IRL) and ...

Saks and Allsop′s Researching Health offers a comprehensive introduction to research methods for health care students and practitioners. The new third edition includes important theoretical updates, and further international content, with contributors from the UK, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Canada, and Spain, covering a number of specialisms and providing perspectives on core topics.There are 6 NEW chapters on:Principles of Health Research...

Professions and Metaphors: Understanding Professions in Society explores the way that two traditions have contributed to our understanding of both theory and society over recent decades. In the first tradition, the growing literature on metaphors has helped to guide thinking, providing insights into such phenomena as the study of organizations. In the second, there has been an increased interest in professions, from lawyers and university academics to doctors and social workers.

This book draws on research within neo-Weberian and neo-institutionalist perspectives to critically analyse National Health Services (NHSs) in Western Europe. Exploring the challenges posed by neo-liberal policies, it also looks at the impact of the role of the state, the medical profession, the public and the medical–industrial complex in their development.Bringing together a top-line range of expert international contributors, this book includes national studies from three Europe...

Across the globe, patients are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active participants, decision-makers and collaborators.This timely volume explores the evolving landscape of patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare, focusing on its intersection with the healthcare professions. Drawing on international perspectives, the book examines how patients and professionals navigate changing roles, peer support networks and complex healthcare systems. It considers the ...

Health care support workers (HSWs) play a fundamental role in international health care systems, and yet they remain largely invisible. Despite this, the number of HSWs is growing fast as governments strive to combat illness and address social care issues in a world of finite resources.This original collection analyses the global experience of HSWs in the UK, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Sweden and The Netherlands. Leading academics examine issues including the inter...

Professions are increasingly linked with enterprise at a number of interrelated levels. By considering the relationship of professions to the enterprise contexts in which they work, this book reveals the dilemmas posed to professional groups, and the opportunities and constraints that can arise in their organisational frameworks.Addressing both private and public sectors, this collection explores questions including: what are the implications for the culture, practices and identiti...

Many professions today are in a state of transition, with changes being imposed on them by governments and other agencies. Focusing on this theme of change Health Professions and the State in Europe explains and illuminates the specific relationship between health professions and the state. The editors and contributors, all experts in the field, present an overview of the current situation in eight different countries in Europe, covering such topical issues as the impact on the he...