ASAE commissioned research published

Posted on Thursday 23 September 2021

The Practice to Profession study, commissioned and funded by the ASAE Research Foundation and conducted by a research group from the University of Leeds, Newcastle University, and the University of Warwick, examined how occupational groups become professions and the ways in which associations define and promote member communities within these professions. As part of the multi-phase research process, researchers sought to isolate the characteristics that distinguish a profession to understand the advantages and disadvantages of professionalization of a field. The findings are shared in these three reports:

• From Practice to Profession: How Associations Adapt to Member Needs at Different Stages of Formation
• Signalling Quality: Balancing Member Needs and Stakeholder Perceptions in Shifting Landscape of Professionalization
• The Role of Associations in the Era of Professionalization: How Membership Organizations Are Adapting to a Changing Workforce

The reports also identify five pursuits that advance the line of work from a practice or occupation to a profession and can serve as guideposts for association leaders in organizational planning.

Key ideas are also summarized in a recently published paper.