Theories of Professionalism and Theories of Entrepreneurship - Alignments and Differences in Contemporary Capitalism (konfrenssiabstrakti)

Abstract

<p>The rise of the global platform economy, and with it, the increasing number<br>of professionals among the gig workers and the increasing number of precariety<br>among highly skilled professionals and professions (Poutanen & Kovalainen 2017,<br>2016) all give rationale for the question of how adequately the current theories<br>used are explaining the professionalism and its legitimacy and legitimation<br>basis in contemporary societies. This paper addresses the question of theories<br>used in analyzing professionalism and professions. This is done by scrutinizing<br>the theoretization of professionalism vis á vis theoretization of entrepreneurial<br>activities and entrepreneurship. Several new ways of organizing professions<br>increasingly emerge through and with the help of digital platforms and global<br>work platforms even for professionals. The liminal space of not being waged<br>worker nor entrepreneur puts professions into new situation. On the other<br>hand the ‘easiness’ of starting up a business and the ‘toughness’ of building up<br>the reputation into trustworthy professional do raise new questions concerning<br>the organization of professions. The argument developed in the paper is to<br>relate, align and dissect the theories used for the analysis of professions and<br>professionalism and the theories used for the analysis of entrepreneurship vis a<br>vis another, in order to seek for new theoretization for the changing professions<br>in the contemporary societies.<br></p>