Professionals and their workplaces in emerging markets – a research agenda

Abstract

Purpose – Although professionals and the professions are vital players in all economic and business areas, there is a chronic shortage of research on professionals and their organizations in emerging markets. The purpose of this paper is to explain many fascinating and vital opportunities for research in these areas. Design/methodology/approach – As a framework the author uses the five categories of professional organization research developed by Brock et al. (2014); and as such discusses: organizational models and structures, micro-organizational issues, diversity, new professions, and societal issues. For each category the author begins with a recent news item concerning emerging market professionals, outlines underlying scholarly issues, and presents some examples of significant indicative research. Finally, the importance and opportunities for research in emerging economies is presented along with some examples and directions for future work. Findings – This short essay has endeavoured to show the importance of research in professionals and professional organization, to explain its relevance to contemporary society in general, and to present a concomitant research agenda. Originality/value – First, it is crucial to understand that professional work is vital to the development of all developing markets. Further, research into professional work and organizations in emerging markets is severely lacking. Finally, this essay explains five areas with special research potential, each with examples from the emerging market context, and presents directions for future work.