Understanding professionals and their workplaces: The mission of the Journal of Professions and Organization

In this essay we describe the growing importance of professions and the organizations in which they work, and we trace some trends in relevant scholarly research on this topic. We start by noting a dearth of recent publications in leading management and organization journals that address the field of professional organizations and include findings that may inform a better understanding of these contexts. We thus explain why we need this dedicated, specialist journal to provide a home for research in these areas. After providing some background to the ideas and actions that led to the founding of the Journal of Professions and Organization, aspects of the journal's mission, philosophy, and policies are presented. Finally we outline several areas in which we hope to foster research that, in sum, will add to our understanding of professions, professionals, their work and organization.