Professionalism among Public and Nonprofit Managers

• Date: 01 June 1999
• Published date: 01 June 1999
• Author: Evan M. Berman
• DOI: 10.1177/02750749922064328
• Subject Matter: Articles

ARPA/June1999Berman/PROFESSIONALISMAMONGPUBLICAND NONPROFIT MANAGERS

PROFESSIONALISM AMONG PUBLIC

AND NONPROFIT MANAGERS

A Comparison

EVAN M. BERMAN

University of Central Florida

In recent years, considerable attention has focused on professional orientations of managers in

public and nonprofitorganizations, especially with regard to ethics. This article reports on a com-

parative survey among top managersin local government, social service organizations, and muse-

ums. Knowledge of comparative, professionalorientations is also relevant to many public admini-

stration programs that increasinglyoffer nonprofit management “tracks” or electives to students.

This study finds that whereas levels of professionalismamong public and nonprofit managers are

similar,public andnonprofitorganizationsexperiencedifferent conditionsthataffect it. This article

also reports on the use of management of change strategiesin public and nonprofit organizations.

On balance, many similarities are found between public and nonprofitorganizations.

This study compares professional orientations among managers in public and

nonprofit organizations. In recent years, professional orientations, especially

those concerning ethics, have received considerable attention (e.g., Eisenberg,

1997; Kobrak, 1996). Comparative understanding of professional orientations

is important, for example, for educational programs in public administration

that increasingly serve managers and employees of both public and nonprofit

organizations (Wish, 1996). However, little is known about the orientations of

nonprofit managers relativeto public managers at the present time. Comparison

of public and nonprofit organizations is also relevant for ongoing, cross-

sectoral research, because many studies compare public with private, for-profit

management practices rather than those of nonprofit organizations (e.g.,

Bozeman & Kingsley, 1998; Henry, 1998; Knott, 1993; Lan & Rainey, 1992;

Smith, 1998). Finally,comparison is of practical value to public managers who,

having been trained in public administration, now work or anticipate working

with or for nonprofit organizations (Bierenbaum, 1994; Heffernan & Ruiz,

1996; Luke, 1998).

To date, no systematic research exists that compares professional orienta-

tions among public and nonprofit managers. This article fills this void by exam-

ining orientations of managers in local government, social services, and muse-

ums. It offers new hypotheses of sectoral differences, and it considers how

professionalism may be affected by differences in educational attainment,

AMERICAN REVIEW OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION,Vol. 29 No. 2, June 1999 149-166

© 1999 Sage Publications, Inc.

149

training, and organizational culture. It also examines how professional orienta-

tions affect the use of organizational improvement initiatives. The results are

based on a survey of city managers and chief administrative officers in cities

over 50,000, as well as directors of large social service organizationsand muse-

ums in the United States.

FRAMEWORK

Managerial professionalism in public administration refers to the standards

of conduct, aspirations, and specific knowledge and behavior of public manag-

ers (Nalbandian, 1990; Van Wart, 1998). Such orientations shape interactions

with clients, elected officials, employees, and other stakeholders (Mintzberg,

1979; Mosher, 1982). As a normativeconcept, managerial professionalism con-

cerns the standards, aspirations, and knowledge that public managers ought to

have. Standards are often received through membership in professional organi-

zations such as the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the

National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the American Society of

AssociationExecutives(ASAE) as part of their education (“Professor Jonessaid

that it is always important to...”),andfrom their employers who set specific

standards of conduct. As an empirical concept, managerial professionalism

refers to the aspirations that managers actually have, along with the behavior

thattheyexhibitand their level of professional knowledge and ability (Bowman &

Menzel, 1998; Pugh, 1991).

Modern concepts of professionalism encompass the following dimensions:

commitment to ethics, accountability, fairness, competence, concern for the

well-being of clients and other stakeholders, and legal compliance (Fry,1995).

Studies of managerial orientations vary with regard to the specific beliefs and

practicesthatarestudied,butmost draw on one or more of these dimensions. For

example, it is quite common to study participation in training courses as evi-

dence of one’scommitment to staying on top of one’s field and competence, and

hence as evidence of professionalism (Streib, 1992). These dimensions of pro-

fessionalismchangeovertime:Studiesinthe1960sfrequentlyemphasizededu-

cational attainment, whereas studies in the 1970s added additional concern with

social equity. In the 1980s, concepts of professionalism further included an

interest to minimize legal wrongdoing and increase accountability, whereas

notionsinthe1990s emphasize ethics, stakeholderorientation,andprofessional

competency. Thus, modern notions of professionalism emphasize commitment

to stakeholders and excellence, as well as ethics, fairness, and accountability.It

is common to assess professional orientations by asking managers about them

and survey research has shown that managers vary considerably in their agree-

ment with even bedrock principles of ethics (Berman, West, & Cava, 1994).

This study examines how organizational conditions and educational back-

grounds affect managerial orientations toward professionalism. In this regard,

150 ARPA / June 1999