Abstract Organizational–professional conflict (OPC) occurs when organizations encourage professionals such as doctors, accountants, and lawyers to behave in ways that are not consistent with their professional norms. This may lead to unethical behavior, while it also reduces job satisfaction and increases turnover intentions. We take a novel approach for understanding OPC by examining the role played by formal and informal controls within the organization in which the professional is working, as well as the strength of the broader professional field of which the professional is a member. Using a sample of 449 qualified professional employees from a wide range of organizations and industries, we find that (1) formal behavior control does not influence OPC, (2) formal output control is positively linked to OPC, (3) informal social control reduces OPC, and (4) a stronger professional field mitigates the impact of output and social controls. The results extend recent insights into OPC while guiding professional organizations in terms of how their control systems may reduce the negative consequences of OPC amongst key employees.
Triest et al. (Wed,) studied this question.