PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND JOB-SATISFACTION FOR EMPLOYED LAWYERS

This paper presents the results of a two part field study designed to examine issues of organizational-professional conflict (OPC) amongst employed layers (corporate counsel). The study adopts the Johnson (1972) collegiate/oligarchic typology, and hypothesises that the unexpectedly low OPC found by Aranya and Ferris (1984) amongst employed accountants is a function of the nature of the profession. It replicates the Aranya and Ferris study using subjects from a collegiate profession where, arguably, external reference groups and traditions are more powerful. Using standard multi-variate analysis, the study suggests that for this sample, OPC is no more of an issue than in the Aranya and Ferris study. There was, however, evidence of career factors impacting strongly upon organizational commitment, suggesting that previous ideas on the nature of the link between professionals and their employers are an oversimplification. The theoretical and practical iplications of these findings are discussed.