Professional authority, power and emerging forms of ‘profession’ in quantity surveying

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory and theoretical analysis of professional authority and power and its impact on the future of quantity surveying as a profession. The paper argues that the professional knowledge base of quantity surveying and its relationship to the skills used by quantity surveyors in providing a service to clients forms one of the basic building blocks of professional power and authority. An analysis of the client practitioner relationship in quantity surveying is undertaken using two models of ‘profession’, one concerned with client evaluation and the second with the development of mystique, cruciality and consequently professional authority. The paper concludes that quantity surveying does not currently have a broad base for the continued development of professional authority and power. However, the potential is there and could stem from the expansion of the resource controller or resource gatekeeper roles. Finally, the paper discusses emerging forms of ‘profession’, in quantity surveying and highlights that this could be affected by; the changing nature of employment in different organizations, the distinction between the professional and technician function, the issue of sub-contracting in private practice and the development of large professional bureaucracies, through merger activity, that could offer multiple surveying services and exercise considerable influence over the future direction of the profession.

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