ABSTRACT
How can organizations facilitate professional development within a change process aligned with the organization’s mission? This question assumes a strategic conception of organization and professional practice, a point of view widely held. It carries forward an alignment of professional action with the intent of the organization, consistent with institutional theories of organization and society. Arygris and Schön’s (1978) theory of professional effectiveness carried forward this implicit system-subsuming practice, an assumption that does not differ from most theory and research on organizational strategy. However, they also stressed the importance of using valid information to inform understanding of critical problems and collaboration among practitioners on the design of interventions. These discursive practices distinguish open-strategic action from methods that rely on central control to maintain alignment of organizational aims (i.e. mission, strategies, and strategic initiatives) within actions taken by professionals in the organization.
