'Profession' and 'professional' are shifting signifiers that have taken on a range of new meanings in the past two decades as professional occupations have been reshaped by moves to 'flexible' (deregulated and decentred) work processes and work practices. The role of modern professions was significant in terms of the democratic elements of the professionalising project. But how do moves away from the modern bureaucratically-structured professions, and a professional ideal based on the concept of universal service, impact on graduates currently entering professional employment domains in which new 'performativity-based' management regimes are replacing the older control structures? This study draws on a range of sociological literature to explore both the structural and discursive changes in the meaning of profession practice. The study also draws on a number of research projects, including materials from focus group interviews of final year undergraduate students, recruitment brochures, ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) statistical analyses and DEST (Australia: Department of Employment, Science and Training) graduate destination studies, and policy documents. These materials are used to argue that the employment destinations of those with professional qualifications and credentials are now more stratified and more diverse and no longer necessarily coupled with a lifelong career. In addtion, the new management regimes that accompany the move to more flexible work processes and work practices are changing how those in professional work locations construct their sense of themselves as professional practitioners. Changes in the nature of professional work, and in the structural and discursive location of professional workers, have implications for education and training institutions. These institutions not only prepare workers for these occupational domains but are the main conduits through which access to work in the restructured labour markets is mediated. The study concludes by drawing attention to the need for educational research to be anchored in a 'sociology of employment' that is able to provide a more critical account of the relationship between education and training and entry into high status/low status employment domains.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka skillnader i arbetsmotivation och arbetstillfredsställelse bland omsorgspersonal beroende på om de hade en fast eller flexibel arbetsplats. I studien ingick två deltagargrupper där den ena gruppen tillhörde en fast avdelning medan de anställda i den andra gruppen flyttade runt mellan avdelningar beroende på var det för tillfället fanns behov. Studien genomfördes som en enkätundersökning inom omsorgsförvaltningen i en mindre kommun. Totalt besvarade 55 personer på enkäten som var uppdelad i två delar; Basic need satisfaction at work scale som mätte arbetsmotivation med delskalorna autonomi, kompetens och samhörighet och Minnesota job satisfaction som mätte inre och yttre arbetstillfredsställelse. Studien visade att anställda med en flexibel arbetsplats hade lägre arbetsmotivation och arbetstillfredsställelse än anställda med fast arbetsplats. Autonomi, samhörighet och inre arbetstillfredsställelse visade ett signifikant resultat, kompetens och yttre arbetstillfredsställelse hade en tendens till signifikant effekt / The aim of the study was to examine differences in work motivation and job satisfaction among nursing assistants, depending on whether they had a permanent or flexible workplace. The study involved two groups of participants, the one belonging to a permanent ward while the employees of the other group moved around between wards depending on where they were currently needed. The study was conducted as a survey in care administration in a small municipality. A total of 55 people responded to the questionnaire, which was divided into two parts; Basic need satisfaction at work scale measuring the motivation subscales of autonomy, competence and connectedness and Minnesota job satisfaction scale measuring job satisfaction based on intrinsic and extrinsic aspects. The study showed that employees with a flexible workplace had lower motivation and job satisfaction than workers with permanent workplace. Autonomy, connectedness and internal job satisfaction showed a significant result, competence and external job satisfaction tended to significant effect.