Advisory Committee Chair
Ferris Ritchey
Advisory Committee Members
John Classe
Sean-Shong Hwang
William Cockerham
Robert Hernandez
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2007
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
This study will investigate whether professional status differs between corporate and noncorporate optometrists by comparing their levels of autonomy, income, and job satisfaction. According to Freidson’s ideal model, a professional maintains high levels of autonomy and income but the opposite is usually true for employees of Weber’s traditional bureaucracy. Bureaucracies employ formally rational processes such as hierarchical decision-making and limited employee profit sharing which have affects on healthcare professional independence. The primary objective of many American corporations is to maximize profits for shareholders. While the health professional also strives to maximize profits, this objective is often balanced with an ethical code to protect the patient’s interests. As the ideal profession and bureaucracy meet, deprofessionalization of the corporate optometrist may occur. The potential conflicts arising from the marriage of these two models may affect all optometrists’ professional status and the quality of patient care in the long term.
Recommended Citation
Taylor, R Michael, "Deprofessionalization Of The Corporate Optometrist? Contrasting Characteristics Of The Bureaucratic And Professional Models" (2007). All ETDs from UAB. 3816.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3816