Know Your Lanes: Unpacking Theoretical Plurality Across Studies of Professions
通过文献分析，梳理出职业研究中的四种理论路径（目的论、制度论、生态论、文化论），总结各自的核心对话与差异，并提出七项研究建议，帮助学者超越范式之争，关注职业在组织与社会中的实际作用。
Abstract Professions continue to be central to understanding organizing in the 21st century. The literature on professions is segmented into theoretical conversations that offer different conceptualizations of professions and theoretical concerns. Through an analysis of the literature, we unpack four lanes – teleological, institutional, ecological, and cultural – that co‐exist to make up the literature on professions. We synthesize the theoretical conversations generated within each lane, identify key distinctions across lanes, and assess the future potential of each lane, noting where there is space for contribution. Beyond making the dominant paradigms, their plurality, and their central distinctions recognizable, we encourage researchers to move beyond studying professions qua professions to articulate the role and impact of professions in organizations and society. We offer seven proposals for enlivening the research agenda on professions, including prioritizing real‐world problems and outcomes over paradigmatic perspectives.