IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/woemps/v33y2019i6p929-947.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

When Welfare Professionals Encounter Restructuring and Privatization: The Inside Story of the Probation Service of England and Wales

Author

Listed:
  • Gill Kirton

    (Queen Mary University of London, UK)

  • Cécile Guillaume

    (University of Roehampton, UK)

Abstract

This article utilizes a multi-method case study of the probation service of England and Wales to explore the perspectives of practitioners and their union on how restructuring/privatization affected the probation profession. Professionals perceived restructuring/privatization as ideologically and politically motivated, rather than evidence-based in relation to service goals. Against this context, the article outlines the probation union’s organized resistance, but ultimately its inability to halt the reform. The findings highlight practitioners’ concept of ‘the death of probation’ created by philosophical opposition to privatization, but also by the splitting of their profession and the resultant assault on professionalism. The study underlines the unique aspects of restructuring/privatization in the specific service domain, in particular those linked to working with a socially stigmatized client group, but it also has resonance for other public service professions facing the actuality or prospect of restructuring/privatization.

Suggested Citation

  • Gill Kirton & Cécile Guillaume, 2019. "When Welfare Professionals Encounter Restructuring and Privatization: The Inside Story of the Probation Service of England and Wales," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 33(6), pages 929-947, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:33:y:2019:i:6:p:929-947
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017019855229
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0950017019855229
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0950017019855229?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ashforth, Blake E. & Kreiner, Glen E., 2014. "Dirty Work and Dirtier Work: Differences in Countering Physical, Social, and Moral Stigma," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(1), pages 81-108, March.
    2. Sharon C. Bolton, 2004. "A Simple Matter of Control? NHS Hospital Nurses and New Management," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 317-333, March.
    3. Gail Hebson & Damian Grimshaw & Mick Marchington, 2003. "PPPs and the Changing Public Sector Ethos: Case-Study Evidence from the Health and Local Authority Sectors," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 17(3), pages 481-501, September.
    4. Ian Kirkpatrick & Stephen Ackroyd, 2003. "Transforming the professional archetype?," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(4), pages 511-531, December.
    5. Wiljan Hendrikx & Nicolette van Gestel, 2017. "The emergence of hybrid professional roles: GPs and secondary school teachers in a context of public sector reform," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(8), pages 1105-1123, September.
    6. Blake E. Ashforth & Glen E. Kreiner, 2014. "Dirty Work and Dirtier Work: Differences in Countering Physical, Social, and Moral Stigma. 脏活与更脏的工作：在对抗身体、社会和道德污名上的差异," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 10(1), pages 81-108, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Matt Tidmarsh, 2022. "Professional Legitimacy, Identity, and Practice: Towards a Sociology of Professionalism in Probation," The British Journal of Criminology, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, vol. 62(1), pages 165-183.
    2. Chih-Hung Yuan & Dajiang Wang & Chuanyu Mao & Feixia Wu, 2020. "An Empirical Comparison of Graduate Entrepreneurs and Graduate Employees Based on Graduate Entrepreneurship Education and Career Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Stephen Mustchin & Miguel Martínez Lucio, 2023. "The fragmenting occupation of labour inspection and the degradation of regulatory and enforcement work inside the British state," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(2), pages 526-546, May.
    4. Genevieve Coderre-LaPalme & Ian Greer & Lisa Schulte, 2023. "Welfare, Work and the Conditions of Social Solidarity: British Campaigns to Defend Healthcare and Social Security," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(2), pages 352-372, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Onno Bouwmeester & Tessa Elisabeth Kok, 2018. "Moral or Dirty Leadership: A Qualitative Study on How Juniors Are Managed in Dutch Consultancies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-22, November.
    2. Kam Phung & Sean Buchanan & Madeline Toubiana & Trish Ruebottom & Luciana Turchick‐Hakak, 2021. "When Stigma Doesn’t Transfer: Stigma Deflection and Occupational Stratification in the Sharing Economy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 1107-1139, June.
    3. Torin Monahan & Jill A Fisher, 2020. "Sacrificial Labour: Social Inequality, Identity Work, and the Damaging Pursuit of Elusive Futures," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(3), pages 441-456, June.
    4. Jason Hughes & Ruth Simpson & Natasha Slutskaya & Alex Simpson & Kahryn Hughes, 2017. "Beyond the symbolic: a relational approach to dirty work through a study of refuse collectors and street cleaners," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 31(1), pages 106-122, February.
    5. Johan Alvehus & Sanna Eklund & Gustaf Kastberg, 2020. "Organizing Professionalism – New Elites, Stratification and Division of Labor," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 163-177, March.
    6. Zhang, Guanglei & Wang, Huaying & Li, Mingze, 2023. "“A Little Thanks Changes My World”: When and why dirty work employees feel meaningfulness at work," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    7. Endo, Takahiro & Tsuboyama, Yuki & Hara, Yoritoshi, 2016. "Beyond taxation: Discourse around energy policy in Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 412-419.
    8. Maria Terskova & Elena Agadullina, 2018. "Perceived Intelligence And Long-Term Stigmatization Of Dirty Workers," HSE Working papers WP BRP 95/PSY/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    9. Dawn Yi Lin Chow & Thomas Calvard, 2021. "Constrained Morality in the Professional Work of Corporate Lawyers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(2), pages 213-228, May.
    10. Cecilia Benoit & Michaela Smith & Mikael Jansson & Priscilla Healey & Douglas Magnuson, 2021. "The Relative Quality of Sex Work," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 35(2), pages 239-255, April.
    11. Kurtz LAW & Jacqueline MUJAYA & Saddam IQBAL & Takatomo ITOI & Keita SUGIYAMA, 2022. "Investigating Occupational-Stress for Workers in Financial Institutions; a Reclassification of Work Stigma through Japanese and Western Values," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 23(2), pages 302-313, May.
    12. Jeremy W. Bohonos, 2021. "Critical race theory and working‐class White men: Exploring race privilege and lower‐class work‐life," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 54-66, January.
    13. Alcalde-González, Verna & Gálvez Mozo, Ana & Valenzuela Bustos, Alan, 2021. "No clean rooms, no hotel business: Subversion tactics in Las Kellys’ struggle for dignity in hotel housekeeping," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    14. Peter Hamilton & Tom Redman & Robert McMurray, 2019. "‘Lower than a Snake’s Belly’: Discursive Constructions of Dignity and Heroism in Low-Status Garbage Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 889-901, June.
    15. Les Worrall & Kim Mather & Roger Seifert, 2010. "Solving the Labour Problem Among Professional Workers in the UK Public Sector: Organisation Change and Performance Management," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 117-137, June.
    16. Natasha Slutskaya & Ruth Simpson & Jason Hughes & Alexander Simpson & Selçuk Uygur, 2016. "Masculinity and Class in the Context of Dirty Work," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 165-182, March.
    17. Elizabeth Goodrick & Trish Reay, 2010. "Florence Nightingale Endures: Legitimizing a New Professional Role Identity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 55-84, January.
    18. Julie Rayner & Alan Lawton & Helen Williams, 2012. "Organizational Citizenship Behavior and the Public Service Ethos: Whither the Organization?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 106(2), pages 117-130, March.
    19. Waring, Justin & Roe, Bridget & Crompton, Amanda & Bishop, Simon, 2020. "The contingencies of medical restratification across inter-organisational care networks," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    20. Tugce Ugur Guler & Derya Sasman Kayli, 2021. "Effects of Managerialism Reflected in Public Institutions Serving Women in Turkey," Journal of Economy Culture and Society, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 63(63), pages 257-278, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:33:y:2019:i:6:p:929-947. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.britsoc.co.uk/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.