‘Cosmopolitanism’ and ‘Localism’ among Professionals: A Case Study in a Business Firm

Abstract

Professionals are said to have ‘Cosmopolitan’ features, i.e., they tend to identify themselves with their professional knowledge and have stronger commitment to professional associations, while showing weaker commitment to business organizations they themselves are affiliated in. However, in the cases of ‘Company Professionals’ who see themselves as permanent members of particular firms, ‘Localist’ features of some degree, i.e., a higher level of commitment to the company can be expected. Present study analyses such ‘Cosmopolitan’ and ‘Localist’ features of Professionals in a research and development department of a major electronics firm, using non-professionals in other department of the same firm as a control. Measuring both by ‘Cosmopolitan’ and ‘Localist’ scales, Professionals, in general, show higher ‘Cosmopolitan’ traits and lower organizational commitment than non-professionals. However, on the ‘Localist’ scale, professionals show higher emotional attachment to the firm organization and there is a clear relation between their being professionals and their emotional attachment. Instead of characterizing professionals and non-professionals on the bipolar ‘Cosmopolitans’ and ‘Localists’, models, ‘Local Cosmopolitan’ type of professionals should be taken into consideration, especially when we see them in the context of firm organizations.