Is management a profession?

What a bizarre thing to say, but lets play devils advocate here.  In some of the professions mentioned, there is a clear process for dealing with professionals that behave poorly.  In management no such thing exists.

Plus, in many professions the individual has a strict duty to put their client first, be they doctor/patient, lawyer/client etc.  This doesn't really happen in management because often there is no single beneficiary of their actions.

The world is on its knees because of certain 'professionals' who are arrogant enough to think they can add 'manager' to their CV with nothing more than the belief that they are competent managers.  Ironic that Dr Barker appears to have a background in finance and the FT published his nonsense.  Probably to try and divert focus away from that sectors incompetence.  I would suggest that this isn't even worthy of discussion.

Something to throw into the mix for you guys.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1311407/Royal-Mail-make-2-000-middle-managers-redundant.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Announced here that Royal Mail is going to make 2,000 middle managers redundant.  I dare say that few people will lose any sleep over such an announcement.  If 2,000 postmen were laid off however there would undoubtably be uproar.

If management is a profession, and indeed a worthy profession, surely it's being sold very short in the public perception?

Nice repost here by Stefan Stern

http://www.managers.org.uk/practical-support/management-community/blogs/management-profession

I don't have an account with the FT, can anyone paraphrase for me?

Interesting debate, I wonder if there's some middle ground?

Many people fill "management" positions i.e. they have direction or control over something by virtue of the role they occupy or function they carry out in an organisation but "professional managers" have advanced education in "managing" or "leading" (profession being an occupation which requires advanced education according to the dictionary definition).

Therefore there are 2 types of manager:

• those on whom the title of manager has been bestowed and where the title relates to their activities or functions within an organisation; and
• those who are "professional managers" by virtue of their attaining advanced learning (certified) in management and who are engaged in such an occupation as to utilise this advanced learning.

This would appear to chime with CMI's own research that a large proportion of the UK's managers are "accidental managers" and only 1 in 5 are "professional managers" (i.e. have a professional qualification in management).

The only problem I have with the FT statement is their assertion "management" cannot be a profession. 

Clearly an ill conceived piece  - just check out the Business Schools who deliver "professional" management courses or consider the dictionary definitions and it will reveal the opposite.

Sloppy journalism in my opinion.  A "professional" journalist would not have made the same mistake.

Adrian a good artical with some equally good comments back.   I am after the time which has lapsed since the original post of the opinion that,  the comment "managers are the jack of all trades" was in fact a compliment.  As professional managers we have multi disciplined and specilist managers and this is evidenced by the the high standard, calibre and diversity of the people that make up the Chartered`Management Institute.