CONCLUSION 289Bennington (see Chapter 8) sees to be currently lacking, and be accountable
for corporate failures in this regard in a way that Ardagh envisages. In such a
context Rob Macklin’s aspirational model (see Chapter 16) of the decent and
courageous HR manager begins to seem more attainable.
Expanding on this idea somewhat and while mindful of the difficulties
involved we suggest that the capacity of HR managers to support decent
decision-making could be increased by HR managers becoming profession-
alized in the same way accountants and social workers have been. Such a move
we believe could provide HR managers with further steps to resort to prior
to resigning, defying orders, waiving norms and rules, or whistle-blowing.
Professional bodies such as those covering social workers and doctors are
collective organizations that tightly restrict entry to the occupation (Kultgen
1988): in this respect, they can be seen as establishing something akin to a
closed shop. While such bodies could be seen as requiring individuals to give
up a certain amount of autonomy, they also provide individuals with a mea-
sure of protection. When joining a professional body individuals must agree to
abide by codes of practice and failure to do so can result in expulsion (Kultgen
1988). Given the closed-shop nature of the profession this means individuals
can appeal to the codes if put under pressure by their employers to breach
moral norms—so long as, of course, the norms are embraced by the codes.
Our recommendation is that despite the disanalogies between HRM’s work
and that of paradigmatic professions like doctors and lawyers who are ‘on-
call’ after hours in assigned blocks, and charge fees for service, HR managers
as a group should work towards a similar status.
In making this suggestion we recognize that professionalization can have its
own moral ‘downsides’ and note the doubts that have been raised in the book
with respect to the likely prospect of professionalizing HRM specialists in a
way that would provide them with any significant degree of autonomy and
independence. Given the recent trend towards decentralizing HR tasks and
skills, it is acknowledged that it will be more difficult for the HR profession to
‘carve out’ a privileged area of knowledge and professional jurisdiction.
Moreover, it must be recognized that professionalization as a path to a
moderate model of ethical HRM seems to swim against the tide of change
in professions and professional work as outlined by Reed (see Chapter 10)
who gives a lucid account of the decline of the distinctively professional
characteristics of professions. He explains how exclusive control of a body of
knowledge has become both more contested and accountable as well as subject
to increased moral criticism. What it may be asked is therefore the point of
seeking professionalization of HRM in a world in which professionalism in
general is under threat? Reed’s own answer, to the effect that professions are
most flexible and resilient as ‘merchants of morality’ can be interpreted as
implying that an HRM profession will best be developed through reviving
the idea that HR practitioners are the ‘conscience of the corporation’. Reed’s