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A professional standard is an explicit, predetermined expectation set by a competent authority that describes an individual’s acceptable performance level (Rooney and Van Ostenberg 1999). Ultimately, a professional standard contributes to the broader processes of licensure and certification, making explicit the learned occupational components of an entire profession. Whereas licensure ensures that an organization or an individual meets minimum standards to protect public health and safety, certifications are voluntarily designed to provide a signal to employers concerning the qualities of established practitioners. Contemporaneously, licensure and certification are the two main ways for an individual to demonstrate the mastery of a body of knowledge that only professions command and are able to perform.
On an individual level, the workplace relevance of professional...
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Higgins, P. (2016). Workplace Relevance of Professional Standards to Practitioners. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_2537-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_2537-1
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