Page 125 - Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

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Celler-Kefauver Anti-Merger Act Of 1980

To be successful, an individual must know the prod- CERTIFICATIONS,
uct, the customer, and the market. Further, a good under- LICENSURES, AND
standing of people and appropriate people skills are useful
in dealing with diverse and challenging internal and exter- DESIGNATIONS
nal publics. Because the process of selling involves per- The changing global and U.S. economy, along with
suasive two-way communication between a seller and expectations of the workforce, has, in many instances,
a client, individuals in this area of marketing must be brought about a need for higher credentialing standards
people-oriented as well as knowledgeable about the prod- for employees in many areas of the workplace. Also,
uct and the manner in which the product can be used to higher performance expectations have prompted some
satisfy buyers’ needs and wants. types of businesses to initiate increased standards in the
area of advanced certification, licensure, and designation,
CONCLUSION so as to facilitate recognition of their work environments
as professions and the employees functioning within those
In the twenty-first century, the role of marketing in the
U.S. economy will change as consumers react to ever- environments as professionals. The term professional
denotes the individual as an expert in that field. In addi-
changing technology and as businesses respond to an ever-
changing marketplace. Because of changing technology tion to being employed in a particular field, R. S. Poore
and the changing marketplace, the roles and functions of stated that one of the factors designating a person as a pro-
fessional is an earned credential. Such an earned certifica-
conventional marketing as it is known today will be con-
tion, licensure, or designation places individuals at a
stantly rethought and redefined. In addition, the four Ps
higher knowledge and expertise level compared to their
of marketing—product, price, place, and promotion—
will also be redefined and restructured. With the dynamic counterparts who do not possess such a credential.
changes facing the marketing environment, the demand The meaning of the word profession can examined
for marketing-oriented personnel will continue to from both sociological and philosophical perspectives.
increase, making marketing-related careers an exciting The sociological view of the definition of profession has its
occupational choice for the twenty-first century. origins in the social sciences. Generally, this view is based
on the perception that an occupation is a profession when
SEE ALSO Marketing
a job has high social status, high income, and/or impor-
tant social functions. Consequently, carpentry could not
BIBLIOGRAPHY be considered a profession because the education and
Careers in focus: Advertising and marketing. (2004). New York: social status of carpenters are low. Law, however, would be
Ferguson. considered a profession because of the perception of high
Kotler, Philip, and Armstrong, Gary (2006). Principles of market- income and high social status. Therefore, according to this
ing (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice- perspective, a job is considered to be a profession when
Hall.
the perception by the public is that it is not a menial,
Stair, Lila B., and Stair, Leslie (2002). Careers in marketing (3rd repetitive task.
ed.). Chicago: VGM Career Books.
The philosophical view attempts to define profession
U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2005).
Occupational outlook handbook, 2004–05. Washington, DC. in two ways—the Cartesian and the Socratic. The Carte-
sian view is developed by asking oneself the question of
what it means in certain terms, testing the definition by
Randy L. Joyner the use of counterexamples, revising the belief based on
the counterexamples, and continuing the process until
one has one’s own belief in good order. Thus, the Carte-
sian “approach attempts to define professions by making
CELLER-KEFAUVER sense of a person’s mind.” Furthermore, electricians could
ANTI-MERGER ACT OF consider their occupation a profession because individuals
practice their own beliefs of professional conduct and
1980
workmanship. Conversely, the Socratic approach views a
SEE Antitrust Legislation profession as a group undertaking; thus, a profession can-
not consist of only one individual. Additionally, this view
attempts to find a common ground between the practi-
tioner and the philosopher whereby the process of revising
CENTRALIZATION the definition of the specific profession continues until
SEE Organizational Structure everyone within the organization believes that it is the

102 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION