Role formation and division of work in multiprofessional human service organizations

Many Human Service Organizations (HSOs) employ professionals and non-professional workers drawn from different occupational groups. The author presents seven factors that might affect the processes of role formation and division of work: the profession, the organization, power relationships among workers, the dominant profession, consensual decision making in workers' groups, client effects, and individual characteristics. The discussion highlights the dearth of knowledge on these issues, and the necessity for systematic and comprehensive study directed toward identifying the factors affecting the emergence of a variety of role formation and division of work patterns in HSOs.