Conceptions of Professionalism

’The latest global financial crisis has put the focus on the emerging professional group of financial planners. This book has undertaken a study which attempts to understand how those financial planners who hold the internationally recognised CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERâ„¢ designation think about being professional. It does this by interestingly applying the qualitative methodology of phenomenography which in this book gives voice to CFP professionals from America, Hong Kong and Australia. The book identifies the qualitatively limited number of ways professionalism is experienced by this group of professionals in each of those countries and then discusses the similarities and differences in conceptions of professionalism. Cultural factors largely explain the differences in how professionalism is experienced across borders and so this book provides some useful insights to the financial planning standards and certifying bodies, regulators and financial planning practitioners.’ Hayat Khan, La Trobe University, Australia ’This book makes an original contribution in the field of financial planning literature as well as in the epistemology of professionalism. Professional financial planners, standard setters and corporate regulators, financial planners’ associations and present and potential clients of financial planners will find this book interesting reading.’ Sheikh F. Rahman, Central Queensland University, Australia