Guest speakers came from institutions including LSE, Leeds University, Newcastle University, Aberdeen University, Cardiff Business School, Royal Holloway and The University of Birmingham, to discuss research looking at the topic of professions and their work, organisational form and practices.

Titles included “The fearful professional: partner experiences of working in the financialised professional services firm”, “Let everyone win it on merit: diversity, meritocracy and the evaluation of professional auditors” and “Legitimacy and the recurrent contest of valuation devices: the case of PEP in the English legal profession.”

Professor James Faulconbridge, OWT’s Head of Department and organiser of the conference, said: “This is the fifth year of Professions Fest, and Lancaster University Management School was delighted to host the event. It was particularly pleasing to welcome a number of early career researchers to present, including past graduates of Lancaster.

"The event provides a great way to showcase cutting-edge research on the professions, a topic of significant contemporary relevance given the importance to the UK of the knowledge-based economy.”