How important is professionalism to corporate communication?

Professionalism is a hot topic in journals serving a wide range of disciplines, but few articles critically question the desirability or value of professionalism. This article raises doubts about the desirability and value of professionalism in corporate communication. It uses Heideggerian philosophy and Kuhnian paradigm theory to suggest that professionalism could transform a heterogeneous, flexible, dynamic, communication‐centred occupation into a routine science characterised by paradigmatic protocols and techniques and prescribed values and beliefs. It argues that the uniformity of thought and conformity of behaviour that underpin professionalism can reduce the value of corporate communication to strategic management and undermine the identity of corporate communicators.