The Social Psychology of Expertise

The Social Psychology of Expertise offers an integrative perspective to the analysis of experts and expertise in organizations, social roles, management, etc. It is the first book to link the psychology of expertise to sociology, particularly the sociology of professions. By examining the converging elements of both approaches and investigating the conditions of interactions with all types of experts, The Social Psychology of Expertise makes it possible to understand the market form of expert services.

This book:

*introduces the expert role approach--a new and encompassing view on the role of experts and how to use the experts' expertise in organizations, financial markets, and environmental issues;

*enhances a mutual understanding between the psychology of expertise and the sociology of professions (for students, as well as scholars);

*provides a helpful understanding of dealing with experts in the context of organizational behavior;

*shows how we can make proper use of the experts' expertise in management and planning;

*demonstrates how the role of experts influences volatility in financial markets; and

*defines the limits of human expertise in predicting climate change.