Document clearing agents in the age of organizational professionalism

Abstract

The article focuses on the professionalization process of document clearing agents (despachantes), as result of these services downsizing with the introduction of globalizing processes of access to documented citizenship, which have shrunk the job market for brokers. Instead of the traditional “easy way” to provide these services, the despachantes are searching for organizational professionalism, and have founded national and regional councils. Besides facing intra-professional competition and the judicialization of these conflicts, they also have to cope with moral judgments of their practices after losing its social role. The field research gathers data from primary and secondary resources, from a survey with 107 respondents, and qualitative interviews with professional leaderships.

Organizational professionalism; Document clearing agents; Dirty work