AN INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED OF THE DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AS CONTRASTED WITH THEIR PEERS IN A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION. THE EFFECT OF THIS DISTINCTIVENESS ON THE PERSONAL NATURE OF TENSIONS AND CONFLICTS ASSOCIATED WITH JOB PERFORMANCE, CAREER GOALS, AND CAREER PATTERNS WAS ALSO STUDIED. ITS GENERAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO ADD TO BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION AND TO THE MEANINGS TEACHERS ASSIGN TO THEIR JOBS, THAT IS, TO FIND OUT WHAT DISTINGUISHES A PROFESSIONALLY ORIENTED TEACHER FROM HIS LESS-TECHNICAL, LESS-AUTONOMOUS COUNTERPART. THIS "PROFESSIONALISM" WAS EVALUATED THROUGH THE USE OF QUESTIONNAIRES AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, CORRELATING THE ATTITUDE WITH EARLY INDIVIDUAL SOCIALIZATION, PRESENT WORK CONTEXT, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE. CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF EARLY SOCIALIZATION UPON "PROFESSIONALISM" INVOLVED THE SEX ROLE, SOCIAL BACKGROUND, RELIGION, AND INTEGRATION SETTING. ON-THE-JOB EFFECTS INVOLVED ROLE DIFFERENTIATION (SUBJECT MATTER FIELD), WORKING CLIMATE OF THE SCHOOL, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND INFORMAL COLLEAGUE RELATIONS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF "PROFESSIONALISM" ON THREE ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE--JOB EFFECTIVENESS, PROCEDURALISM, AND OVERTIME--ARE SHOWN. (JH)