Background In recent years, there has been increased focus on the importance of professionalism among medical students, residents and practising physicians, as well as the interaction between individual behaviours and the practice environment.

Methods Recognising the need to better understand how organisations advance professional behaviours, the authors undertook an exploratory, qualitative study. This study consisted of screening interviews with 30 organisations. Staff and an expert advisory committee developed criteria to select 10 organisations for further study. The authors then conducted in-depth interviews with two leaders from each of the 10 organisations.

Results and discussion Qualitative analysis revealed several key findings, including diversity in the language that organisations used regarding professionalism, and the professional behaviours that they chose to promote. Despite this diversity, all organisations shared a common strategy of clearly articulating their values and reinforcing these values. This reinforcement occurred through the provision of aligned organisational systems and structures, and the cultivation of strong interpersonal relationships. To better illustrate these findings, the authors provide several examples that demonstrate how organisational leaders use values to cultivate professional behaviour in their organisations.