Professions, organizations and the state: Applying the sociology of the professions to the case of management consultancy

Abstract

In the recent literature on knowledge-based occupations it is frequently noted that some groups, such as management consultants, have been far less successful than others in developing a system of professional regulation and organization. This is generally attributed to the functional characteristics of their knowledge base, which is too elusive, fuzzy and perishable to sustain traditional professionalization projects. It is also suggested that these groups have little interest in becoming professions and have relied instead on alternative occupational strategies. In this article, drawing on a range of secondary sources, the authors highlight certain limitations of this account and offer an alternative. Focusing on the historical development of professional associations in the context of management consulting in the UK, the authors illustrate the role played by the state and large firms in undermining efforts to professionalize. A key contribution of the article is to highlight the need for a more inclusive approach to understanding why new knowledge-based occupations have failed to professionalize, one that gives more weight to the historical context and the role played by other key actors in shaping change.

Alternative Pathways of Change in Professional Services Firms: The Case of Management Consulting

“…One of the two professional bodies, the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), founded in 1956, did achieve a significant degree of representativeness – especially when compared to similar associations elsewhere in Europe (FEACO, ) – although this was at the expense of its ability to regulate the production of and by producers (see below). The membership of the other body, the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), co‐founded by the MCA in 1962, hardly ever exceeded one tenth of all consultants (Muzio et al., ). (iii) The MCA collected fairly comprehensive information about the long‐term evolution of the field as a whole, about its member firms, and even about those that ultimately decided against joining the association, thus largely compensating for the absence of official government statistics and the changing nature of the management consulting field (Kipping, ; McKenna, ).…”

“…One of the two professional bodies, the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), founded in 1956, did achieve a significant degree of representativeness -especially when compared to similar associations elsewhere in Europe (FEACO, 2011) -although this was at the expense of its ability to regulate the production of and by producers (see below). The membership of the other body, the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), co-founded by the MCA in 1962, hardly ever exceeded one tenth of all consultants (Muzio et al, 2011a). (iii) The availability of sufficient data for a long-term analysis.…”

“…The MCA was first established in 1956 by the four largest firms at the time – as a defensive move to avert government regulation (Kipping and Saint‐Martin, ). The MCA remained the main professional association in the UK even after it helped found a more typical professional body, the IMC in 1962, since the IMC failed to obtain the exclusive right to control entry from the government, and its (voluntary) membership throughout most of its history hovered around 10 per cent of UK consultants (Muzio et al., ).…”

Evaluación Docente bajo la óptica del desarrollo profesional: el caso Chileno

“…(Abbott, 1993;Freidson, 2001;Muzio, Kirkpatrick y Kipping, 2011;Scott, 2001Scott, , 2008Suddaby y Viale, 2011).…”

The long way to professional recognition: project management in Italy

“…From another angle some (Kipping et al, 2006;Muzio, Ackroyd, & Chanlat, 2007;Muzio, Hodgson, et al, 2011;Muzio, Kirkpatrick, & Kipping, 2011;Thomas & Thomas, 2013), consider PM strategies a clear example of a new form of corporate professionalism (Kipping et al, 2006). Most professionals work happen in large organizations and traditional focus of professional institutions on individual membership is increasingly obsolete.…”