Unpacking the client(s): Constructions, positions and client–consultant dynamics

Alvesson, Mats; Kärreman, Dan; Sturdy, Andrew; Handley, Karen

doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2009.05.001

Cited by 65 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(30 reference statements)

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“…(see also Alvesson et al, 2009). Clearly, much can lie behind varying assessments, including the possibility of an agreement on the nature of the impact but conflicting views on the quality of the consultants' performance or its desirability.…”

Section: Methodology and Ambiguitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Consultancy's Consequences? A Critical Assessment of Management Consultancy's Impact on Management

Sturdy

2011

British J of Management

Self Cite

118

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Much is claimed of management consultancy by critics and celebrants alike. Through shaping and legitimizing ideas and catalysing change, it has impacted on management practice and people's lives more generally. Given the growth of consultancy as an industry and wider activity, few have challenged these views. However, there are good reasons for treating them with some caution. In particular, its impact is exaggerated in geographical scope and confused with that of management ideas in general – consultancy as a scapegoat for management. At the same time, recent changes in both the nature and status of management and of consultancy have rendered traditional boundary distinctions less tenable such that the scope and impact of consultancy may be even greater than is typically assumed. Overall, its impact has been both understated and overstated. I therefore argue for a more cautious and critical approach. This recognizes consultancy as an integral part of management, where its distinctive role lies more in its structural position and ambiguous visibility and accountability than its practices, skills or occupational/professional identity claims. The research agenda thus becomes one of more clearly identifying the consequences of management as well as of consultancy, in part through a consideration of contexts where they are, or were, largely absent.

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Section: Methodology and Ambiguitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Consultancy's Consequences? A Critical Assessment of Management Consultancy's Impact on Management

Sturdy

2011

British J of Management

Self Cite

118

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“…Sarasvathy and Dew (2005) demonstrate how the interaction between entrepreneurs (who are clients) and stakeholders (who are consultants) is shaped by the participants' identities, aspirations, and accidents of human life, rather than by predictions and rational planning. Alvesson et al (2009) propose that the relationship between client and consult is processual; the positions are shaped by both the client and the consultant, as well as by the impact of identities, culture, and organizational politics.…”

Section: Studies Of Business Advicementioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of business advice: interplay between entrepreneur and experts

Ljungkvist

Andersén

2016

Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship

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During a springboard session, the entrepreneur meets an expert panel which gives him or her strategic advice. How these meetings transpire is of great importance when it comes to the support of regional, as well as national entrepreneurship and economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what is verbally expressed during these meetings and how this can assist entrepreneurship. Eleven different springboards are investigated via the method of content analysis. These springboards concerned entrepreneurs who merely sought strategic business advice or those who applied for venture capital. The results indicate that the entrepreneurs who applied for venture capital had less use for the advice than the other group. This can partly be explained by panel members' focus on risk and the institutionalized conditions which build on a rational discourse.Lors d'une session de lancement, l'entrepreneur rencontre un panel d'experts qui lui fournit des conseils strat egiques. Le d eroulement de ces rencontres est d'une grande importance pour le soutien de l'entreprenariat et la croissance economique, aussi bien aux plans r egionaux que nationaux. L'objectif de cet article est d'examiner ce qui est exprim e verbalement au cours de ces rencontres et en quoi ce contenu peut soutenir l'entreprenariat. Onze sessions sont examin ees a travers la m ethode d'analyse de contenu. Les personnes concern ees etaient des entrepreneurs qui cherchaient simplement a obtenir des conseils en affaires ou a lever du capital risque. Les r esultats indiquent que les entrepreneurs qui voulaient lever du capital risque utilisaient moins les conseils que ceux de l'autre groupe. Cela peut s'expliquer en partie par l'int erêt particulier prêt e au risque par les membres du panel et par les conditions institutionalis ees qui s'appuient sur un discours rationnel.

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“…With applying the Structuration Theory in this research work it is argued that the client organization is not uniform. Contrary to that, the client organization represents a heterogeneous cluster of actors, interests and inclinations involved in multiple and varied ways in the consulting project [109].…”

Section: Conclusion and Reflectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Portraying the Social Dimensions of Consulting with Structuration Theory

Mauerer¹,

Nissen²

2014

JSSM

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In this paper, we argue that the consultant-client relationship is of central importance for consulting engagements. The paper therefore outlines the social dimensions that are inherent in the consulting system due to its characteristics that create social complexity. To gain further insights into the social interaction scheme and dynamics of consulting projects, a conceptualization based on an appropriate theoretical model is required. We propose to utilize the Structuration Theory for the compilation of the social context of consulting, as this provides a framework for incorporating the social determinants, focuses on actions of human-beings, and additionally allows the identification of interrelated dependencies of structure and actions.

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Unpacking the client(s): Constructions, positions and client–consultant dynamics

Cited by 65 publications

References 27 publications

Consultancy's Consequences? A Critical Assessment of Management Consultancy's Impact on Management

Consultancy's Consequences? A Critical Assessment of Management Consultancy's Impact on Management

The impact of business advice: interplay between entrepreneur and experts

Portraying the Social Dimensions of Consulting with Structuration Theory

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