LUBS5588M
Module Reading List for 2021
Sundeep Aulakh
S.Aulakh@leeds.ac.uk
Tutor information is taken from the Module Catalogue
- Week 1: What is Management Consulting?
- Week 2: Sociological and Economic Perspectives on Management Consulting
- Week 3: Reasons for, and impact of, Management Consultancy
- Week 4: The Client-Consultant Relationship
- Week 5: Types of Management Consultancy, Business models and Competitive Strategies
- Week 6: Ethics and the Dark Side of Consulting
- Week 7: Guest Lecture
- Week 8: People and Careers in Management Consulting
- Week 9: Managing the Management Consulting Firm
- Week 10: Management Consultants and Management Fashion
Week 1: What is Management Consulting?
Core Reading
- Markham, J. and O’Mahoney, C. (2013) Chapters 1 and 2 in Management Consultancy.
- Kirkpatrick, I. et al., (2012) ‘Professions and Professionalism in Management Consulting’ in Kipping, M. and Clark, T. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of management consulting.
- Muzio D. et al., (2011a) Professions, organizations and the state: Applying the sociology of the professions to the case of management consultancy. Current Sociology, 59(6).
Additional reading
Butler, N. & Collins, D. (2016) The failure of consulting professionalism? A longitudinal analysis of the Institute of Management Consultants. Management & Organizational History, 11, 48-65.
Furusten, S. 2013. Commercialized professionalism on the field of management consulting. Journal of Organizational Change Management. 26(2): 265-285.
Gross, C. and Kieser, A. (2006) Are consultants moving towards professionalization? Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 24:69-100. [This is available in Minevera in the 'Reading's folder.]
Hodgson, P. et al., (2015) Something Old, Something New: The hybrid nature of the new corporate professions. British journal of management., 26(4).
Kubr, M. (2002) Chapter 1 in Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession.
Muzio D. et al., (2006) ‘Overly controlled or out of control? Management consultants and the new corporate professionalism’ in Craig, D. (ed.) Production values: futures for professionalism.’ London: Demos, pp.153-168
Muzio, D. et al. (2011b) Towards corporate professionalization: The case of project management, management consultancy and executive search. Current Sociology, 59(4): 443-446.
Muzio D. et al., (2011) Professions, organizations and the state: Applying the sociology of the professions to the case of management consultancy. Current Sociology, 59(6).
Week 2: Sociological and Economic Perspectives on Management Consulting
Core reading
Armbrüster, T. (2004) Rationality and its Symbols. Journal of management studies.. Vol. 41(8).
David, R., Sine., W., Haveman, H. (2013) Seizing Opportunity in Emerging Fields: How Institutional Entrepreneurs Legitimated the Professional Form of Management Consulting. Organization science.. Vol. 24(2).
Glückler, J. and Armbrüster, T. (2003) Bridging Uncertainty in Management Consulting: The Mechanisms of Trust and Networked Reputation. Organization Studies.. Vol. 24(3).
Additional reading
Armbrüster, T. (2006) The economics and sociology of management consulting. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Faust, M. (2012) Sociological Perspectives on Management Consultancy in Kipping M. and Clark, T. (eds.) (2012) The Oxford handbook of management consulting, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Reihlen, Markus, Smets, Michael, and Veit, Andreas (2010) Management Consultancies as Institutional Agents: Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Institutional Capital. Schmalenbach Business Review Vol. 62. http://www.sbr-online.de/pdfarchive/einzelne_pdf/sbr_2010_july_317- 339.pdf Also available online here: http://eureka.sbs.ox.ac.uk/4912/
Rogan, M. and Mors, M-L. (2016) Managerial Networks and Exploration in a Professional Service Firm. Organization Studies. Vol. 38(2) Published online before print August 23, 2016, doi:10.1177/0170840616663243.
Saam, N. (2012) Economic Approaches to Consulting in Kipping M. and Clark, T. (eds.) (2012) The Oxford handbook of management consulting, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Salaman, G. (2002) Understanding advice: Towards a Sociology of Management Consultancy, in Clark, T. and Fincham, R. (eds.) Critical consulting : new perspectives on the management advice industry. Oxford: Blackwell:
O’Mahoney, J. 2017. Acquiring knowledge through management consultancy: a national culture perspective. Available on MINERVA at ‘Reading > guest lecture: Prof Joe O’Mahoney’
O’Mahoney, J. 2017. National variation in the use of management consulting knowledge: developing a framework. Available on MINERVA at ‘Reading > guest lecture: Prof Joe O’Mahoney’
Week 3: Reasons for, and impact of, Management Consultancy
Core Reading
Johnson, B. and Geal M. (2015) ‘Working in harmony’ Training journal. September 2015 (pp. 34-38). Available through Leeds University Library website.
Kipping, M and Wright, C. 2012, ‘Consultants in Context: Global Dominance, Societal Effect and the Capitalist System’ in the The Oxford handbook of management consulting.
Markham, J. and O’Mahoney, C. (2013) Chapter 9 in Management Consultancy. [Some of the themes in this chapter will be relevant in future lectures].
Sturdy, A (2011), Consultancy's Consequences? A Critical Assessment of Management Consultancy's Impact on Management. British journal of management. Vol. 22, 517–530.
Additional reading
Armbrüster, T. ( 2006), chapter 5, Substitutes or supplements? Internal versus external consulting in The economics and sociology of management consulting.
Kitay, J. and Wright, C. (2004) Take the money and run? Organisational boundaries and consultants' roles, The service industries journal., 24:3, 1-18
Phillips, J, Trotter, W. and Phillips, P. 2015. Maximizing the value of consulting : a guide for internal and external consultants Wiley. Chapter 1.
Sturdy, A. (1997), ‘The Consultancy Process – An Insecure Business?’ Journal of management studies. Vol. 34(3)
Week 4: The Client-Consultant Relationship
Kieser, A., 2002. On Communication Barriers Between Management Science, Consultancies and Business Organisations. In Critical consulting : new perspectives on the management advice industry. Oxford: Blackwell Business, pp. 206–227.
Sturdy, A., 1997. The Consultancy Process - An Insecure Business? Journal of management studies., 34(3), pp.389–413.
Fincham, R., 1999. The Consultant-Client Relationship: Critical Perspectives on the Management of Organizational Change. Journal of management studies., 36(3), pp.335–351.
Nikolova, N and Devinney, T. 2012. The Nature of Client Consultant Interaction: A Critical Review. Chapter 19 (p. 389-409). In M. Kipping, ed. The Oxford handbook of management consulting. Oxford, OUP.
Additional reading
Alvesson, M., 2002. Understanding organizational culture. London,SAGE.
Armbrüster, T,. 2006. The economics and sociology of management consulting. Chapter 4 (p. 86-100). Cambridge, CUP.
Czerniawska, F., 2006. The trusted firm : how consulting firms build successful client relationships, Chichester: Wiley.
Fincham, R., 2012. The Client in the Client-Consultant Relationship. Chapter 20 (p. 411-426) In M. Kipping, ed. The Oxford handbook of management consulting. Oxford University Press.
Maister, D., 2003. Managing the professional service firm. Chapters 5-11 (p. 53 - 95). London, Free Press: Business.
O’Mahoney, J. and Markham, C., 2010. Management Consultancy. Chapter 4 (p. 87 – 123). Oxford, OUP.
O’Mahoney, J. and Markham, C. 2010. Management Consultancy. Chapter 9 (p. 273 – 309). Oxford, OUP.
O’Mahoney, J. and Sturdy, A., 2016. Power and the diffusion of management ideas: The case of McKinsey & Co. Management Learning, 47(3), pp.247-265.
Sturdy, A.J. et al (2020). The management consultancy effect: Demand inflation and its consequences in the sourcing of external knowledge Public Administration.
Week 5: Types of Management Consultancy, Business models and Competitive Strategies
Core Readings
Christensen, C., Wang, D., Van Bever, D., (2013), ‘Consulting on the Cusp of Disruption’, Harvard Business Review October
De Man, A-P, de Man, M. (2016), ‘The Characteristics of New Business Models in Consulting: An Analysis of Practice’, Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings January
Additional reading
Treacy, M. and Wiersema, F. (1993) ‘Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines’, Harvard Business Review, January-February, 84–93, available at http://itirelengmicro.co.za/Customer%20Intimacy.pdf
Kerim Galal, et al., (2012) ‘IT Consulting and Outsourcing Firms: Evolution, Business Models and Future Prospects’, Chapter 6 in Oxford Handbook of Management Consulting.
Hansen, M. T., Nohria, N. and Tierney, T (1999), ‘What’s Your Strategy for Managing Knowledge?’, Harvard Business Review, 77(2), pp. 106-116, available at https://hbr.org/1999/03/whats-your-strategy-for-managing-knowledge
O’Mahoney, J and Markham C. (2013) Chapters 3 and 8
Maister, D. (1999) Chapter 1 in Managing the Professional Service Firm.
Maister, D. (2004) Anatomy of a Consulting Firm.
Kubr, M. (2002) Chapters 27 and 28 in Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession.
Week 6: Ethics and the Dark Side of Consulting
Core Reading
O'Mahoney, J. and Markham, C. (2013) Chapter 10: The Ethics of Consultancy in Management Consultancy 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press (pp 310-338).
Poulfelt, F. (1997) Ethics for Management Consultants. Business ethics : a European review., 6(2), pp.65–70.
Kipping, M. & Saint-Martin, D., (2005). Between Regulation, Promotion and Consumption: Government and Management Consultancy in Britain. Business history., 47(3), pp.449–465.
Krehmeyer, D. & Freeman, R.E. (2012) Consulting and Ethics. In M. Kipping & T. Clark, eds. The Oxford handbook of management consulting. Oxford University Press (pp 487-498).
Additional reading
Allen, J. & Davis, D., (1993) Assessing Some Determinant Effects of Ethical Consulting, Journal of business ethics.12 (6) pp: 449-458
Biech, E., (2007) Chapter 9: The business of consulting : the basics and beyond. San Francisco : Pfeiffer. (online https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9780470128084)
Craig, D. & Brookes, R., (2006) Plundering the public sector : how New Labour are letting consultants run off with £70 billion of our money. Constable.
Fincham R., (1999) The Consultant-Client Relationship: Critical Perspectives on the Management of Organizational Change. Journal of management studies., 36 (3) pp: 335-351.
Fincham, R. & Clark, T., 2002. Introduction: The Emergence of Critical Perspectives on Consulting. In T. Clark & R. Fincham, eds. Critical consulting : new perspectives on the management advice industry. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, pp. 1–20.
Legge, K., (2002). On Knowledge, Business Consultants and the Selling of Total Quality Management. In T. Clark & R. Fincham, eds. Critical consulting : new perspectives on the management advice industry. (pp. 74–90).
Markham, J. and O’Mahoney, C. (2013) Chapter 9: Critical Themes in Consulting in Management Consultancy 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press (pp 274-309)
Pinault L., (2001) Consulting demons : inside the unscrupulous world of global corporate consulting. Harper Collins
Sturdy, A., (2011) Consultancy's Consequences? A Critical Assessment of Management Consultancy's Impact on Management British journal of management., Vol. 22, 517–530
Week 7: Guest Lecture
Kirkpatrick, I., Sturdy, A.J., Reguera Alvarado, N., Blanco-Oliver, A. and Veronesi, G., 2018. The impact of management consultants on public service efficiency. Policy and politics. ISSN: 0305-5736; 1470-8442, doi: https://doi.org/10.1332/030557318X15167881150799
Sturdy A J, Kirkpatrick I, Reguera N, Blanco‐Oliver A and Veronesi G (2021) The management consultancy effect: Demand inflation and its consequences in the sourcing of external knowledge. Public Administration. DOI: 10.1111/padm.12712.
Wye L, Brangan E, Cameron A, et al. (2015) What do external consultants from private and not-for-profit companies offer healthcare commissioners? A qualitative study of knowledge exchange. BMJ. 5: 1-9. http://bit.ly/2r9gOsu
Week 8: People and Careers in Management Consulting
Core reading
Costas, J. and Fleming, P., 2009. Beyond dis-identification: A discursive approach to self-alienation in contemporary organizations. Human relations., 62(3), pp.353-378.
Meriläinen, S., Tienari, J., Thomas, R. and Davies, A., 2004. Management consultant talk: A cross-cultural comparison of normalizing discourse and resistance. Organization : the interdisciplinary journal of organization, theory and society., 11(4), pp.539-564.
Supplementary reading
Cook, A. C. G., Faulconbridge, J. R. and Muzio, D. 2012 London’s legal elite: recruitment through cultural capital and the reproduction of social exclusivity in City professional service fields. Environment and planning. A : environment and planning. 44(7) 1744-1762
Gill, M. J. 2015. Elite identity and status anxiety: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of management consultants. Organization : the interdisciplinary journal of organization, theory and society., 22(3) 306-325
Grey, C. 1998. On being a professional in a ‘big six’ firm. Accounting, organizations and society. 23(5/6) 569-587
Morris, T. and Pinnington, A. 1998. Promotion to Partner in Professional Service Firms. Human relations. 51(1) 3-24
Muzio, D., Hodgson, D., Faulconbridge, J., Beaverstock, J. and Hall, S. (2011) Towards corporate professionalisation: The case of project management, management consultancy and executive search. Current Sociology 59(4) Monograph 2 443-464
O’Mahoney, J. and Markham, C. 2012. Management Consultancy, Oxford: OUP (Chapter 11: The Consultancy Career: pp 339-376
Robertson, M. and Swan, J., 2003. ‘Control–what control?’ Culture and ambiguity within a knowledge intensive firm. Journal of management studies., 40(4), pp.831-858.
Week 9: Managing the Management Consulting Firm
Core Reading
Gill, M. J. 2015. Elite identity and status anxiety: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of management consultants. Organization : the interdisciplinary journal of organization, theory and society., 22(3) 306-325
Hansen, M. T., Nohria, N. and Tierney, T (1999), ‘What’s Your Strategy for Managing Knowledge?’, Harvard business review., 77(2), pp. 106-116, available at https://hbr.org/1999/03/whats-your-strategy-for-managing-knowledge
Additional References:
Alvesson, M. (2012) “Managing Consultants: Control and Identity” 303-323 in Kipping, M. and Clark, T. (eds) (2012) The Oxford handbook of management consulting, Oxford: OUP
Greenwood, R., Hinings C.R. and Brown, J (1990) “‘P2-form’ strategic management: Corporate practices in professional partnerships” Academy of Management journal. 33(4): 725–755
Haseli, A. and Boxall, P. (2005) “When knowledge management meets HR strategy: An exploration of personalization, retention and codification in recruitment configurations”, International journal of human resource management., 16(11), 1955-1975
Kipping M (2002) Trapped in their wave: The evolution of management consultancies. In: Clark T and Fincham R (eds) Critical consulting : new perspectives on the management advice industry. Oxford: Blackwell
O’Mahoney, J. and Markham, C. (2010) Management Consultancy, Oxford: OUP (Chapter 2: the consulting industry, pp11-39)
Noon, M., Blyton, P. and Morrell, K. (2013) The Realities of Work: Experiencing Work and Employment in Contemporary Society, London: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 8: Knowledge and Work (earlier edition available on library website)
Werr, A. (2012) “Knowledge Management and Management Consulting” 247-266 in Kipping, M. and Clark, T. (eds) (2012) The Oxford handbook of management consulting, Oxford: OUP
Werr, A., & Stjernberg, T. (2003) “Exploring management consulting firms as knowledge systems”. Organization Studies., 24(6): 881–908
Week 10: Management Consultants and Management Fashion
Core Reading
Jung, K. and Kieser, A. (2012) ‘Consultants in the Management Fashion Arena’, in Kipping. M. and Clark, T. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of management consulting. Oxford: Oxford Press. Available on VLE, see ‘reading folder’.
Madsen, D.Ø. and Stenheim, T., 2016. Big Data viewed through the lens of management fashion theory. Cogent business and management ISSN: 2331-1975, 3(1), p.1165072.
Additional Reading
Carson, P.P., Lanier, P.A., Carson, K.D. and Guidry, B.N., 2000. Clearing a path through the management fashion jungle: Some preliminary trailblazing. Academy of Management journal. ISSN: 0001-4273, 43(6), pp.1143-1158.
Clark, T., Bhatanacharoen, P., and Greatbatch, G. (2012) ‘Management Gurus as Celebrity Consultants’ in Kipping. M. and Clark, T. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of management consulting. Oxford: Oxford Press.
Engwall, L. (2012) ‘Consultants, Business Schools and the Media’ in Kipping. M. and Clark, T. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of management consulting. Oxford: Oxford Press.
Madsen, Ø and Slåtten, K. (2013) The Role of the Management Fashion Arena in the Cross-National Diffusion of Management Concepts: The Case of the Balanced Scorecard in the Scandinavian Countries. Administrative Sciences. Vol. 3(3), 110-142.
This list was last updated on 06/11/2021