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From prophets to profits: The occupational rhetoric of management consultants

Work and Organizational Studies at the University of Sydney, j.kitay{at}econ.usyd.edu.au

Christopher Wright

Organizational Studies at the University of Sydney, c.wright2{at}econ.usyd.edu.au

In this article we explore the construction of occupational identity amongst a new and significant occupation: management consultants. Extending a conceptual framework developed by Fine (1996), we argue that occupational identity is not a consistent whole, but constructed from imagery to interpret and manage situations commonly experienced by occupational members. We argue that consultants, as an occupation, face three key structural constraints as features of their work, which we term, legitimacy, efficiency and vulnerability. On the basis of our interview data, we identify five social roles around which occupational `rhetorics' are constructed — professional, prophet, partner, business person, and service worker. We explore how consultants use these rhetorics to respond to issues of legitimacy, efficiency and vulnerability, and also highlight how different imagery is used based on its situational salience.

Key Words: imagery • legitimacy • management consultants • occupational identity • rhetoric

Human Relations, Vol. 60, No. 11, 1613-1640 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0018726707084302


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