The economics and sociology of management consulting / Thomas Armbrüster.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Armbrüster, Thomas, 1968- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Business consultants.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 249 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

The Economics & Sociology of Management Consulting

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Management consultancy is a key sector in the economic change toward a service and knowledge economy. Originally published in 2006, this book explains the mechanisms of the management consulting market and the management of consulting firms from both economic and sociological perspectives. It also examines the strategies, marketing approaches, knowledge management and human resource management techniques of consulting firms. After outlining the relationships between transaction cost economics, signaling theory, embeddedness theory and sociological neoinstitutionalism, Thomas Armbrüster applies these theories to central questions such as: Why does the consulting sector exist and grow? Which institutions connect supply and demand? And which factors influence the relationship between clients and consultants? By applying both economic and sociological approaches, the book explains the general economic changes of the previous thirty years and sharpens the relationship between the academic disciplines.

Contents:

Management consultancy viewed from economic and sociological perspectives

Why do consulting firms exist and grow? The economics and sociology of knowledge

How do supply and demand meet? Competition and the role of social institutions

Who is more powerful? Consulting influence and client authority

Substitutes or supplements? internal versus external consulting

Diversified services or niche focus? Strategies of consulting firms

Fostering reputation and growth? Marketing consulting services

The economics and sociology of knowledge distribution: organizational structure and governance

Gaining talent and signaling quality: human resource management

The knowledge economy, management consultancy, and the multitheoretical approach.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-246) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-16657-8

1-280-95924-X

9786610959242

0-511-29606-1

1-139-13160-5

0-511-29529-4

0-511-29369-0

0-511-48846-7

0-511-29449-2

OCLC:

437186678