Power and the diffusion of management ideas: the case of McKinsey & Co

O'Mahoney, Joe ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4040-3894 and Sturdy, Andrew 2016. Power and the diffusion of management ideas: the case of McKinsey & Co. Management Learning 47 (3) , pp. 247-265. 10.1177/1350507615591756

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Abstract

In studies of the diffusion or translation of management ideas, power is frequently implied but is rarely theorised explicitly. Moreover, when it is recognised, the focus is often on only one form of power. This can obscure how different forms of power relate to each other, shape idea diffusion and connect to different forms of resistance. Using Lukes’ classic framing of power, we explore the activities of a key agent in the diffusion of ideas – management consultancy – and one of the leading players in that field – McKinsey & Co. We draw on diverse, publicly available forms of data on three different management ideas to identify how different forms of power and resistance enable and constrain the diffusion of management ideas. Our study emphasises both the dynamic relations between different forms of power over time and the importance of acknowledging the unintended consequences of power. At the same time, by focusing on power dynamics mostly operating outside of consulting projects, we add to our understanding of the role of consultancy in the diffusion of management ideas more generally.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Publisher:	SAGE
ISSN:	1350-5076
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Date of Acceptance:	25 May 2015
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2024 21:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/73610

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