THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT-CONSULTANTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - THE INDISSOLUBLE NATURE OF SOCIOPOLITICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Citation
Bp. Bloomfield et A. Danieli, THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT-CONSULTANTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - THE INDISSOLUBLE NATURE OF SOCIOPOLITICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS, Journal of management studies, 32(1), 1995, pp. 23-46
Citations number
57
Categorie Soggetti
Management,Business
ISSN journal
00222380
Volume
32
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
23 - 46
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-2380(1995)32:1<23:TROMIT>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
This paper explores the role of management consultants in the developm ent of information technology (IT) in organizations. Contending that t he process of IT systems development is characterized by the exercise of power, the central theme of the argument concerns the indissoluble nature of the technical and socio-political skills inherent in IT cons ultancy practice. IT consultancy practice is not just socio-political when winning a contract - the sales pitch - and technical when develop ing an IT system. Rather, socio-political skills centered on the mobil ization of discursive and symbolic resources are an inherent part of t he construction of such systems.