 Rationality and Its Symbols: Signalling Effects and Subjectification in Management Consulting*Thomas Armbrüster Journal of Management Studies, 2004, vol. 41, issue 8, 1247-1269 Abstract: In service sectors such as management consulting, it is very difficult to measure the impact or success of a service even after it has been delivered. In these markets of goods between experience and credence, symbolic value is helpful and necessary to complement quality perceptions. The leading management consulting firms, in particular, do not only deliver data‐driven analyses but also represent and symbolize the rational approach to business issues. This article looks at the role of personnel selection in the context of quality symbolization. It argues that the predominant tool for personnel selection in the consulting sector, the case study, accounts for both a signalling effect of rationality to the business environment and a subjectification of consulting staff to the consulting culture and rationality beliefs. The case is made that, rather than leading to a valid selection of high‐performance personnel, the process of personnel selection has latent effects, which nonetheless contribute to the consulting industry's success. Date: 2004 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:41:y:2004:i:8:p:1247-1269 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Journal of Management Studies is currently edited by Timothy Clark, Steven W. Floyd and Mike Wright More articles in Journal of Management Studies from Wiley Blackwell |
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