Synopses & Reviews
Janet Coleman's two volume history of European political theorizing, from the ancient Greeks to the Renaissance, is the introduction which many have been waiting for. It treats some of the most influential writers who have been considered by educated Europeans down the centuries to have helped to construct their identity, their shared "languages of politics" about the principles and practices of good government, and the history of European philosophy. It seeks to uncover and reconstruct the emergence of the "state" and the various European political theories which justified it.
In this volume, Coleman discusses the acknowledged great works of Greek, Roman, and early Christian writers to show how the historical contexts in which certain ideas about ethics and politics became dominant or fell from dominance help to explain the ideas themselves. Throughout she draws on recent scholarly commentaries written by specialists in philosophy, contemporary political theory, classical languages and cultures, and on ancient and early Christian history and theology. Janet Coleman shows that the Greeks', Romans' and early Christians' arguments can be seen as logical and coherent if we can grasp the questions they thought it important to answer. The author strikes a balance between trying to understand the philosophical cogency of ancient arguments on the one hand, and on the other, elucidating why historically-situated Greeks, Romans and early Christians thought the ways they did about politics; and why we often think otherwise.
The volume will meet the needs of students of philosophy, history and politics, proving to be an indispensable secondary source which aims to situate, explain, and provoke thought about the major works of political theory likely to be encountered by students of this period and beyond.
Review
"These volumes cover the scholarship of the last four decades with considerable care and in an impeccably cosmopolitan manner...in its second volume, the best single-volume history of medieval political thought to put into the hands of any intelligent and serious student...Coleman's History is a fine achievement and of clear use value throughout. It breathes the spirit of a very different epoch, while providing help for all of us who must deal, in our respective roles, with the ideas that it chronicles." John Dunn, University of Cambridge.
Review
"...an important and theoretically innovative book highlighting the power games and discursive strategies that consutlants used to legitimise their knowledge claimes".
Denis Saint-Martin, Universite de Montreal "This book represents an admirable resource for learning about current consulting practices, about their historical roots, and their underlying assumptions. The case studies are rich with concrete illustrations and informed by sound scholarly research." Chris Argyris, Harvard Business School
"Management Consultants are unloved - perhaps even by their own mothers - and they are misunderstood. This splendid volume tackles the latter problem with considerable success; now we understand why management consultants are unloved." Stuart Macdonald, University of Sheffield
"With contributions from the leading researchers in the area, this book provides fresh insights into the growth of the management advice industry and a valuable addition to the critical literature in this area". Dr Christopher Wright, University of New South Wales
"This book is a landmark that will set the parameters for future thinking about the role of consultants." Professor Stephen Hill, London School of Economics
Synopsis
Janet Coleman's two volume history of European political theorising, from the ancient Greeks to the Renaissance is the introduction which many have been waiting for.
In this volume, Coleman discusses the acknowledged great works of Greek, Roman, and early Christian writers to show how the historical contexts in which certain ideas about ethics and politics became dominant or fell from dominance, help to explain the ideas themselves. Throughout she draws on recent scholarly commentaries written by specialists in philosophy, contemporary political theory, classical languages and cultures, and on ancient and early Christian history and theology. Janet Coleman shows that the Greeks and Romans' arguments can be seen as logical and coherent if we can grasp the questions they thought it important to answer.
Synopsis
The critical analysis presented here evaluates what management consultants offer as well as analysing the emergence of their industry as a contemporary social phenomenon.
- Presents the latest research from the most influential researchers in the field.
- Takes an inter-disciplinary approach, chapters analyse critical theory, organizational behaviour, sociology, psychology, actor-network theory and narrative analysis.
- Provides the first critical evaluation of the different actors and activities that comprise the management advice sector.
Synopsis
This timely volume provides innovative perspectives on the management advice industry from leading contributors in critical theory, organizational behaviour, sociology, psychology, actor-network theory and narrative analysis. It addresses such fundamental questions as:
- What is management knowledge?
- How is it created and sold?
- What is the role of consultants, gurus, academics in this process?
- Does the management advice industry add value?
- What is the nature of the client-consultant relationship?
The development of interest in the management advice industry, both within the business press and the social sciences, reflects the need to answer these questions. The critical analysis presented here evaluates what management consultants offer as well as investigating the emergence of their industry as a contemporary social phenomenon.
This volume provides the first critical evaluation of the different actors and activities that comprise the management advice sector, and will be invaluable both to those teaching courses in consultancy and to analysts who are trying to make sense of the explosion in the management knowledge industry.
About the Author
Janet Coleman is the Professor of Ancient and Medieval Political Thought in the Government Department at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Previously she taught in the Politics Department at Exeter University and for the History Faculty of Cambridge University. She Studied at Yale University and at L'Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris. Her numerous publications include The Individual in Political Theory and Practice (ed. 1996), Ancient and Medieval Memories: Studies in the Reconstruction of the Past (1992), Against the State: Studies in Sedition and Rebellion (1990) and English Literature in History 1350-1400: Medieval Readers and Writers (1981). She is co-founder and co-editor of the international journal History of Political Thought.
Table of Contents
List of Figures and Tables.
Notes on Contributors.
Introduction: The Emergence of Critical Perspectives on Consulting: Robin Fincham (Stirling University) and Timothy Clark (King's College).
Part I: Setting the Scene: The Nature of Management Consultancy and Management Advice:.
1. Consulting: What Should it Mean?: Edgar H Schein (MIT Sloan School of Management).
2. Trapped in their Wave: The Evolution of Management Consultancies: Matthias Kipping (University of Reading).
3. The Rise of Consultancy and the Prospect for Regions: Peter Wood (University College London).
4. On Knowledge, Business Consultants and the Selling of TQM: Karen Legge (University of Warwick).
Part II: The Contexts of Management Consultancy and Management Advice:.
5. Virtual Stories of Virtual Working: Critical Reflections on CTI Consultancy Discourse: Peter Case (Oxford Brookes University).
6. The Vision Thing: Constructing Technology and the Future in Management Advice: Brian P Bloomfield (Lancaster University Management School) and Theo Vurdubakis (Manchester School of Management).
7. Front-Line Diffusion: The Production and Negotiation of Knowledge Through Training Interactions: Andrew Sturdy (University of Melbourne).
8. Knowledge Legitimation and Audience Affiliation Through Storytelling: The Example of Management Gurus: Timothy Clark (King's College) and David Greatbatch (Independent Social Scientist).
9. A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Three Guru-Led Management Fashions: Brad Jackson (Victoria University of Wellington).
Part III: Critical Reflections on Management Consultancy and Management Advice:.
10. Charisma versus Technique: Differentiating the Expertise of Management Gurus and Management Consultants: Robin Fincham (Stirling University).
11. On Communication Barriers between Management Science, Consultancies and Business Companies: Alfred Kieser (University of Mannheim).
12. Professionalism and Politics in Management Consultancy Work: Mats Alvesson (Lund University) and Anders W Johansson (Jonkoping International Business School, Sweden).
13. Understanding Advice: Towards a Sociology of Management Consultancy: Graeme Salaman (Open University).
14. What Next? More Critique of Consultants, Gurus and Managers: Frank Heller (Centre for Decision Making Studies).
Index.