The Management of Expertise

The 1980s and 1990s have seen the break-up of conventional approaches to the management of professional expertise. Central Research and Development and technical functions have been demerged, established career structures torn down, and professionalism itself has come under attack. This book surveys these shifts in the management of expertise by presenting empirical findings from both manufacturing and service industries and occupations as diverse as management consultants, IT workers and NHS doctors. It finds that there are commonalities of experience between these different groups, and that a focus on expertise itself - rather than on the experts themselves, or on their professional pretensions - is crucial to understanding the scope and limits of managerial action.