Modes of Organizing in an Expert Consultancy: A Case Study of Knowledge, Power and Egos

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Abstract
This paper presents an empirical study of an `expert' consultancy focusing on the changes that have occurred in the dominant mode of organizing over its 12-year history. From its inception, the firm was deliberately structured in such a way as to stimulate invention and innovation. The paper traces the changes that have occurred with specific reference to frameworks which emphasize modes of knowledge, knowledge communication and power. The research found that the organization had changed in ways not in keeping with that predicted for firms that are `knowledge intensive', becoming formalized over time. Whilst explicit rules and procedures had not been implemented, dominant norms and values had emerged which shaped organizational arrangements and constrained processes of innovation. Thus, we question the sustainability of contemporary modes of organizing.