Through 'live' material from consulting practice and an historical review of advice-giving to pre-modern leaders, this book uncovers a distinctive 'feminine' discourse of management consulting. This new lens challenges current literature on management consulting that relies on established (masculine) images.

List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: CONSULTING: EXPLORING THE TERRAIN Consultants, Confidantes and Consorts: A Genealogy of Consulting and Advice-giving to Organizational Leaders Images of Consulting: What Currently shapes How We See Consulting and How it Works? Consulting as a Discursive Practice PART II: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CONSULTING INTERACTIONS Researching Consulting Interactions: From Process Ontology to Critical Discourse Analysis Women Consultants in Action: Critical Discourse Analysis of 'Live' Consulting Interaction Women's Stories about Consulting: Critical Discourse Analysis of Reflective Material PART III: MAKING SENSE What is Going on in Consulting Interactions?: Exploring Meta-themes of Power, Emotion and Values Femininities and Consulting: (Re-)animating a 'Feminine' Discourse of Consulting Towards a 'Critical Consulting' Practice: The Contribution of a 'Feminine' Discourse of Consulting NOTES REFERENCES INDEX

SHEILA MARSH is an independent consultant, working in the public and not-for-profit sectors since 1987. Her work spans organization development, management and leadership development, policy development and research. She co-developed an innovative research project on partnership working in health and social care (www.swampyground.org) and currently leads a Masters in Leadership programme for this sector.