Anthropology and Management Consulting: Forging a New Alliance

NAPA Bulletin is a peer reviewed occasional publication of the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, dedicated to the practical problem–solving and policy applications of anthropological knowledge and methods.

Introduction.

The Background.

The Field of Management Consulting.

The Consulting Process.

The Contributions of Anthropology.

Management Consulting Knowledge and Skills.

Becoming a Management Consultant.

A Note to Managers.

Benefits from the Exchange.

Notes.

References Cited (National Association for the Practice of Anthropology Bulletin Jan 1990, Vol. 9, No. 1: 1 48).

About the Authors (National Association for the Practice of Anthropology Bulletin Jan 1990, Vol. 9, No. 1: 49 49).

General Editors: Ralph J. Bishop and Pamela Amoss

Maureen J. Giovannini is a cultural anthropologist employed by ODI, an international management consulting firm located in Burlington, Massachusetts. She received her MA and Ph.D. from Syracuse University and served on the faculty of Boston University from 1975 to 1986. Dr. Giovannini′s academic work centered around industrialization and sociocultural change and the anthropology of health. She has published on these topics in several key journals including The American Ethnologist, The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, The American Anthropologist, Anthropology, and Social Science and Medicine. Since joining ODI, Dr. Giovannini has consulted in the financial, healthcare, manufacturing, and service industries. She specializes in assessing the quality improvement needs of organizations and helping managers effect organizational change. Dr. Giovannini is currently involved in implementing quality improvement in different cultural contexts and recently delivered a paper on this subject at an international meeting. Lynne M. H. Rosansky is an Assistant Professor of Management at Babson College, where she teaches General Management, The Manager and Society and Organizational Behavior. She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Boston University in 1984 and her MBA from Babson College in 1989. Her most recent research and publication was in the area of international competitive strategy. Other areas of interest include business ethics, leadership and organizational change. She co–authored What Managers Do, with Natalie Taylor in 1988. Dr. Rosansky has been a practicing management consultant since 1980. Her consulting work has focused on leadership issues, performance management and organizational change. Her clients have included large Fortune 100 companies, hospitals, and government managers as well as small businesses.