Consultants and Detectives

Abstract

As a step toward learning more about the process and practice of organizational change or intervention, this paper explores the usefulness of an analogy between the roles of the organizational change consultant and the fictional British detective. The roles are compared on dimensions such as use of evidence, involvement, use of expertise, trust or suspicion creation, action intervention, and so on. Two main problems seem to emerge as central: how to obtain valid information from the system and how to balance personal and professional needs or motives.