2026

Raudla, Ringa; Kuusela, Hanna; Ylönen, Matti

This article takes stock of the existing literature and outlines the state-of-the-art knowledge about the influence of private sector management consultants on public management reforms. The authors distinguish between different logics for characterizing management consultants’ involvement, outline a set of discursive mechanisms that help amplify management consultants’ influence and delineate the impacts management consultants have had on public management reforms. The article explains the governance structures and practices that have been proposed for ensuring more meaningful involvement of consultants.