Introduction : Lawyers, Doctors and Business Consultants

Why are expert occupations interesting to study? This book reveals a great deal that is of interest about the current state of three key occupations: lawyers, doctors and management consultants. The conclusions are not always what you might expect. It reveals important differences of fortune between the occupations. While business consultancy is a growth area, there are significant differences within the industry between firms. Lawyers have been under ideological attack for many years but studies show that law firms have responded effectively in adverse circumstances. For other traditionally trained occupations, such as doctors, however, it is less clear what the future may demand in terms of their profession. There is a paradoxical quality to the current pattern of demand for expert labour: demand not only varies a good deal between occupations, but it seems to bear little relationship to whether the skills are found in traditional or new occupations.