Publications
Publications
- 2020
- HBS Working Paper Series
Building the Professional Firm: McKinsey & Co.: 1939-1968
By: Amar Bhidé
Abstract
This case history analyzes how the founders of McKinsey & Co. built one of the world's leading management consulting firms by developing a “system” of professional norms, approach to serving clients, personnel policies, organization, governance, and ownership. The history also shows that while McKinsey’s founders resorted to considerable trial and error, it was not ad hoc: they intended to discover the best means to further a long-term vision and strategy. Moreover, their vision and strategy derived more from a priori faith and personal values than from scientific evidence or financial calculation.
Keywords
McKinsey & Co.; Company History; Professional Norms; Vision; Organizations; Business History; Business Model; Strategy; Consulting Industry
Citation
Bhidé, Amar. "Building the Professional Firm: McKinsey & Co.: 1939-1968." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 95-010, January 1995. (Revised July 2020.)