Managing the Professional Service Firm

This text offers practical ideas on the managerial problems of professional service firms. It shows that professional firms are different from other business enterprises in two ways. First, they are in the business of providing highly customized services and therefore cannot apply many of the management principles developed for the mass production industrial world. Second, professional services are highly personalized and involve the skills of individuals, therefore firms must compete not only for clients, but also for talented professionals. This text explores issues ranging from marketing and business development to multinational strategies, from human resource policies to profit improvement strategies, from strategic planning to the effective behaviour of practice leaders.

Available for the first time in paperback, the quintessential manual for managers of accounting, legal, consulting, architectural, public relations, and other service-related companies. "The professional service firm is the best model for tomorrow's organization in any industry. When it comes to understanding these firms, David Maister has no peers".--Tom Peters. coauthor of "In Search of Excellence".