MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS: GENDER TROUBLE AT WORK? - A popular culture study of gender in management consulting -

Abstract: The main purpose of this thesis is to add to the conceptual understanding of gender in management consulting, as portrayed through the lens of popular culture. It is further aimed to highlight the reciprocal relationship between popular culture research and the study of organization/ management consulting studies. Thereby, we hope to contribute to the existing literature that treats gender in management consulting. This thesis is a qualitative study of the US television series House of Lies and was conducted, using a popular culture analysis approach. Doing so, the concept of discourse analysis was utilized. In addition, we examined the existing literature on the subject. Our research was carried out from an interpretative-critical stance. After conducting a theoretical analysis of the management consulting literature, we found it to be strongly gendered, where the notion of the ideal consultant is associated with masculinity that female consultants have to conform to. This masculine ideal is being discursively constructed as opposed to structurally prescribed. House of Lies on the one hand adheres to binary gender categories and the masculine ideal. On the other hand, however, it transgresses them by playing with stereotypes thereby denaturalizing established views of gender. Thus, it acts as a parody and a powerful platform for critique and advocates the idea of gender performativity and multiple masculinities.