A multi-stage model of governance in ... - Cass Knowledge
A multi-stage model of governance in ... - Cass Knowledge
A multi-stage model of governance in ... - Cass Knowledge
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<strong>Cass</strong> Centre for Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Service Firms – Work<strong>in</strong>g Paper 004 - 2010<br />
It was a brilliant speech. In about 30 m<strong>in</strong>utes Alistair touched every s<strong>in</strong>gle po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>security among the partners and said basically – don’t worry, everyth<strong>in</strong>g is<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to be all right. (Partnership Secretary)<br />
At the partner conference Alistair was elected CEO by a substantial majority. As one<br />
member <strong>of</strong> staff expla<strong>in</strong>s it:<br />
We sort <strong>of</strong> rushed headlong down a corporate-style approach and then rushed<br />
headlong, or rather arse-end, away from it. (Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Group Head)<br />
Over the next few years Alistair made concerted efforts to rebuild the sense <strong>of</strong><br />
connection between partners and management. Shortly after his election, the titles <strong>of</strong><br />
Manag<strong>in</strong>g Partner and Senior Partner were re<strong>in</strong>troduced to replace the titles <strong>of</strong> CEO<br />
and Chairman. He also went beyond such symbolic changes. In promis<strong>in</strong>g to ‘give<br />
the partnership back to the partners’, Alistair committed himself to an exhaust<strong>in</strong>g<br />
programme <strong>of</strong> dialogue with the global partnership group. His relentless <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
travel programme and will<strong>in</strong>gness to listen to all partners’ concerns helped to allay<br />
partners’ fears across the global network and resolved the crisis <strong>of</strong> Disconnection.<br />
However, he found it difficult to translate this activity <strong>in</strong>to effective action. In retreat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from the ‘Corporate’ style <strong>of</strong> <strong>governance</strong>, Alistair had rel<strong>in</strong>quished any possibility <strong>of</strong><br />
exercis<strong>in</strong>g Delegated authority and had, <strong>in</strong> effect, reverted to a more Collegial style<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>governance</strong>.<br />
This collegial approach proved <strong>in</strong>effective for a large global partnership. The partners<br />
became <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly concerned as many merger-related issues rema<strong>in</strong>ed unresolved<br />
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