Professor Calvert Jones Publishes Piece on the Dynamic Role of Expert Consultants in Autocratic Countries

In a recent piece in the Harvard Business Review entitled What Happens When Consultants Work for Authoritarian Regimes, Professor Calvert Jones conveys the findings of her research on the presence and effect of expert consultants in Middle Eastern autocracies. As she notes, the effect is a two-way street. Though experts are often seen as providing fresh perspectives and helping to rationalize public policy decision-making processes upon arrival, over time they are absorbed into the perverse incentive structures that pervade autocratic regimes and end up reinforcing anachronistic policies instead of spurring reform. Jones further discusses how these dynamics influence citizens' perceptions of consultants' legitimacy in worrying ways.

Published on Fri, 04/12/2019 - 13:12