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Abstract:In the last two decades, we have witnessed in the Western World that, instead of employing people with particular skills that they no longer need on a daily basis, organizations now source these skills when needed from external markets. This has led to a growth of markets for some types of specialized organizational and managerial services. This study argues that a new form of institutionalization of expertise is taking place in these markets. Through analysing the conditions for professionalism in management consulting, which is seen here as the most typical form of this kind of emerging expert work in contemporary society, a model that contrasts theories of traditional professionalism is suggested, in order to explore the mechanisms for "authorization" of actors in contemporary society performing in role of the expert.

The rapidly growing research on hybrid organizations in recent years suggests that these organizations may have particular abilities to facilitate institutional change. This article contributes to our understanding of change and, in particular, sustainable transformation in society by highlighting the importance of organizational forms. Looking more closely at the role of hybrid organizations in processes of path generation, we analyze the conditions under which hybrid organizations may enable path generation. A retrospective (1988-2017) exploratory case study of the Swedish hybrid organization The Natural Step confirms how hybrids can take part in-and may facilitate the early phases of path generation: assimilation and coalescence. The conclusion drawn is that hybrids have multivocal abilities that enable them to earn trust and authority to open up "neutral" spaces for orientation and connection between actors in separated sub-paths, and that this in turn may ease tensions and trigger dialogue and exchange, also between former opponents. Yet, as also seen in the case, this enabling position of the hybrid may be both fragile and temporary.

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