ABSTRACT
This chapter offers critical reflections on the genesis of the excellence project and on the constitution of the ‘McKinsey 7-S framework’ that underpins this endeavour. Tracing the political machinations within and beyond McKinsey and Co. that led to the development of the 7-S framework this chapter analyses the contrasting fortunes of the two, key managerial texts that first showcased this heuristic, namely, In Search of Excellence and The Art of Japanese Management. The chapter concludes with the suggestion that in choosing In Search of Excellence as its manifesto over that prepared within The Art of Japanese Management, the managerial/policy-making community denied itself access to the tools and understandings necessary to deliver a truly radical change to the management of organizations.
