The Influence Process Between Specialists and Executives

Staff specialists are increasingly concerned about their credibility with executive groups. Events and trends of the past few years have meant more pressures on the staff man. This is partly a consequence of better technical training for line managers. While there has always been plenty of evidence of executive scepticism of staff advice, now more and more managers are able to back up their intuitive doubts with more reasoned consideration of the technical underpinnings of information they receive from experts. Not only can many executives question the conclusions of the staff man but they may also be able to delve into the technical process through which those conclusions evolved.