How boundaryless are partner careers in consulting firms?—a two-country optimal matching analysis

Abstract

Empirical research on firms organized as partnerships is scarce, especially regarding the careers of their senior leaders, the partners. In the context of career theory, this study analyzes the careers of 291 American and German partners of the ‘Big Three’ consulting firms and provides insights into the paths that lead to partner positions within these firms. Using optimal matching, an innovative method particularly appropriate for career analysis, I find four career patterns that involve multiple moves across organizational and industry boundaries and thus match the definition of a boundaryless career. My results indicate that American partners and partners with fewer years of education before their first job are more likely to follow one of the boundaryless career patterns. These findings provide new evidence of the existence of boundaryless careers in industries with strict hierarchies and advancement principles, and are relevant to organizational inquiries into partnerships.