Temporal work by consultants in nascent market categories: constructing a market for knowledge in quantum computing

Abstract

The literatures on market categories and temporal work pay limited attention to the agentic role of intermediaries in nascent market categories. Through an inductive analysis of quantum computing, we explore how management consultancies perform temporal work in such settings. We find that management consultancies construct a market for knowledge by engaging in three types of temporal work. First, they bring the future market category into present existence and thus make it an object for action. Second, they construct ultimate uncertainty and ambiguity and therefore a need for external knowledge. Third, they create a sense of urgency for immediate market engagement. Our findings shed light on the active intermediating role of management consultancies in nascent market categories, allowing them to capitalise on novel markets very early on.