Call for papers: Consulting psychology in private equity

• Rob Kaiseropens in new window 

This is a call for papers for a special issue of Consulting Psychology Journal (CPJ) on Consulting psychology in private equity: What, how, who.

Private equity (PE) is a huge and growing sector with significant economic reach, yet it remains relatively opaque to many outsiders. PE firms buy companies, seek to increase their value, and then exit those investments at a profit. Historically, much of the industry’s advantage came from financial engineering and related forms of deal sophistication. However, as those capabilities have become more widely imitated—and as the era of cheap debt has ended—leadership, talent, and human capital have emerged as a more important frontier of competitive advantage in PE-backed companies. Although private equity is often discussed in financial terms, its success and failure are also deeply shaped by leadership, talent, and human systems. By bringing consulting psychology more fully into this domain, we hope this special issue will generate insight that is both intellectually valuable and practically useful in one of the most consequential yet underexamined sectors of the modern economy.  

This special issue invites manuscripts that examine the role of leadership, talent, and organizational effectiveness in private equity and portfolio companies. We are especially interested in work that helps illuminate the what, how, and who of value creation in PE contexts; connects field experience with conceptual or empirical insight; and advances understanding of leadership in this distinct context. This focus is especially well aligned with CPJ’s mission because private equity raises precisely the kinds of questions consulting psychologists are well positioned to address: leadership, selection, assessment, development, team effectiveness, succession, and organizational change under pressure.

The private equity context is especially important for consulting psychologists because it places unusual demands on leaders and organizations. PE-backed companies often operate with compressed timelines, intense performance pressure, dual mandates to improve both revenue and profitability, and less mature infrastructure than large public companies. These conditions make leadership unusually consequential—and make PE a revealing context for studying executive selection, leadership effectiveness, board–CEO dynamics, team functioning, succession, organizational design, and human capital strategy.

We welcome a wide range of submissions, including:

• empirical studies
• field studies
• case studies
• literature reviews
• conceptual or theory-building papers
• translational practice papers
• lessons learned from consulting in PE and PE-backed organizations

We welcome articles on topics including:

• executive assessment, selection, and onboarding in PE-backed companies
• board–CEO–management team dynamics
• leadership and team development under compressed time horizons
• talent strategy and human capital as competitive advantage
• portfolio company team effectiveness
• operating partners and sponsor–management relationships
• succession, organizational design, and human capital systems in PE contexts

This special issue welcomes both empirical and conceptual work. We especially encourage submissions that connect rigorous psychological thinking with real-world consulting experience and organizational outcomes. Papers may focus on individuals, teams, boards, firms, or multilevel systems. Of particular interest are manuscripts that illuminate how consulting psychology can help PE firms and portfolio companies move beyond isolated talent interventions toward more integrated, systemic approaches to leadership and human capital.

For more information about the journal, visit the Consulting Psychology Journal homepage.

You may also proceed directly to the manuscript submission portal and submit to the “Special issue - Consulting in Private Equity” article type.