The Complexity of Consultancy

The Complexity of Consultancy

Author: Nicholas Sarra

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-09-19

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 100064412X

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Consultancy is a lucrative industry dependent on the production and use of tools and techniques which hold out the promise of success for the organisations it supports: transformation, or greater efficiency and effectiveness, perhaps even culture change. However, a critical and important question is whether these promises are fulfilled in everyday practice in organisations. Is it possible at all for consultants to predict and control the changes that their clients ask for? This volume reframes the role of consultants from detached observers wielding a stable body of knowledge useful in all contexts, to that of skilled participants in the conscious and unconscious processes of organisational life. In this book, one of three in a series looking at complexity and management, the expert authors bring together their experiences to provide vibrant accounts of how to lead in everyday organisational situations using practical judgement. The book includes a brief historical introduction to complexity and leadership, real-world narratives illustrating concrete dilemmas in the workplace, and a concluding chapter that draws together the practical and theoretical implications. With both theoretical grounding and practical insights from managers and consultants in leading firms, this is an ideal resource for executives and students on leadership development and talent management programmes, as well as those undertaking higher education courses in leadership and consulting.


Book Synopsis The Complexity of Consultancy by : Nicholas Sarra

Download or read book The Complexity of Consultancy written by Nicholas Sarra and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-09-19 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consultancy is a lucrative industry dependent on the production and use of tools and techniques which hold out the promise of success for the organisations it supports: transformation, or greater efficiency and effectiveness, perhaps even culture change. However, a critical and important question is whether these promises are fulfilled in everyday practice in organisations. Is it possible at all for consultants to predict and control the changes that their clients ask for? This volume reframes the role of consultants from detached observers wielding a stable body of knowledge useful in all contexts, to that of skilled participants in the conscious and unconscious processes of organisational life. In this book, one of three in a series looking at complexity and management, the expert authors bring together their experiences to provide vibrant accounts of how to lead in everyday organisational situations using practical judgement. The book includes a brief historical introduction to complexity and leadership, real-world narratives illustrating concrete dilemmas in the workplace, and a concluding chapter that draws together the practical and theoretical implications. With both theoretical grounding and practical insights from managers and consultants in leading firms, this is an ideal resource for executives and students on leadership development and talent management programmes, as well as those undertaking higher education courses in leadership and consulting.

Management Consultancy

Management Consultancy

Author: Andrew Sturdy

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2010-06-10

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 0191615684

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Management consultants are typically seen as key mediators in the flow of management ideas. And yet little is known about exactly what happens when they work together with clients, behind closed doors in consulting projects. Do they really innovate or simply legitimate existing knowledge? This book presents research from a three year long 'fly-on-the-wall study' of consulting projects and challenges our taken for granted view of consultancy. It draws on and integrates theories of knowledge and social boundaries to reveal a picture of complex and shifting insider-outsider relationships. Here, the outsider or expert status of consultants in relation to their clients cannot be assumed in their day-to-day project interactions. Different actors, roles, and types of knowledge are involved in an interactive and dynamic process where various boundaries are constructed, reinforced, negotiated and transformed. The chapters selectively explore these dynamics, revealing the importance of boundary complexity, the role of humour and challenge in often tense relationships, and the importance of shared knowledge domains such as sector knowledge. This in-depth analysis of inter-organizational project teams also covers a wide range of consultancy contexts, drawing on cases studies which include: * a US-based strategy firm and a multinational client, * the public and private sectors, * a sole practitioner consultant, * IT implementation in financial services. The book is important for all those with an interest in management consultancy, project working and management knowledge as well as in innovation/change, inter-organisational relations, boundaries and professional services. The authors include some of the leading research experts on management consultancy as well as a former management consultant and current expert in management learning.


Book Synopsis Management Consultancy by : Andrew Sturdy

Download or read book Management Consultancy written by Andrew Sturdy and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-06-10 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Management consultants are typically seen as key mediators in the flow of management ideas. And yet little is known about exactly what happens when they work together with clients, behind closed doors in consulting projects. Do they really innovate or simply legitimate existing knowledge? This book presents research from a three year long 'fly-on-the-wall study' of consulting projects and challenges our taken for granted view of consultancy. It draws on and integrates theories of knowledge and social boundaries to reveal a picture of complex and shifting insider-outsider relationships. Here, the outsider or expert status of consultants in relation to their clients cannot be assumed in their day-to-day project interactions. Different actors, roles, and types of knowledge are involved in an interactive and dynamic process where various boundaries are constructed, reinforced, negotiated and transformed. The chapters selectively explore these dynamics, revealing the importance of boundary complexity, the role of humour and challenge in often tense relationships, and the importance of shared knowledge domains such as sector knowledge. This in-depth analysis of inter-organizational project teams also covers a wide range of consultancy contexts, drawing on cases studies which include: * a US-based strategy firm and a multinational client, * the public and private sectors, * a sole practitioner consultant, * IT implementation in financial services. The book is important for all those with an interest in management consultancy, project working and management knowledge as well as in innovation/change, inter-organisational relations, boundaries and professional services. The authors include some of the leading research experts on management consultancy as well as a former management consultant and current expert in management learning.

Preparing Better Consultants

Preparing Better Consultants

Author: Susan Miller Adams

Publisher: Information Age Pub Incorporated

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9781617356155

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A volume in Research in Management Consulting Series Editor Anthony F. Buono, Bentley University This volue focuses on a relatively neglected area of management consulting, the education of consultants. In today's business world, we find training programs provided by consultancies, certification programs provided by professional organizations, on-the-job training of consultants with formal or informal supervision, self-taught professionals, and some academic programs and courses. Is that enough? No, better consultants are needed to handle the complexity and changing nature of business. Academe is in the best position to provide the critical thinking preparation necessary. Yet, academic institutions have been slow in embracing this challenge. The role of academia needs to grow in magnitude and in certain directions that educate consultants beyond industry training practices. Chapter authors provide examples of innovative programs, topical approaches for courses, and thoughtful reflections on the role academia can play in preparing better consultants. There are lessons for business schools, consultancies, and aspiring and practicing consultants.


Book Synopsis Preparing Better Consultants by : Susan Miller Adams

Download or read book Preparing Better Consultants written by Susan Miller Adams and published by Information Age Pub Incorporated. This book was released on 2012 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A volume in Research in Management Consulting Series Editor Anthony F. Buono, Bentley University This volue focuses on a relatively neglected area of management consulting, the education of consultants. In today's business world, we find training programs provided by consultancies, certification programs provided by professional organizations, on-the-job training of consultants with formal or informal supervision, self-taught professionals, and some academic programs and courses. Is that enough? No, better consultants are needed to handle the complexity and changing nature of business. Academe is in the best position to provide the critical thinking preparation necessary. Yet, academic institutions have been slow in embracing this challenge. The role of academia needs to grow in magnitude and in certain directions that educate consultants beyond industry training practices. Chapter authors provide examples of innovative programs, topical approaches for courses, and thoughtful reflections on the role academia can play in preparing better consultants. There are lessons for business schools, consultancies, and aspiring and practicing consultants.

Systems Thinking for Management Consultants

Systems Thinking for Management Consultants

Author: Rajneesh Chowdhury

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-06-20

Total Pages: 516

ISBN-13: 9811385300

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This book discusses how systems thinking and approaches can aid management consultants in navigating the complexities of client advisory in current realities. It thereby brings to the forefront aspects of holism, flexibility and responsibility - the keys to success in today’s world. Management consultants are called in to offer an independent expert view of an organisation/ a situation and are expected to address some of the most pressing problems businesses face. The client does not exist in a silo, but in a complex environment that lies at the intersection of a range of internal and external factors that are often unseen and unpredictable. The organisation itself presents an alien territory that the consultant is expected to acclimatise to within a very short period of time, and come up with solutions that “insiders” would not have been able to visualise. The book presents a range of ideas, concepts and reference cases that are relevant and topical for consultants in their daily work. It argues that systems thinking allows holism and flexibility in management consulting – while holism is about the ability to encompass the environmental and organisational complexity, flexibility is about the ability to think creatively and adopt different approaches to accommodate this complexity. With commentaries, case studies, conceptual models and perspectives that cut across multiple industries, sectors and countries, this book is a valuable resource for academics and professionals alike. The book’s inner pages and its page on Springer.com contain additional comments providing perspectives of clients, industry experts and academia.


Book Synopsis Systems Thinking for Management Consultants by : Rajneesh Chowdhury

Download or read book Systems Thinking for Management Consultants written by Rajneesh Chowdhury and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-20 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses how systems thinking and approaches can aid management consultants in navigating the complexities of client advisory in current realities. It thereby brings to the forefront aspects of holism, flexibility and responsibility - the keys to success in today’s world. Management consultants are called in to offer an independent expert view of an organisation/ a situation and are expected to address some of the most pressing problems businesses face. The client does not exist in a silo, but in a complex environment that lies at the intersection of a range of internal and external factors that are often unseen and unpredictable. The organisation itself presents an alien territory that the consultant is expected to acclimatise to within a very short period of time, and come up with solutions that “insiders” would not have been able to visualise. The book presents a range of ideas, concepts and reference cases that are relevant and topical for consultants in their daily work. It argues that systems thinking allows holism and flexibility in management consulting – while holism is about the ability to encompass the environmental and organisational complexity, flexibility is about the ability to think creatively and adopt different approaches to accommodate this complexity. With commentaries, case studies, conceptual models and perspectives that cut across multiple industries, sectors and countries, this book is a valuable resource for academics and professionals alike. The book’s inner pages and its page on Springer.com contain additional comments providing perspectives of clients, industry experts and academia.

Management Consultancy Insights and Real Consultancy Projects

Management Consultancy Insights and Real Consultancy Projects

Author: Graham Manville

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-10-02

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 1317102061

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The field of management consultancy research has grown rapidly in recent years. Fuelled by the drivers of complexity and uncertainty, a growing number of organizations – both profit and third sector alike – are looking at management consultancy to assist in their aims for development and change. Consultants have become a common feature in organizational change initiatives, involved in both providing advice and in implementing ideas and solutions. However, despite this growing recognition and influence, management consultancy is still often misunderstood or criticized for its lack of theoretical underpinning. The book seeks to address these issues by offering applied theoretical insights from academics that both teach and practice management consultancy. Written by recognized experts in their field, the contributors combine original insights with authoritative analysis. Uniquely, this book identifies emerging themes with critical discourse and provides rich empirical case study evidence to show the reader how management consultancy projects are implemented. Real-world international consultancy projects are featured as written up cases featuring organizations from multi-national corporations to the public sector. Written for graduate level managers or those who have practical leadership experience, this book will enable readers to apply management consultancy models beyond a classroom context


Book Synopsis Management Consultancy Insights and Real Consultancy Projects by : Graham Manville

Download or read book Management Consultancy Insights and Real Consultancy Projects written by Graham Manville and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-02 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of management consultancy research has grown rapidly in recent years. Fuelled by the drivers of complexity and uncertainty, a growing number of organizations – both profit and third sector alike – are looking at management consultancy to assist in their aims for development and change. Consultants have become a common feature in organizational change initiatives, involved in both providing advice and in implementing ideas and solutions. However, despite this growing recognition and influence, management consultancy is still often misunderstood or criticized for its lack of theoretical underpinning. The book seeks to address these issues by offering applied theoretical insights from academics that both teach and practice management consultancy. Written by recognized experts in their field, the contributors combine original insights with authoritative analysis. Uniquely, this book identifies emerging themes with critical discourse and provides rich empirical case study evidence to show the reader how management consultancy projects are implemented. Real-world international consultancy projects are featured as written up cases featuring organizations from multi-national corporations to the public sector. Written for graduate level managers or those who have practical leadership experience, this book will enable readers to apply management consultancy models beyond a classroom context

Consultancy Skills for Mission and Ministry

Consultancy Skills for Mission and Ministry

Author: David Dadswell

Publisher: SCM Press

Published: 2013-01-08

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0334048621

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Consultancy is increasingly being used to support mission and to help church leaders and workers in the challenges they face in their work. Helping churches and workers understand their situation and develop effective strategies demands skilful consultants who can handle issues of context and theology, the characteristics of voluntary sector organisations, and mission in a post-modern world. This guide to being a church consultant offers rigorous, practical consultancy theory and tools as well as pointing to a rich range of methods and models for further investigation. By integrating the insights of practical theory, organizational studies, the social sciences and a range of helping skills, consultants will be able to support those who are leading change in churches in processes which are more explicit and carefully thought through than is often the case. This book encourages consultants to develop their own model and practice built on a healthy cycle of sound theory, evaluated practice and thoughtful feedback.


Book Synopsis Consultancy Skills for Mission and Ministry by : David Dadswell

Download or read book Consultancy Skills for Mission and Ministry written by David Dadswell and published by SCM Press. This book was released on 2013-01-08 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consultancy is increasingly being used to support mission and to help church leaders and workers in the challenges they face in their work. Helping churches and workers understand their situation and develop effective strategies demands skilful consultants who can handle issues of context and theology, the characteristics of voluntary sector organisations, and mission in a post-modern world. This guide to being a church consultant offers rigorous, practical consultancy theory and tools as well as pointing to a rich range of methods and models for further investigation. By integrating the insights of practical theory, organizational studies, the social sciences and a range of helping skills, consultants will be able to support those who are leading change in churches in processes which are more explicit and carefully thought through than is often the case. This book encourages consultants to develop their own model and practice built on a healthy cycle of sound theory, evaluated practice and thoughtful feedback.

Client-Consultant Collaboration

Client-Consultant Collaboration

Author: Anthony F. Buono

Publisher: IAP

Published: 2009-09-01

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 1607522594

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The tenth volume in the Research on Management Consulting series—Client–Consultant Collaboration: Coping with Complexity and Change—draws on papers presented at the Academy of Management’s Management Consulting Division International Conference on this theme in Copenhagen, Denmark in June 2007. The volume presents twelve chapters that explore a broad range of questions and concerns that illustrate the scope and complexity of the consultant–client relationship. The chapters illustrate the richness and excitement that takes place not only in research on consulting but also in its application as the various empirical analyses of consulting in practice portray.


Book Synopsis Client-Consultant Collaboration by : Anthony F. Buono

Download or read book Client-Consultant Collaboration written by Anthony F. Buono and published by IAP. This book was released on 2009-09-01 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tenth volume in the Research on Management Consulting series—Client–Consultant Collaboration: Coping with Complexity and Change—draws on papers presented at the Academy of Management’s Management Consulting Division International Conference on this theme in Copenhagen, Denmark in June 2007. The volume presents twelve chapters that explore a broad range of questions and concerns that illustrate the scope and complexity of the consultant–client relationship. The chapters illustrate the richness and excitement that takes place not only in research on consulting but also in its application as the various empirical analyses of consulting in practice portray.

Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change

Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change

Author: Julie Hodges

Publisher: Kogan Page Publishers

Published: 2017-04-03

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0749478640

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Organizations are increasingly investing in consulting capabilities to understand what changes they need to make to keep up the pace with the competition and future-proof their business. Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change is a guide for students and internal and external consultants needing to develop the necessary skills to consult in organizational settings where there is a great deal of complexity. It tackles the issues posing the greatest threat to the success of the change programme, including how to adapt to rapidly shifting needs, deal with the emotional and ethical issues that arise and ensure that the managers take full ownership for the change so that 'business as usual' is established. Complete with case studies from the 'Big Four' consultancy groups as well as boutique firms, Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change shows how to identify and execute interventions in a variety of organizational settings to deliver value. It provides guidance on how to develop a value proposition; define, write and present the business case for the proposed interventions; establish credibility and report on the results.


Book Synopsis Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change by : Julie Hodges

Download or read book Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change written by Julie Hodges and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2017-04-03 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Organizations are increasingly investing in consulting capabilities to understand what changes they need to make to keep up the pace with the competition and future-proof their business. Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change is a guide for students and internal and external consultants needing to develop the necessary skills to consult in organizational settings where there is a great deal of complexity. It tackles the issues posing the greatest threat to the success of the change programme, including how to adapt to rapidly shifting needs, deal with the emotional and ethical issues that arise and ensure that the managers take full ownership for the change so that 'business as usual' is established. Complete with case studies from the 'Big Four' consultancy groups as well as boutique firms, Consultancy, Organizational Development and Change shows how to identify and execute interventions in a variety of organizational settings to deliver value. It provides guidance on how to develop a value proposition; define, write and present the business case for the proposed interventions; establish credibility and report on the results.

Practical Consultancy Ethics

Practical Consultancy Ethics

Author: David Yardley

Publisher: Kogan Page Publishers

Published: 2017-04-03

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0749478543

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Consultants - working for an organization but not as part of it - are particularly subject to commercial pressures from both their employers and their clients, never more so than when consulting on complex and costly IT engagements. A consultant's reputation is crucial to their professional capital, and they have to be able to make defensible decisions that protect this reputation whilst delivering value for the client. This means acting ethically, responsibly and commercially. Practical Consultancy Ethics approaches the subject of ethics from the individual's perspective: the management or IT consultant who will need to make ethical decisions within their engagement. With clear-sighted identification of the ethical dilemmas that may arise at each stage of a consultancy project - from defining the problem to fit the solution, through to prioritizing competing stakeholder needs, and having access to confidential client information - and guidance on ethical and risk-reducing actions that consultants can take, the emphasis throughout is on improved decision-making. Enhanced with case studies showcasing real-life ethical pitfalls and featuring consultancy ethical dilemmas to challenge the reader, this is a uniquely practical guide to applying best ethical practice in consulting engagements.


Book Synopsis Practical Consultancy Ethics by : David Yardley

Download or read book Practical Consultancy Ethics written by David Yardley and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2017-04-03 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consultants - working for an organization but not as part of it - are particularly subject to commercial pressures from both their employers and their clients, never more so than when consulting on complex and costly IT engagements. A consultant's reputation is crucial to their professional capital, and they have to be able to make defensible decisions that protect this reputation whilst delivering value for the client. This means acting ethically, responsibly and commercially. Practical Consultancy Ethics approaches the subject of ethics from the individual's perspective: the management or IT consultant who will need to make ethical decisions within their engagement. With clear-sighted identification of the ethical dilemmas that may arise at each stage of a consultancy project - from defining the problem to fit the solution, through to prioritizing competing stakeholder needs, and having access to confidential client information - and guidance on ethical and risk-reducing actions that consultants can take, the emphasis throughout is on improved decision-making. Enhanced with case studies showcasing real-life ethical pitfalls and featuring consultancy ethical dilemmas to challenge the reader, this is a uniquely practical guide to applying best ethical practice in consulting engagements.

International Guide to Management Consultancy

International Guide to Management Consultancy

Author: Barry Curnow

Publisher: Kogan Page Publishers

Published: 2005-12-03

Total Pages: 558

ISBN-13: 0749446994

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Now in its second edition, this unique and authoritative guide provides a description of the management consultancy profession worldwide, together with advice on how to choose and use its services effectively. With contributions from leading practitioners, the guide is essential reading for all purchasers of management consultancy services. Part One identifies the parameters and definitions of management consultancy. It presents overviews of the industry's origins and evolution, the present status of the leading multinational management consultancies and some of the global forces shaping the development of management consultancy. Part Two is devoted to ethics and best practice in management consultancy from a number of perspectives. Central to these discussions is the international development of the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) qualification. Part Three scrutinises the life of the client-consultant relationship, focusing on what clients can do to make the consultant's role effective and their working relationship productive. Part Four comprises snapshots by leading practitioners of thirteen key consultancy fields, ranging from strategy and marketing through change management and process re-engineering to the newer disciplines of information and knowledge management, m-commerce, ERP and e-business. Part Five consists of a general account of consulting in developing countries, followed by profiles of 26 country-by-country management consultancy markets.


Book Synopsis International Guide to Management Consultancy by : Barry Curnow

Download or read book International Guide to Management Consultancy written by Barry Curnow and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2005-12-03 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in its second edition, this unique and authoritative guide provides a description of the management consultancy profession worldwide, together with advice on how to choose and use its services effectively. With contributions from leading practitioners, the guide is essential reading for all purchasers of management consultancy services. Part One identifies the parameters and definitions of management consultancy. It presents overviews of the industry's origins and evolution, the present status of the leading multinational management consultancies and some of the global forces shaping the development of management consultancy. Part Two is devoted to ethics and best practice in management consultancy from a number of perspectives. Central to these discussions is the international development of the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) qualification. Part Three scrutinises the life of the client-consultant relationship, focusing on what clients can do to make the consultant's role effective and their working relationship productive. Part Four comprises snapshots by leading practitioners of thirteen key consultancy fields, ranging from strategy and marketing through change management and process re-engineering to the newer disciplines of information and knowledge management, m-commerce, ERP and e-business. Part Five consists of a general account of consulting in developing countries, followed by profiles of 26 country-by-country management consultancy markets.