Publisher: The Open University, 1995, 152 pages
ISBN: 0-335-19219-X
Keywords: Consulting
Managers are increasingly being convinced from all sides that
traditional structures, systems and cultures are no longer appropriate
to today's competitive conditions and that organizations must change
fundamentally. It is in the context of these pressures that managers
feel it increasingly necessary to seek external support by turning to
those who offer some solution to these dilemmas — the management
consultants. This book argues that the initial selection of a
management consultancy and the subsequent evaluation of the quality of
service they deliver are inherently problematic. Two root causes are
identified: the structure and dynamics of the management consultancy
industry and the characteristics of the management consultancy service.
Timothy Clark examines how these problems are overcome by revealing the
foundations of a successful and long-term client–consultant
relationship. In a departure from previous analyses of management
consultancy he argues that the key to understanding consultancy and its
success is to appreciate that successful consultancy, in its methods at
least, emphasizes the active management of the client–consultant
relationship. At the core of successful consultancy is the art of
impression management. A consultant seeks to create a reality which is
persuades the client that they have purchased a high-quality service.
The work of consultants is analysed and understood in terms of the
theatrical analogy or dramaturgical metaphor. A consultancy
intervention is therefore conceived of as a dramatic event.
This is illustrated with references to two types of consultancy work –
executive search (i.e. headhunting) and the work of management gurus.
Tells you how you should evaluate the consultants you buy, and the most common traps. A very interesting book.
It is a bit dry and academic (with references every other sentence), but after you read it, you have a changed perception. Good for both the academics, the practicing consultant and the consultant buyer alike.
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