Management Consulting Journal

MCJ aims to promote and share research-based insight into management consulting. Submissions welcome (short 1,000 word articles or 4,000+ word papers).  Authors - ensure submissions a) are relevant to management consulting, b) have a clear foundation for views expressed, c) acknowledge current thinking in the area, as evident in the existing literature. Here's a link to the submissions template. For more information and full author guidelines see the Contributors section on our website. https://lnkd.in/eaTS5G2G

This week from our archives: National Drivers of Management Consulting Use – A Note on New Research by Andrew Sturdy & Joe O'Mahoney "This research note introduces newly published research which sets out a basic framework for exploring and explaining national variations in the use of external management consulting. It is based on an extensive search of secondary sources on consulting and on differences in the use of management practices more generally. It concludes by setting up a research agenda and dialogue with practitioners to examine the use and non-use of external consulting empirically in different countries." To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/guD4chMQ Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/eiqMBhcA Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: Towards the Consulting Readiness Index by Simon Haslam, Robert Bodenstein, & Tamara Abdel-Jaber This study introduces the Consulting Readiness Index (CRI) as a tool to assess the development of a country’s management consulting sector. By analyzing a range of economic, cultural, and institutional indicators, the CRI provides insight into factors that contribute to a strong consulting market. The study evaluates the sector using both GDP and per capita metrics, ensuring a balanced approach that accounts for economic scale and market maturity. Findings suggest that key elements such as economic freedom, governance, creativity, and corruption levels correlate with consulting market strength. The CRI offers a foundation for understanding global consulting trends, supporting efforts to enhance professionalization and sector growth. To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/gyXCk8S4 Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/eiqMBhcA Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

We are delighted to announce the latest issue of the Management Consulting Journal! This publication continues to explore innovative strategies, emerging challenges, and evolving practices in consulting, offering valuable insights for both academics and practitioners. This issue features a range of thought-provoking articles, including three outstanding papers selected from a Master’s student essay competition on Meaningful Consulting. These essays reflect on the evolving expectations of consultants, the challenges of independent consulting, and the tension between purpose and prestige in career choices. Beyond this, we present research on building client confidence in consulting work, governance challenges in public-sector consultancy, and the critical role of ethics in the profession. Additionally, this issue explores the evolution of IT management consulting, offering a historical perspective on the field, and provides an insightful guide to working in international consulting, with reflections from a UNESCO consultant. A huge thank you to all the authors, reviewers, and our editorial board for making this issue possible. We invite you to read, reflect, and share your thoughts on these important discussions shaping the consulting profession! View the latest issue here: https://lnkd.in/gw6CGZSM Browse our full collection on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir Onno Bouwmeester | Timothy Clark | Julie Hodges | Daniel Muzio | Lucie Noury | Kathleen O'Reilly | Andrew Sturdy Rita Dakkoune | Elie Barakat | Lily Atteia | Noah Malka | Guillaume Rogeau | Marion Grange | Quentin Hoang | Inès Rambaud | Stephanie Hall-Stead | Ian Kirkpatrick | Gianluca Veronesi | Alan Blackman | Marcin Pajdzik | Valéria Nerio #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: Becoming a Consultant by David M Biggs "A number of different authors have highlighted the need for postgraduate students to be work ready for a career in consulting. This paper examines a cohort of 21 MSc students from a UK-based University and how they addressed this issue through an assignment geared up towards this aim. The completed assessments ranged in terms of the strategies the students used to assess their development needs for a career in consultancy. Strategies used consisted of: competency analysis, SWOT analysis, psychometric tests, use of the British Psychological Society consultancy cycle (from the Qualification in Occupational Psychology) and use of consultancy cycles from other sources. Interestingly there was a lack of consistency between students in terms of what strategies they chose to be future consultants. This research is useful because it systematically demonstrates which strategies may be used by postgraduates to identify the skills and behaviours they need for a consultancy career." To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/gqRWjW5y Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/gtHJCCWw Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: Evolution or Revolution? Alternative Assignment Scopes by Brian Ing This article examines the role of management consultants in driving organizational change, contrasting "evolutionary" changes—incremental and widely prevalent—with the less frequent but transformative "revolutionary" changes. Drawing parallels from Thomas Kuhn's concept of paradigm shifts, it explores how consultants navigate these dynamics, leveraging established practices or adopting novel approaches when revolutionary shifts arise. The piece underscores the importance of tailoring change proposals to client perceptions, balancing organisational readiness with the scope of transformation, and highlights the nuanced competencies required for successful consulting engagements. To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/gk-Jb_cT Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/gtHJCCWw Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: The ‘World’s Newest Profession’ is no Longer Dispensable; What Does it Mean for Consultancy Firms? by Olga Matthias "This paper seeks to demonstrate how management consultancy has actually become widespread and embedded in the economic activity of organisations. The research synthesised in this paper presents client perspectives on how consultants add value. Particular insight is given into the key features which differentiate those firms that are chosen for projects against those that are not. The findings suggest that the industry has transitioned from a dispensable service to an institutionalised one, embedded in client business cycles and operating procedures. This has implications for how individual consultancy firms develop and deliver their services, moving emphasis from market uncertainty to service design and quality." To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/gC7Jbxtt Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/gtHJCCWw Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: Consulting Capabilities for Organisational Change by Julie Hodges "The aim of this article is to examine the capabilities for consultancy for organisational change. Based on empirical evidence, insight is provided into the capabilities that consultants need in order to be effective in organisational change. These include: building and maintaining relationships; building and sustaining trust; managing emotions; being self-aware; gaining commitment and engagement; being resilient; demonstrating a tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty; demonstrating political astuteness; managing the power dynamics; and creating effective organisational change conversations. The relative emphasis on each capability will depend upon the situation, but all are vital in consultancy for change." To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/dbTR638e Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/gtHJCCWw Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: So What Makes a Successful Consulting Project? by Simon Haslam & Neil Fleming Successful consulting goes beyond delivering results - it’s about creating lasting value for both the client and society. A UK-based firm, Challenges Worldwide, showcased this by being recognized at the prestigious Constantinus Awards for their work with Booomers International, a bamboo bicycle manufacturer in Ghana. Their project exemplified excellence by aligning with industry best practices, delivering tangible business improvements, and fostering broader societal impacts, such as sustainability and youth empowerment. This case highlights how consulting can achieve distinction through innovation, recognized methods, and a commitment to social responsibility. To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/gxPGExZi Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/gtHJCCWw Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants

This week from our archives: Communities and Partnerships of Independent Management Consultants - The Path to Professional Success by Tatiana Lobanova "[This] paper presents an analysis of the possibilities for developing a community of independent management consultants and forming partnerships in conditions of global uncertainty... Fifty eight consultants took part in the study as a sample. Using the author’s questionnaire, it was possible to identify perspective areas of community development strategies and partnerships for consultants that allow them to achieve greater success in consulting." To learn more and read the full paper, use the links below. Click here to read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/gRuNXefm Click here to check out the complete issue: https://lnkd.in/gPeN5Jwe Or, browse our full catalogue on our website: https://lnkd.in/eyriZH_c Professor Simon Haslam CDir #ICMCI #consulting #consultants