Global Advanced Research Journal of Management and Business Studies (ISSN: 2315-5086) April 2018 Vol. 7(2), pp 038-048

Copyright © 2018 Global Advanced Research Journals   

Original Research Articles

The Basic Perspectives of Consultant-Client Relationships in Management Consulting

João M. Afonso Geraldes¹, Renato Lopes da Costa¹, Nelson António. Dr. Rerum. Oec², 

¹Ph D in Management, Strategy and Positioning by the University of Extremadura of Badajoz in Organization andCompetitiveness. Piaget Institute, Coordinator of the Management Degree. Avenida Jorge Peixinho, n.º 30 — Quinta da Arreinela, 2805-059 Almada, Portugal

²PhD in General Management, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, ISCTE-IUL – University Institute of Lisbon, ISCTE Business School. Assistant Professor, ISCTE-IUL, ISCTE Business School, Department of Marketing, Operations and General Management, MscBA Director, Master in Business Administration, Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal.

³Bergischen Universität, Germany. Full Professor, ISCTE-IUL – University Institute of Lisbon, ISCTE Business School. Professor, ISCTE-IUL, ISCTE. Business School, Department of Marketing, Operations and General Management, Director, PhD on General Management, Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Doctor of Business Administration, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal.

Accepted 19 October 2017

Abstract 

A historical overview, although the existing literature default the management consulting as a extraordinary and a unique phenomenon in the corporate context, in truth these statements do not come accompanied by a number of academic studies that emphasize the importance of effective work of management consultants. To combat the lack of studies in this emerging area, this article aims to understand whether it may be in fact the importance of knowledge produced in this sector is associated with the type of relationships that are built between the parties and, noting that the successful relationships are the basis of the knowledge produced in the sector who will then be responsible for the balance of powers and who should take control of projects. The results of the empirical analysis in the form of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires applied to management consultants and managers of SME in Portugal show that you cannot translate the control relationship between consultants and clients across the board, not least because the projects are not all equal, and there are various characteristics that distinguish them and that validate assumptions of control that can differ considerably between each one.

Keywords: Management Consulting, Relationships, Strategy-as-practice