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

About the Author

Dr Graham Manville CMC, MBA, PhD is a Senior Lecturer in Business and Management, the Director of Employability and Enterprise for Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. He has won several national and international awards in the field of research and consulting. In addition, he is a Director of Longview Consulting Ltd.

Dr Olga Matthias CMC, DBA is a Senior Lecturer in Operations Management, School of Management, University of Bradford, UK. Previously, she had a long career at PA Consulting Group in the Business Operations and Performance practice.

Julian Campbell MBA is the Programme Director for the Executive MBA at the Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. He is also a visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship at Vysoka Skola Ekonomicka in Prague. Prior to working in academia, he ran his own consultancy practice specialising in brand management with clients in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Reviews

'A well-timed contribution to the body of knowledge on Management Consulting. The book includes contributions from both consultants and academics from around the world, showcasing challenges faced by management consultants and, importantly, how they help companies address them by deploying theory-driven yet practical insights and solutions that make a difference. It's a very solution-driven text that sheds important light on the value consulting that adds to the process of management. It will be of interest to anyone wanting to find out more about the role of the consulting profession, as well as what it is like to work in.' -Professor Ian Clarke, Dean of the Business School and Chair in Strategy at the University of Edinburgh.

'This edited book makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge of Management Consulting especially at MBA level. The book combines contributions from leading business school scholars and senior managers from multi-national consultancy practices. The editors are experienced academics who have made the transition from Management Consulting to academia reflected in this important edited book that combines theory with practice.' - Professor Zoe Radnor, Dean, School of Business, Professor of Service Operations Management, University of Leicester.

'A refreshing blend of rigorous academic engagement and global relevance through case studies is brought together to produce an interesting, intellectually stimulating and readable book. It is both thought provoking and grounded in the reality of disparate challenges facing management consultants which provides readers with a rich tapestry of ideas and theories that will be of benefit to anyone considering consultancy as a career or wishing to know more about it.' - Professor Martin Broad, Head of Southampton Business School, University of Southampton.

Book Information
ISBN 9781138090132
Author Graham Manville
Format Paperback
Page Count 262
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 476g