Consultants in 2030

: competencies for the european strategic management consulting industry of the future

Abstract

This dissertation aims to study the Strategic Management Consulting industry in terms of the current and future required competencies of consultants across different hierarchical levels in Europe. To reach these objectives, an exploratory research design was conducted, using secondary and primary data, collected from existing literature, semi-structured interviews, and a long-length survey. A Competency Framework was derived from extensive secondary research, using reputable sources, both academic and non-academic, to enable an easier understanding of the dynamics that change in terms of current and future competency requirements. Expert interviews were essential to calibrate the Framework key variables followed, then, by the survey. The Framework comprises the variables: 161 Competencies (categorized into 6 building blocks), each allowing 6 proficiency levels, and Positions classified according to 7 hierarchical levels of seniority for the SMC industry, in Europe, both now and in the future.Conclusions suggest that, regardless of the consultant’s level of seniority and responsibility, it seems the consultant combines a diverse set of competencies ranging from hard to soft. Soft categories of competences may differ in terms of proficiency required per hierarchical level and per block, but they require deeper expertise, both today and in the future, and higher proficiency level in comparison to the Hard/Technical block. Towards 2030, “IT-driven” competencies such as Digital Transformation & Strategy, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, will becoming increasingly more important in proficiency terms, showing highest shifts towards the future. The “new consultant” has a strong digital mindset, an interest in IT and new technologies.

Date of Award	24 Oct 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	André de Almeida Pinho (Supervisor)