The management consulting paradigm

: a case study comparing two consulting approaches

Abstract

The management consulting industry has been estimated to be worth around $250 billion per annum and is growing consistently year over year. In the competitive landscape of consulting, various approaches exist whereby firms seek to differentiate themselves from their peers. This thesis aims to understand differences in problem-solving between the engineering approach versus a management orientation within the consulting industry. To capture the differences three forms of data were analysed. We surveyed 150 individuals with participants ranging from India to Mexico, as well as Europe, and the United States. We then interviewed 14 individuals with at least two years and a half of consulting experience and then 5 senior consultants. These sources allowed us to have an overview of differences between engineering and management and its long-term impacts on a consultant’s approach to problemsolving. The major differences found were that individuals with a management background demonstrated a wider perspective when solving business problems, even with only two and a half years of consulting experience. On the other hand, individuals with an engineering background demonstrated more attentiveness to details. The particularities of an educational background, which contours the form of thinking associated with problem-solving, was found to have an impact over a longer-term on consulting practise. The study creates a fertile ground for future research on different topics, for example if differences identified are indeed indicators of top performance.

Date of Award	17 Oct 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter V. Rajsingh (Supervisor)