Publications

May 2013 (Revised May 2014)
Case

Innovation at the Boston Consulting Group

By: Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Penelope Rossano

This case is about how the Boston Consulting Group has approached innovation from its founding to the present day. It discusses the role of the firm's talent market and client market in developing these innovations. View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Strategy Consulting; Professional Service Firm; Knowledge Management; Client Management; Product Development; Leadership; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Value and Value Chain; Independent Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Value Creation; Consulting Industry

February 2018
Teaching Note

Advika Consulting Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Human Capital

By: Alison Wood Brooks, Francesca Gino, Julia J. Lee, Bradley R. Staats, Andrew Wasynczuk and John Beshears

Teaching Note for HBS No. 916-033. View Details

Keywords: Consulting Firms

27 Oct 2016
Blog Post

Meet the Management Consulting Club

Mission Statement The Management Consulting Club is one of the most popular student clubs on campus with an annual membership of over 250 students. We aim to serve as a bridge between the industry and... View Details

Keywords: Consulting

July 2002 (Revised December 2002)
Case

Mercer Management Consulting (A)

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Michael Echenberg

Insurance giant Marsh & McLennan acquires management consulting firms Temple, Barker & Sloane (TBS) in 1987 and Strategic Planning Associates (SPA) in 1990 and sets out to merge the two. The merger proceeds slowly and painfully. Following the February 1990 merger,... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Model; Decision Making; Organizational Culture; Personal Development and Career; Horizontal Integration; Consulting Industry

August 1998 (Revised September 2002)
Case

Knowledge Management at Andersen Consulting

Andersen Consulting has spent several years developing a knowledge management system. The two partners responsible are now wondering what to do next and how to improve usability of the knowledge sharing system. View Details

Keywords: Partners and Partnerships; Knowledge Management; Consulting Industry

Keywords: Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services

Find at Harvard

Web

Management Consulting Club | MBA

Management Consulting Club To provide the Management Consulting Club (MCC) and the general HBS community with ample opportunities for learning,... View Details

11 Oct 2011
News

Management Consultant to Minority Businesses

09 Jul 2024
Research & Ideas

Are Management Consulting Firms Failing to Manage Themselves?

are experts at diagnosing and solving a variety of issues for their clients, are struggling to apply their own management principles internally.” To regain equilibrium, over the past two years, some major View Details

Keywords: by David Fubini; Consulting

July 2002 (Revised December 2002)
Case

Mercer Management Consulting (B)

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Michael Echenberg

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Consulting Industry

25 Jan 2013
News

Management Consultants Can Save the World

February 1995
Background Note

Role of Management Consulting in Reengineering

By: Richard L. Nolan

Keywords: Management Practices and Processes

Find at Harvard

In a hyper-competitive business environment in which investors expect profits and a return on their investment, senior executives are faced with a dilemma, how to meet investor expectations without destroying intangible assets such employee commitment and team-work. In... View Details

January 2025
Case

Redwood & Strong: The Value of a Consulting Engagement

By: David G. Fubini and Patrick Sanguineti

The board of Redwood & Strong LLP (R&S), the American branch of a large global law firm, is meeting to review the findings of a recent strategic initiative designed to identify potential merger candidates. The request for the engagement originated from Daniel Crawford,... View Details

Keywords: Client Service; Professional Service Firm; Professional Services; Consulting; Mergers and Acquisitions; Governing and Advisory Boards; Reports; Strategic Planning; Value; Consulting Industry; Consulting Industry; United States

2000
Chapter

Is Management Consulting the Right Career—For You?

By: James Waldroop and Timothy Butler

Keywords: Personal Development and Career; Decision Making; Management Systems; Consulting Industry

November 1989 (Revised April 2018)
Case

Automation Consulting Services

By: Robert Simons and Hilary Weston

Illustrates the management control challenges that are associated with rapid growth and geographic expansion. Situated at an offsite Executive Committee Retreat. The three founding partners of a specialized consulting firm are grappling with several difficult questions... View Details

Keywords: Geographic Location; Governance Controls; Policy; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Teams; Expansion; Consulting Industry

2012
Chapter

Structuring Consulting Firms

By: Tim Morris, Heidi K. Gardner and N. Anand

This chapter presents a model of the way in which consulting and other professional-service firms organize themselves and grow. We will argue that the fundamental structural-design challenge for consulting firms, like other professional firms, is to adapt appropriately... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Management Practices and Processes; Demand and Consumers; Service Operations; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Projects; Groups and Teams; Consulting Industry; Consulting Industry

May 1991 (Revised March 2018)
Teaching Note

Automation Consulting Services

By: Robert Simons

Teaching Note for 190-053 View Details

Keywords: Strategy And Execution; Management Control Systems; Levers Of Control; Consulting Industry

December 1998 (Revised January 1999)
Case

Carver Consulting Co.

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

The managing partner of a relatively new consulting firm is concerned because training costs at the firm's new training center are higher than expected. Analysis of actual costs compared to those expected is required. In addition, he is considering capitalizing some... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Training; Management Systems; Consulting Industry