Clients' different moves in managing the client-consultant relationship

Schwarz, Mirela and Clark, Timothy (2007) Clients' different moves in managing the client-consultant relationship. Client-Consultant Cooperation: Coping with Complexity and Change, Frederiksberg, Denmark. 30 May - 01 Jun 2007. 30 pp .

Abstract

Research into client-consultancy relationship is very much dominated by the discussion of clients and consultants as “insiders” and “outsiders”. Whilst each rests on the notion of their being two distinct but interrelated parties they evince different role possibilities. In this context past research has portrayed each party as an undifferentiated agent. In this paper we unpack the nature of the client system to investigate what kinds of clients’ moves constitute the consultancy-client relationship, how these moves are used to manage the relationship with consultants and how these moves relate to the structural/power features of the various levels of consultancy-client relationship.
We apply the theoretical perspectives of moves and structuration and employ a definition of knowledge as “situated performance or praxis” (Pentland 1992). The research method is based on a single longitudinal field study including extensive interviews with consultants and clients and observation of key interactions and meetings between the two parties over a period of two years.
The findings illustrate a taxonomy of clients’ moves showing how clients might respond in the context of consultants proposing recommendations. The different types of clients are shown as an important resource that the client’s organization calls upon in order to manage their relationship with the consultants. The different moves initiated by clients enact and display the relationship, power and structure within an organization and allow clients to exercise power over the consultants. We argue that the successful outcome of consultants’ work depends on their knowledge of the different client systems during an assignment.

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