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Examines the characteristics and structure of executive recruitment consultancies in France. Search consultants recruit through “head‐hunting” while selection consultants recruit through advertising. These consultancies play an important part in the market for executive recruitment. The nature of the product has implications for the behaviour of the consultancies and the structure of the industry. There is little or no price competition in the market; instead there is a reliance on non‐traditional non‐price competition. There are two factors which have affected the industry: the recession, which has led to changes in the focus and role of the consultancies; and the creation of the Single European Market, which has led to the increasing internationalization of business.

If innovation is to flourish in public relations, then creativity must be encouraged and nurtured because it is out of the process of creativity that innovation springs. In order to understand creativity in public relations consultancies, this paper examines its nature and the dynamics through which it is fostered or hampered. It attempts to answer two main questions: what is the nature of creativity, and how is it accommodated in public relations consultancies? Primary research consists of interviews and a focus group with public relations practitioners in small, medium and large global consultancies in London and the regions. Findings suggest that creativity is characterised by three dimensions: unconventionality, autonomy and risk. The manner in which consultancies organise and manage these determines the extent to which creativity is stimulated or stifled. The styles of management and the forms of organisation which accommodate creativity are primarily influenced by size, client expectations, and the individualistic nature of public relations practitioners. In studying work dynamics and the experiences of members of public relations consultancies, the paper makes a contribution to a field of research that is underdeveloped in both public relations and management literature.

For many small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), quality systems, and ISO 9000 (BS EN, ISO 9000‐1, 1994) in particular, are a fact of life. Quality systems are seen as a necessary qualification for trading in certain markets. This can encourage businesses to think of quality only in terms of the cheapest way to obtain a certificate, thereby failing to appreciate the organisational benefits which could be obtained if more resources were applied to the development of effective quality systems. The use of quality consultants is widespread as a means of implementing ISO 9000. The selection and use of consultants can have a major influence on the commercial impact of quality systems developed through their work. Clients do not always appreciate differences between consultants, who all promise registration. As a consequence, a client often places its trust in the cheapest consultant, the first one to come along, or a friend. This paper, which is based on a survey of SMEs registered to ISO 9000, and will be presented at the Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, 22nd and 23rd March, 1999, explores clients’ perceptions of value through the development of a model of client‐consultant relationships. It is argued that both clients and consultants need to have awareness of these perceptions at different project stages in order to realise the benefits of consultancy relationships. Clients’ perceptions of value are identified in both the experience of the consultancy relationships as well as the outputs. By viewing client‐consultant relationship development as a process, key activities within a project can be investigated, such as initial contracting and ultimate project outputs. The paper concludes that ISO 9000 can act as a bureaucratic constraint on improvement activities, but can also provide an opportunity to develop structures and processes that help to achieve improvements in a controlled manner. It is argued that the achievement of third‐party registration is largely irrelevant to the effectiveness of a quality system in bringing about improvements, although the prospect of registration is often a necessary driver towards instigating a system. It is shown that quality consultancy relationships are perceived by clients as having widely differing outcomes. These can be both favourable and unfavourable, whilst still meeting the objective of registration.

This paper describes the author's views on current and future trends in the relationship between public relations consultancies and their clients. A number of such trends are identified including longer‐term contracts, the growth of international assignments, more demanding clients and strategic consultancies.

Examines the role of small, locally based management consultancies as global change agents. Based on evidence from Italy, shows that these consultancies not only have managed to develop successful survival strategies, but also play an important role in the dissemination and translation of new management knowledge into a local context, thus contributing to an increasing homogenization of management practice. Draws on new evidence, namely questionnaires completed by Italian consultants as well as a large number of face‐to‐face interviews. It is part of an ongoing, large‐scale research project on management practices in Europe.

A considerable proportion of donor aid is dedicated to technical assistance to support developing countries in their development initiatives. The majority of this aid comes from globally-operating international donors including the World Bank and the European Union. In spite of several harmonization attempts, there still exist major differences in their procurement regulations and standard contracts. Based on an extensive literature review on consulting services and an in-depth analysis of the standard forms of contract, it was found that divergence between both forms is not only clear but also paradigmatic owing mainly to market orientation paradigm differences. The findings and recommendations help advance research on and practice of various types of consultancy services in general.

This paper reflects on the growing trend of engaging management consultancies in implementing operations management innovations in the public sector. Whilst the differences between public and private sector operations have been documented, there is a dearth of material detailing the impact of public sector engagements on the consultancies themselves and the operations management products and services they develop. Drawing on qualitative data, the paper aims to identify both the impact of operations management in the public sector and the impact of this engagement on the consultancies that are involved.

This paper draws on rich, qualitative data from six large management consultancies, amounting to over 48 interviews. An inductive methodology sought to identify both how consultancies have adapted their operations management products and services, and why.

The paper finds that the different context of the public sector provides consultants with considerable challenges when implementing operations management projects. The research shows that public services are often hampered by different cultures, structures, and managerial knowledge and investment patterns. Such constraints have an impact on both the projects being implemented and the relationship between consultants and clients.

There are few studies that consider the implementation of operations management in the public sector and fewer still which examine the impact of public sector engagement on the products that consultancies develop. This paper aims to develop understanding in both. At a more theoretical level, the paper contributes to considering operations management through knowledge management literature in seeking to understand how consumers of management knowledge influence its producers.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between the requirements for successful organisational change and the imperatives faced by management consultancy firms in running successful businesses, and how this interplay affects the ways in which management consultants influence organisational change projects.

The paper reviews literature on management consultancy and organisational change over the past 30 years to identify insights into this issue.

The paper shows that business imperatives faced by management consultancy firms affect the ways in which consultants influence organisational change projects. It shows how management consultants aspire to form strategic partnerships with their clients in order to win profitable business, and to plagiarise established organising practices and change management methods in defining their services in order to manage their costs. It illustrates how these aspirations give rise to a number of dualities that consultants face in undertaking organisational change projects.

Only limited research has been carried out into the ways in which the business imperatives of management consultancy firms interact with the requirements for successful organisational change in shaping the influence that management consultants have on organisational change projects. This paper demonstrates the significance of this issue and suggests directions for future research into it.

Analyses the state of the management consultancy industry in Britain, from both a supply and a demand perspective. Aims to help potential clients evaluate and select consultants; to keep academics in business‐related subjects abreast of developments in the field; and to identify growth areas into which consultants might elect to move. Outlines available consulting specialisms, identifies key players in each, and profiles a typical management consultant.

Debate on evaluation of public relations has moved on to questions of value. How can value be placed on public relations services, and – practically – how can realistic fee levels be established for these services? These questions led to the study by the UK’s Public Relations Consultants Association reported in this paper. The study, of consultancy fee‐setting practices, and of client understanding of these practices, found that – in the UK – fee setting is imprecise. Fees are set according to a variety of rules. Rules may be set aside to win the opportunity to provide service, and overservicing – providing more service than budgeted for – is widespread. The study makes recommendations for introducing more order into fee setting, and suggests approaches to answering questions about the value of public relations services.