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MN50513: Consulting: context, theory and practice

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2015/6
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: School of Management
Further information on credits Credits: 6
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Group Role Play Exercise (CW 20%)
  • Group Presentation (CW 20%)
  • Individual Assignment (CW 60%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before taking this module you must take MN50451
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
The aim of this unit is to examine the contextual, theoretical and practical aspects of management consulting.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing this unit, the student will be able to:
* Explain the context and background of management consulting
* Explain the organisational structure of management consultancies and the forces for change facing these firms
* Apply key theories, concepts and frameworks to understand the sources of competitive advantage of management consultancies
* Explain the importance of, and approaches to, managing client and network relations
* Understand the consulting process and the practice of consulting
* Diagnose client problems
* Prepare client proposals
* Develop and present client solutions.

Skills:

* Juxtaposition of theory and practice (taught)
* Identification good practice (taught)
* Case analysis (taught and facilitated)
* Practical skill development (taught and facilitated).

Content:
Context and background
* Origins, growth and importance
* Types of firms and sectors
* Professional status
Organisational structure
* Partnership model
* Forces for change
* Managed professional business model
Key sources of competitive advantage
* Resource-based view of the firm and management consulting
* Forms of capital (human, social and organisational)
* Types of knowledge (explicit/tacit, creative/commodity normative/syncretic/technical)
Clients and client-consultant relations
* Role and types of clients
* Variations in relations (types of interaction and client capture)
* Managing client relations
Consulting process
* Stages in the client engagement/business process (bidding/acquiring contracts/setting up project teams/doing the work/producing reports/debriefing)
* Preparation of a client proposal
* Key skills and competencies
* Ethical issues
Consulting Practice
* Developing organizational diagnosis skills
* Analysing an organization-wide strategic problem
* Developing solutions from problem identification
* Presenting solutions to a client
* Alternative perspectives to solution-seeking
* Identifying strategic challenges associated with solutions.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

MN50513 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

School of Management
Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2015/16 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2016/17 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2015/16.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.