Nikolova, N., & Devinney, T. (2012). The nature of client-consultant interaction: A critical review.Oxford Handbooks Online, 1–26.
This article aims to review the nature of client-consultant interactions within the management consulting market. It is dedicated to the nature of consulting, the balance of power between the client and the consultant, and different models of the interactions between them. In addition, the article compares the models of client-consultant relationships to identify their advantages and disadvantages and other important characteristics of the models.
The article is divided into three sections devoted to different aspects of the client-consultant relationship. The first section introduces the topic and the three primary models of client-consultant interactions: expert, social learning, and critical models. The authors offer a brief comparison of the models and the roles of advisors and clients within them. The second section of the article provides an in-depth overview and analysis of the models of client-consultant interactions. In this section, the authors discuss the key features of each of the models, the nature of the relationship between consultants and clients within them, and the power relations according to each of them. The advantages and limitations of the models are also examined. It should be noted that both the first and second sections refer to previous research and literature on the topic of client-consultant relationships to deliver a well-supported review of the models under consideration. The final section summarizes the main point made in previous passages and indicates avenues for future research.
The authors conclude that the models of client-consultant interactions arise in different consulting circumstances. Thus, the expert model should be applied for routine issues, while the social learning model is better suited for complex and innovative problems. Meanwhile, the critical model focuses on the interactions between the two parties when the role of the consultants is poorly defined and questioned by the client. Considering the complexity of the client-consultant relationship and the shifting power dynamic, the authors recommend further research into various aspects of the interaction models.