Consulting as a Method Which Is Fashionable - Essay Example

?Running Head: CONSULTANCY PRODUCTS AS FASHIONS Consultancy Products as Fashions Consultancy Products as Fashions The creation of a product out of knowledge has been in academic discourse for some time, particularly within the confluence of business consulting to the extent that the reference of fashion has been lately the norm rather than the exception. The question that a number of thinkers and scholars alike continue to ask is that: Is it appropriate to call consulting products fashions? This paper seeks to address the above question in the context of of creating products out of expert knowledge and the efficiency involved to warrant products to be called ‘fashions’. To put the above question into perspective it is important to examine what qualifies these assertions in the following two broad ways: Consulting as a Method which is Fashionable Consulting involves a scientific methodology of solving problems or providing a theoretical framework of solving or creating a model of solving a particular problem according to Kubr (2000). In terms of methodology, any new framework is normally created by the process of induction i.e. through making generalizations and doing comparative analysis based on studies that were previously done. The approach is thus pegged on product consulting as a ‘fashion’ that tailors on theoretical framework which is based on expert based knowledge. Tuomi and Naarmala (2010) state that when making generalizations about a theory, it is important to do so from a position of theoretical propositions in the form of concepts. Consulting as a Product which is Fashionable The process of developing new consulting products makes avenues for string concepts and models that define goods and services which customers enjoy and which are accessible to them. In a sense this ensures that products which would otherwise not be ‘seen’ get to be noticed and the positive sanctions as well as incentives about it are illuminated by way of service so that buying them becomes faster and convenient (Brotheridge and Power, 2007). This assertion authoritatively is what consulting is all about. Literally, consulting is ‘a situation in which one person has a problem or difficulty and seeks help from someone with special skills’’ (Kipping and Engwall, 2002; Greiner and Poulfelt, 2009). However, consultants do not always decide for their customers the way forward. Instead, they provide advice without necessarily asserting themselves to a formal authority situation where they necessarily insist that their clients choose a particular way. Consulting has also been defined as ‘activity, recommending appropriate action and helping to implement those recommendations’ (Tuomi & Naarmala, 2010). In the end, this is important since it provides an avenue for development of new and probable systems that justify changes to be made in an organization or a business entity as well as offering training for managers and other employees. It also in a significant way addresses issues regarding problem identification and recognition and ultimately its assessment and solutions (Biswas and Twitchell, 2002). Further consulting within the prism of methodology also creates the ground for an outsider to offer both competent, non-partisan discussion about the problem. Further, consulting culminating to a fashion ushers in more resources in respect to developing a product or a project and does more in providing information and availing opportunities for social networking. Indeed, scholars and experts have often suggested that the use of consulting in a problematic situation enhances the number of possible solutions to look into and thus increases the holistic view and approach to management. The products thus become, in a sense, a fashion out of a scientifically oriented approach. Thommen and Richter (2004) state that in the work place the issue is increasingly examinable in two ways: One is that the employment of consultative way of working in various departments in any organization is becoming the norm rather than the exception. While this has been the tradition in some sectors and departments, many more are increasingly embracing it in the actual management and product consultancy. The second is that the content of consultancy services being extended to clients is expanding and thus formation and retooling of expert knowledge is encompassing provision of ‘integrated knowledge to customers’ as explained by Sturdy, Handley, Clark and Fincham (2009). In a nutshell, consulting is across-the-board activity which can be rightly acclaimed to be multidimensional. In Marketing, it is important to conceptualized this view that there is ‘no single product or service, but one product may consist of both a service and product’’ as stated by Visscher and Visscher-Voerman (2010). This means that in most circumstances businesses are attempting to be integrative of both services and products so that services are part of everyday activities while service provision entities attempt to package their services as products (McKenna, 2006). In the above sense products or deliverables entail three fundamental components: goods, information and information as a pack. Thus most companies provide the trio in one ‘augmented package’. Consulting should also be seen as service. This means that it entails all what it means to be a service and the features therein. The features of a service are many but at the core they basically include: ‘Intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity, perishability, and ownership. The first character, which is intangibility means that one cannot ‘feel, taste, touch, display or physically demonstrate a service’’ (Burtonshaw-Gunn and Salameh, 2010). This leads to professional organizations having the habit of seeking for and delivering clues which make their services or products more appreciated and understood. Inseparability on the other hand entails the fact that production and consumption of a product or a service are two sides of the same coin and are complementary and therefore occur simultaneously. Some experts have however differed with this view arguing that some services can be distinctly separated in terms of production and consumption especially where the services are delivered electronically. Heterogeneity means that ‘services are performances produced by individuals’ (Wickham and Wickham, 2008). This assertion then means that two services cannot be authoritatively akin to each other. Being perishable on the other hand refers to the fact that services cannot be ‘saved, stored, resold, or returned’ (Dunford, 2000). This also means that there is always the problem of under-utilization or over-utilization. The other way to conceptualize consulting in the assertion of fashion within the context of product is examining it as a professional service practice. To understand it this way, it is important to conceptualize service in two dimensions. According to Buono (2009) and Backlund and Werr (2008), one is that of the extent to which labor is involved and which is costly in terms of capital employed. Second is the dimension that assesses the extent to which customer interaction and process-customer discretion is evaluated. In this case, customization entails the process and the ‘ability’ of a customer to choose goods or products which are extended to them or the ones that are made available in the market. Other ways of classifying services include division of services into those needing tangible actions away from those that do not and those that require continuous delivery framework from those that do not. Further, other methods of classification entail description of products into those that require unperturbed transaction against those that do not. Even more subset way to understand consulting in the context of service is to evaluate it within the features of a professional service. Kubr and International Labour Office (2002) state that one basic way is to examine this within the fact that professional services are provided by qualified experts with specialized knowledge in a particular field. Two is that the model of approaching consulting as a problem solving venture. This is essential as it provides a fertile ground of indentifying a problem and offering a solution to it (Kwan, 2008; Visscher, 2006). Thirdly is the recognition that people who are involved in service provision usually operate as per the tasks given to them by the customers. The fourth feature is that service consulting must be tinged with professional codes of conduct also referred to as ethics. Also, providers are usually connected to some form of professional association. The sixth point is that confidentiality forms a huge part in bargaining since all professional services entail a high degree of confidentiality. Further advertisement becomes a key area especially in marketing (Andler, 2008). Eighth is that consulting professional services leading to fashionably acclaimed outlook are influenced to a large extent by features and type of information available. Ninth is the understanding of clientele’s uncertainty and doubt. Finally, the assertion is also evident in the fact that services are regarded as products and increasing as a fashion because business entities or firms which provide services or goods are similar in a number of ways (Czerniawska and May, 2006). These firms are often needed to be self-sustaining and financially sound as well as having internal, intermediate and ultimate customers and end users. Moreover, in all cases human resources and other resources must accompany the production systems therein. Conclusion Indeed product consulting is a fashion trend. It is both the norm and fashion and not the exception. Designing, marketing, and distribution of both goods and services must involve remarkable ways of keeping up with emerging trends therefore demanding extensive consultation. The assumption that market growth rate is a good indicator for avenues leading to profit realization is true. In deed as Backlund and Werr observe, ‘’Ideas are generated, evaluated, directed and turned into products’’. References Andler, N. (2008). Tools for project management, workshops and consulting. Publicis Publishing Erlangen. Backlund, J. and Werr, A. (2008). Constructing the legitimate buyer of management consulting services. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 21(6), 758-772. Biswas, S. and Twitchell, D. (2002). Management consulting: A complete guide to the industry. John Wiley. Brotheridge, C. and Power, J. (2007). Spending consulting dollars wisely: A guide for management teams. Team Performance Management, 13(1/2), 53-56. Buono, A. F. (2009). 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