Facoltà di Economia

Aggiornato A.A. 2019-2020

COURSE OVERVIEW

The course explores and analyzes the way management consulting firms are managing the project as well as are managing their own organization. The focus of this course is on pragmatic and action-oriented consulting skills supported by an inductive path where many leading consulting firms are sharing their approaches to develop consulting projects. Leading consulting firms will also present the way they are organized and they recruit.

Syllabus_2019-20.pdf

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Develop an understanding of the management consulting industry, the understanding of consulting projects, related diagnosis and solution development, its communication and implementation.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Understand and apply the tools management consulting firms use in order to manage their projects, with a specific focus on Design Thinking and Agile.

MAKING JUDGEMENTS
Understand the approach management consulting firms use in order to manage their business and their professionals, especially when dealing with Digital Transformation projects.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Understand how to structure the presentations and communicate the evidence from the management consulting projects in order to get the customer “buying-in”.

LEARNING SKILLS
Build (transferrable) management consulting skills, such as structured problem solving, design thinking approach and agile consulting project management.

 

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE AND REFERENCE TEXTBOOK

The course is based on three parts:

PART I: Management Consulting fundamentals
• Overview on management consultancy
• Management of a consulting project
• Problem diagnosis and solution development
• Communication and implementation
• Management of the consulting firm
• Management consulting and the digital transformation challenge

PART II: Design thinking methodology
Group work and testimonials, useful to allow of the “Design Thinking methodology”an initial direct and deeper contact with the management consulting tools and activities, based on:
• Design Thinking methodology main steps and tools
• Applications examples
• Impacts on the consulting company work and the value delivered to customers

PART III: Agile methodology in consulting projects
• Agile methodology: main steps and tools
• Applications examples
• Impacts on the consulting company work and the value delivered to customers

Some classes in Parts II and III have been designed and will be taught together with Dr. D. Binci and the consulting firms engaged in the course.

 

For PART I, the reference textbook is: Baaij, M.G., An introduction to Management Consultancy, Sage, 2014. In particular:
• The management of consultancy projects (chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15)
• The management of consultancy firm (chapters 7, 8 and 9)

For PARTS II and III the reference material is made of the course slides and reports from leading-edge consulting companies (included in the course website).

OTHER LEARNING SOURCES
Selected readings from HBR, yearly report on the Management Consulting Industry from FEACO (European Federation of Management Consultancies Associations) and from Confindustria Assoconsult (Italian Association of Management Consulting Firms).

Literature review article (for non attending students):
Cerruti, C., Tavoletti, E. and Grieco, C. (2019), "Management consulting: a review of fif-ty years of scholarly research", Management Research Review (included in the course web site).

Manuals on the methodologies (optional but suggested to those interested in a career in consulting):
• R. Curedale, Design Thinking Process & Methods (5th Edition), 2019
• PMI -Project Management Institute, Agile Practice Guide, 2019

 

TEACHING METHODS

Academic classes based on text book & articles, some interactive sessions plus case studies discussed interactively with management consultants.

Aggiornato A.A. 2018-2019

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The course explores and analyzes the way management consulting firms are managing the project as well as are managing their  own organization.

The focus of this course is on pragmatic and action-oriented consulting skills supported by an inductive path where many leading consulting firms are sharing their approaches to develop consulting projects.
Leading consulting firms will also present the way they  are organized and they recruit.

More specifically, the objectives of the course are:
- to develop an understanding of the management consulting industry;
- to understand and apply the tools management consulting firms use in order to manage their projects
- to understand the approach management consulting firms use in order to manage their business and their professionals
- to build (transferrable) management consulting skills

 

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE AND REFERENCE TEXTBOOK

The course is based on two parts:

PART I: Management theories relevant to Management Consulting, based on the following five sections:
• Section 1: overview on management consultancy
• Section 2: management of a consulting project
• Section 3: problem diagnosis and solution development
• Section 4: communication and implementation
• Section 5: management of the consulting firm

PART II: Tools, group work and testimonials, useful to allow an initial direct and deeper contact with the management consulting activities, based on:
- the direct involved of experienced consultants from leading consulting firms such as McKinsey, NTT Data and PwC
- an applied project on “Digital European University”

The reference textbook for PART I is: Baaij, M.G., An introduction to Management Consultancy, Sage, 2014. In particular:
- Part 4 – The management of consultancy projects (ch. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15)
- Part 3 – The management of consultancy firm (ch. 7, 8 and 9)

OTHER LEARNING SOURCES
Selected readings from HBR, yearly report on the Management Consulting Industry from FEACO (European Federation of Management Consultancies Associations) and from Confindustria Assoconsult (Italian Association of Management Consulting Firms).

TEACHING METHODS
Academic classes based on text book & articles, some interactive sessions plus case studies presented by testimonials.

Aggiornato A.A. 2017-2018

Learning Objectives

Knowledge and Understanding:

The course explores and analyzes the theories and practices in management consulting firms with focus on the way management consulting firms are managing the projects as well as are managing their own organization.

At the end of the course students;

• to understand the management consulting industry;
• to understand and are able to apply the tools management consulting firms use in order to manage their projects.
• to understand the approach management consulting firms use in order to manage their business and their professionals
• to develop(transferrable) management consulting skills

Applying Knowledge and Understanding:

The course provides students with theoretical and practical evidence of management consulting in two parts: One focus on Management theories relevant to Management Consulting, second focus on Tools, group work and testimonials , useful to allow an initial direct and deeper contact with the management consulting activities. During the course, students are required to practically apply tools and techniques studied in the theoretical part, and present them to management consultants.

Making Judgements:

Identifying key theories, practices and tools in management consulting considering projects in management consulting.

Communication Skills:

Introducing and discussing management consulting industries, projects and tools with vocabulary close to management consultanting industry.

Learning Skills:

Analyzing case studies, developing projects and presentations - working in team and respecting deadline.

The course explores and analyzes the way management consulting firms are managing the project as well as are managing their  own organization.
The focus of this course is on pragmatic and action-oriented consulting skills supported by an inductive path where many leading consulting firms are sharing their approaches to develop consulting projects. Leading consulting firms will also present the way they  are organized and they recruit.

Structure of the course and Reference textbook

The course is based on two parts:

- PART I: Management theories relevant to Management Consulting, based on the following five sections:
Section 1: overview on management consultancy
Section 2: management of a consulting project
Section 3: problem diagnosis and solution development
Section 4: communication and implementation
Section 5: management of the consulting firm

PART II: Tools, group work and testimonials, useful to allow an initial direct and deeper contact with the management consulting activities, based on two segments:
Segment A: will provide participants with a toolkit to develop consulting and problem solving skills
Segment B: will be developed with the direct involved of experienced consultants from leading consulting firms such as Accenture, Arthur D. Little, McKinsey and PwC.

The reference textbook for PART I is: Baaij, M.G., An introduction to Management Consultancy, Sage, 2014. In particular:
Part 4 – The management of consultancy projects (ch. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15)
Part 3 – The management of consultancy firm (ch. 7, 8 and 9)



The reference textbook for PART II- Segments A is: “The McKinsey Engagement: A Powerful Toolkit for More Efficient and Effective Team Problem Solving”: Friga, Paul, (McGrawHill Education)
ISBN-13: 978-0071497411
ISBN-10: 0071497412

Other learning sources
Selected readings from HBR, yearly report on the Management Consulting Industry from FEACO (European Federation of Management Consultancies Associations) and from Confindustria Assoconsult (Italian Association of Management Consulting Firms).

Teaching methods
Academic classes based on text book & articles, some interactive sessions plus case studies presented by testimonials.

Exam
The exam is based on a written test and on the participation to the practice-oriented activities.

The exam will NOT include any detailed reference to the consulting projects presented during the course, however the students might strengthen their classwork by making specific reference to those consulting projects they consider relevant.

The participation to the practice-oriented activities can assign up to 3 additional marks.