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The marketing strategies and tactics of management consulting firms

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Management consulting refers to the area of intervention, which is assistance to
entrepreneurs, managers and other decision-makers in business management
and the public sector. The study will cover the area of management consulting
and the primary focus of this study is companies presently doing business as
Management Consulting firms with a global presence. The study excludes
software vendors and management consulting firms that specialise only in
implementing computer software systems like Oracle, SAP, etcetera. There are
a great number of firms offering management consulting among other services
like auditing for example. Prominent among these are the major accounting firms
namely Ernst and Young, Deloitte Consulting, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and
Arthur Andersen. They form part of this study.
Marketing has become a more critical need than ever and it has become an
important and influential factor in building and maintaining a profitable enterprise.
The marketing of a product and or service is very important and the question can
be posed whether management consulting firms have clear marketing strategies
and tactics, or whether they stumbled onto their success in attracting clients per
chance. The purpose of this study is to identify existing marketing strategies and
tactics being used by management consulting firms. The objective is to
determine the nature of the compilation of a structured framework for an effective
standardised marketing strategy plan. The problem statement is the following: "How can marketing strategies and tactics for management consulting firms be
used as an effective marketing tool to attract business for the consulting firm?"
The greatest problem concerning this study is the fact that minimal research and
literature has been directly compiled on thé topic. It was therefore a study on
opinions, viewpoints, books in general on the topic of marketing as well as the
daily media was researched to determine and evaluate possible existing
marketing strategies and tactics. Since the field of marketing strategies and
tactics for management consulting services and firms is relatively new, the
exploratory research approach was used.
Chapter 1 deals with the purpose, objective, problem statement and research
methodology. Chapter 2 involves a literature study to define the term and scope
of management consulting, and an overview of the management consulting
process is given. Chapters 3 identifies and evaluates the existing marketing
strategies and tactics of management consulting firms. Chapter 4 explores
differentiation based on service and skills as well as industry specialisation. The
question that needs to be answered is whether management consulting firms
should be specialists or generalists. Chapter 5 addresses pricing. The different
approaches to costing and fee setting are discussed. The study is completed in
chapter 6 with conclusions and recommendations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bestuurs konsultasie verwys na die area van intervensie waar hulp aan
entrepreneurs, bestuurders en ander besluitnemers in die private en publieke
sektor verleen word. Hiedie studie dek die area van bestuurs konsultasie en die
primêre fokus van die studie is firmas wat tans konsultasie firmas bedryf met 'n
internasionale teenwoordigheid. Hierdie navorsings verslag fokus op die
bemarkings taktiek en strategieë van bestuurs konsultasie firmas. Die studie
sluit sagteware firmas en bestuurs konsultasie firmas uit wat uitsluitlik
spesialiseer in die implementering en instandhouding van rekenaar sagteware.
Voorbeelde van sulke firmas is Oracle en SAP. Daar is 'n groot aantal firmas wat
bestuurs konsultasie saam met ander dienste soos byvoorbeeld ouditering
aanbied. Prominent onder hierdie groep is Ernst and Young, Deloitte Consulting,
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Arthur Andersen. Hulle vorm deel van hierdie
studie.
Bemarking van die diens word al hoe meer belangriker as ooit en dit is 'n kritiese
faktor om 'n winsgewende firma te bedryf. Die bemarking van 'n produk of diens
is baie belangrik en die vraag kan gevra word of bestuurs konsultasie firmas
uitgewerkte bemarking strategieë en taktiek het om kliënte te werf, en of hulle per
toeval daarin slaag om besigheid te kry. Die doel van hierdie studie is om
bestaande bemarkingstrategieë en-taktiek wat deur bestuurskonsultasie firmas gebruik word, te evalueer. Die
doelwit is om die aard van die gestruktureerde raamwerk vir 'n effektiewe
gestandardiseerde bemarkingsplan te bepaal. Die probleem stelling is as volg:
"Hoe kan bemarkings taktiek en strategieë vir bestuurskonsultasie firmas gebruik
word as 'n effektiewe bemarkingsmiddel ten einde besigheid vir die konsultasie
firma te lok?"
'n Groot probleem is dat minimale navorsing en literatuur aangaande die
onderwerp opgestel is. Dit gaan dus 'n studie wees van opinies, standpunte,
asook boeke in die algemeen oor die onderwerp bemarking. Die daaglikse
media gaan ook nagevors word om die moontlikheid van bemarkingstartegiëe en
taktiek te bepaal. Aangesien die veld van bemarkingtaktiek en -strategiëe vir
bestuurskonsultasie firmas redelik nuut is, gaan die eksploratiewe navorsings
metode gebruik word.
Hoofstuk 1 behandel die doel, doelwit, probleemstelling en navorsingsmetodologie.
Hoofstuk 2 dek 'n literatuurstudie aangaande die aard en omvang
van bestuurs konsultasie, asook 'n oorsig van die bestuurs konsultasie proses.
Hoofstuk 3 identifiseer en evalueer die bestaande bemarkingstrategiëe en taktiek
van bestuurs konsultasie firmas. Hoofstuk 4 ondersoek differensiasie gebaseer
op diens en bevoegdhede sowel as industrie spesialisasie. Die vraag wat
beantwoord moet word is of bestuurs konsultasie firmas slegs in een veld moet
spesialiseer en of hulle 'n meerdoellige fokus moet hê. Hoofstuk 5 spreek prys aan. Die verskillende benaderings tot prys en koste word bespreek. Die studie
word afgesluit in hoofstuk 6 met 'n samevatting en aanbevelings.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51992
Date03 1900
CreatorsGoliath, David Quinton Daniel
ContributorsRethman, N., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format99 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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