21011 Managing Consulting

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject examines how management consultants conduct business analysis of enterprises, including assessment of business strategies, processes and systems. It explores different approaches to business development encompassing launching new business ventures, acquisition, joint ventures and strategic alliances, mergers, electronic business design and development. It considers methods of consultancy project design and management, and different performance measures. Finally, the subject takes a critical look at the responsibilities and ethics of consultancy contract management including project costing, scheduling and reporting.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Understand the values underlying different perspectives and approaches to management consulting, the analytical tools employed, and the outcomes desired
2. Critically analyse the market environment of a business enterprise, and business strategies, processes and systems in terms of the objectives of the enterprise, and other potential means to achieve these objectives
3. Demonstrate effective methods of creating, developing, extending and transforming business enterprises, and to understand the resource requirements of development projects
4. Assess and review business performance with a range of critical and relevant measures
5. Understand the skills required and responsibilities exercised in engaging in management consultancy contracts including project costing, scheduling and reporting
6. Understand the liability and ethical issues involved in consultancy work.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject will serve to integrate and develop the different aspects of management consulting as key skills of business analysis. It will consider different consulting perspectives and approaches to applying this range of knowledge to finding potential solutions to business problems through business analysis and development. The subject will inform students about appropriate performance measures in different business enterprises, and alert students to the responsibilities of professional and ethical consulting practices.

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will adopt a practice-based approach to teaching and learning, concentrating on case analysis including real life cases presented by consultants from management consultancy firms. The emphasis will be upon student analysis and definition of the business problems and assessment of solutions including resource capability in completing projects.

Content

• Consulting Perspectives and Approaches
• Business Analysis
• Business Development
• Business Sustainability
• Contract Management
• Current Management Consultancy Practice.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Literature Review (Individual)

Assessment item 2: Applied Management Consulting Project (Group)

Assessment item 3: Informal examination (Individual)