Traditional Governance
What are the three main categories (the three P's) used to summarise the critiques of external management consultancy (EMC)?
Product: Services are often deemed inappropriate because they are embedded in private sector (commercial) logics or are not tailored to local contexts. EMCs contribute to the "hollowing out" of the public sector.
Profit: The commercial orientation excessively rewards profit over client/societal needs. Consultants may act opportunistically, over-selling services and increasing client dependency to boost profits.
Power: A lack of transparency in hiring and use undermines democratic processes and accountability. This lack of openness limits the effectiveness of governance in establishing accountability and identifying conflicts of interest
How can reward systems in consulting create ethical risks?
consultants are rewarded mainly for sales, renewals, or billable hours, they may prioritise profit over truth, independence, and client welfare.
Why does procurement alone fail to ensure ethical consulting?
Procurement governs how consultants are hired, not how they act once hired. It lacks moral oversight and focuses on compliance, not conduct
-it treats consulting as a transactional, one-off exchange, focused on procedures, competition, and cost control
What is the difference between “moral consultants” and “opportunistic consultants” in the context of CSR
Moral consultants promote CSR as genuine, non-superficial change, while opportunistic consultants view CSR mainly as a business opportunity and are largely indifferent to its ethical values.
Should consulting become a licensed profession with sanctions for unethical conduct?
-It could increase public trust, ensure ethical consistency, and protect clients from malpractice.
-It would make consultants accountable to an external authority, not just their firm’s internal policies.
Consulting involves diverse industries ;a single license might not fit all contexts.
It could limit innovation and flexibility.
Big firms might dominate even more, as small players would struggle with costs.
Propose one rule or mechanism that could improve consulting accountability to the public.
-requiring the publication of consulting project reports
-more scrutiny by the media and society
-contracts with public organizations to be made publicly available through Freedom of Information (FOI) laws
-stablish third-party or “meta-consultants” to monitor consulting contracts, assess ethical compliance
-whistleblower protection