The role of the external consultant in facilitating enterprise development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph. D. in Human Resource Management at Massey University

...................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1: SETTING THE SCENE .................... ........ ..................................... 1 IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE • Strategies for managers • The consulting industry • The development of management thinking • The emergence of management consultants • The consultant ' s legacya mixed blessing? • The consultant ' s dilemma • The researcher' s experience • Enterprise development • Research questions • PLANNING TIIE RESEARCH • The philosophy of research design • Drawing upon the literature • Synthesising the factors • The initial research strategy • Action research • Implications of action research • Research methods • SUMMARY • Presenting fmdings CHAPTER 2: PERSPECTIVES ON ORGANISATIONAL CONSULTING ........ 33 THEME 1 : TilE CONTEXT FOR ORGANISATIONAL CONSULTING • Theoretical frameworks • Consulting approaches and tools • Organisational processes • The context of organisational consulting: A summary of the literature • THEME 2: TIIE PRACTICE OF ORGANISATIONAL CONSULTING • Models of the consulting process • Intervention tasks & functions • Consultancy roles • Consultancy skills • Clients and the client system • The practice of organisational consulting: A summary of the literature • THEME 3 : TIIE OUTCOMES OF ORGANISATIONAL CONSULTING • Success factors • Different perspectives on success • The outcomes of organisational consulting : A summary of the literature • CATEGORISING 'WHAT IS KNOWN' • Conclusions from categorising literature CHAPTER 3: �ESEARCH DESIGN AND EXECUTION ................................... 87 ENGAGING IN RESEARCH •J'Jew paradigm research • PREPARING TO RESEARCH • The philosophy of research design • Drawing upon the literature • Synthesising the factors • Action research • The initial research strategy • DESIGNING ACTION RESEARCH • Writing about action research • Research questions • Research methods • AN EARLY RESEARCH CYCLE • Preparing for fieldwork • In the field • Reflecting on the research design • MODIFYING TilE RESEARCH PLAN • A model for learning • The initial proposition CHAPTER 4: CASES IN ORGANISATIONAL CONSULTING ...................... 129 THE RESEARCH PARTNERS • The researcher • Working with consultants • Identifying a point of common interest • Selecting the assignments • THE CLIENT ASSIGNMENTS • Assignment 1 : Ormond Stock Associates • Assignment 2: McKenna & Associates • Assignment 3 : Student Finance Section • Assignment 4: TeamTalk • Assignment 5 : Disability Support • Assignment 6: Health and Fertility Foundation •. THE FIRST PROPOSillON