Finalisation and Submission:
MBA Masters Dissertation
The last words are written, the documents are printed and the package is submitted: the final phase of my MBA masters dissertation has thus been brought to a successful end during the last moments of the year.
As was to be expected, the final days were extremely busy with additional notes, inserted paragraphs, last corrections, and the closing format checks. But then it was done, and the result is highly respectable: a comprehensive 94-page volume (164 pages including annexes) investigating into ethical awareness, institutionalisation, application and enforcement in the management consulting industry in Germany.
Cover Page of the MBA Masters Dissertation
The document will now be examined and graded during the upcoming weeks, with a final colloquium expected to be held in spring of 2009. As a way of putting forward the background and the key findings of the study, the title and the abstract of the masters dissertation are published below.
Special acknowledgement goes out to those that have supported me in my research during the last half year and without whom this project would not have been possible: Dr. Ulrich Hagenmeyer as my supervisor; Christoph Weyrather as the CEO of the Association of German Management Consultants BDU; the four interview partners of large management consulting firms in Germany; Thomas Höfels as my external reflector; and of course my wife Michaela for bearing with me during the entire process.
In an effort to promote ethical behaviour in management consulting, I will be gladly available to reflect and discuss related aspects -- feel free to contact me in this regard.
A German version of the abstract will be available in the first weeks of the new year 2009.
___________________________________________________
As was to be expected, the final days were extremely busy with additional notes, inserted paragraphs, last corrections, and the closing format checks. But then it was done, and the result is highly respectable: a comprehensive 94-page volume (164 pages including annexes) investigating into ethical awareness, institutionalisation, application and enforcement in the management consulting industry in Germany.
Cover Page of the MBA Masters Dissertation
The document will now be examined and graded during the upcoming weeks, with a final colloquium expected to be held in spring of 2009. As a way of putting forward the background and the key findings of the study, the title and the abstract of the masters dissertation are published below.
Special acknowledgement goes out to those that have supported me in my research during the last half year and without whom this project would not have been possible: Dr. Ulrich Hagenmeyer as my supervisor; Christoph Weyrather as the CEO of the Association of German Management Consultants BDU; the four interview partners of large management consulting firms in Germany; Thomas Höfels as my external reflector; and of course my wife Michaela for bearing with me during the entire process.
In an effort to promote ethical behaviour in management consulting, I will be gladly available to reflect and discuss related aspects -- feel free to contact me in this regard.
A German version of the abstract will be available in the first weeks of the new year 2009.
___________________________________________________
Ethics in Management Consulting
An examination of the extent to which the principles
of integrative consulting ethics are incorporated
in management consulting firms in Germany
ABSTRACT
An examination of the extent to which the principles
of integrative consulting ethics are incorporated
in management consulting firms in Germany
ABSTRACT
In the current financial and economic crisis, public concern of a value-based economic system grows. The demand by politicians, economists and the society for ethical behaviour in the market increases and thus questions the prevailing system of worldwide managerial capitalism. Especially in Germany, the rising awareness for bad business practices calls for a change in values. This development not only affects the providers of products and services, but also has significant impacts on their advisors on strategic and operational levels: the industry of management consulting.
Against this background, the present masters dissertation examines the extent to which the principles of integrative consulting ethics are incorporated in management consulting firms in Germany. To this end, the determinants of awareness, institutionalisation, application and enforcement of ethics integration in organisations are assessed. This work represents the first academic approach to research the practical application of thoroughly reflected ethical guidelines and standards in the industry.
After a general introduction into the topic, the theoretical framework research provides the background of the work done in the field of ethics in management consulting, namely integrative consulting ethics. The empirical part employs a multi-method approach: firstly, a quantitative survey was carried out via the BDU and produced a total of 194 responses, thus providing a statistical relevance for the results; and secondly, qualitative interviews were led with four representatives of large management consulting firms in Germany, suggesting a series of conclusive deductions.
The drawn up conclusions show that the level of incorporating the principles of integrative consulting ethics in management consulting firms in Germany is generally low. Awareness for the topic is superficial, leading to deficient institutionalisation; furthermore, application is suggested to be very weak and enforcement appears to be practically non-existent. Finally, the outlook and the recommendations act as a reference to improve the current status quo of the industry in the light of a rising importance of value-oriented activity in the economic system.
Against this background, the present masters dissertation examines the extent to which the principles of integrative consulting ethics are incorporated in management consulting firms in Germany. To this end, the determinants of awareness, institutionalisation, application and enforcement of ethics integration in organisations are assessed. This work represents the first academic approach to research the practical application of thoroughly reflected ethical guidelines and standards in the industry.
After a general introduction into the topic, the theoretical framework research provides the background of the work done in the field of ethics in management consulting, namely integrative consulting ethics. The empirical part employs a multi-method approach: firstly, a quantitative survey was carried out via the BDU and produced a total of 194 responses, thus providing a statistical relevance for the results; and secondly, qualitative interviews were led with four representatives of large management consulting firms in Germany, suggesting a series of conclusive deductions.
The drawn up conclusions show that the level of incorporating the principles of integrative consulting ethics in management consulting firms in Germany is generally low. Awareness for the topic is superficial, leading to deficient institutionalisation; furthermore, application is suggested to be very weak and enforcement appears to be practically non-existent. Finally, the outlook and the recommendations act as a reference to improve the current status quo of the industry in the light of a rising importance of value-oriented activity in the economic system.
Have a wonderful start into a hopefully exciting, delightful and extraordinarily enriching 2009,
Andreas Hauser
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