Exploring consultant roles: Analyzing power dynamics through expert and referent power bases

Abstract

Defining product and service quality in most industries is relatively simple. However, defining service quality in management consulting is sometimes more complex. Management consultants help clients solve challenging issues and productively manage the organization. A significant research gap lies in the need for more clarity regarding the distinguishing factors between successful and unsuccessful consultants in their ability to assist clients in achieving their goals. Furthermore, the essential power consultants need to drive clients to success remains undefined.To bridge the research gap, we used analysis in two phases. The purpose of the first phase, the qualitative research, was to examine the power bases of the consultants. Forty consultants were interviewed, 10 of them from abroad, with the help of a semi-structured interview. The formulated research question was: what are the most common power bases that the consultants have, and how do they affect the relationship with the client? From all the interviews, two themes were found –Knowledge and identity. Furthermore, the most valuable power base from the consultants' view is the Expert power. This finding deviates from the literature, which typically references three power bases for influence and other factors.To examine whether the consultants' perception is relevant and correct, the second phase, quantitative research, examined the effect of power bases on the clients' self-efficacy and managerial stress. The study aimed to answer the question of whether there is a relation between the source of the consultant's main power base, emphasizing Referent or Expert power, and the level of managerial stress and self-efficacy of their client. One hundred clients participated in testing the correlation between the power bases of the consultants, self-efficacy, and management stress of the clients. With the help of regressions and statistical models, it was found that there is a significant correlation between the consultant’s Expert power and the client’s self-efficacy, while managerial stress moderates their correlation.The combination of the two research phases, qualitative and quantitative, reveals that Expert Power is crucial in boosting clients' self-efficacy, except when they're under high managerial stress. This paper provides readers with current insights following Mosonyi et al three different sources of power focusing on the Knowledge aspect. Furthermore, using French& Raven social power taxonomy combined with the Rahim Leader Power Inventory (RLPI). This research contributes to the existing literature by emphasizing a key power base and shedding new light about power dynamics in management consulting, additionally; it offers practical benefits by enhancing consulting outcomes and influencing on both client's and consultants' perspectives.