The Ethics of Consulting

Abstract

The consulting field, with its variety of different experiences and scenarios, often presents numerous challenges and conflicts for those involved. These vignettes, some based on actual situations, present a number of dilemmas in which the protagonists must determine the right course of action, often when that is not easily identifiable. These vignettes identify situations in which one's values, ethical judgment, and sense of fairness might be tested and where the road to a good resolution might not always be clear. Excerpt UVA-E-0431 Rev. Jan. 22, 2020 The Ethics of Consulting Overpromise, Overdeliver? (A) Christina sat in her cubicle, thinking about the whirlwind of events that had occurred over the past couple of weeks. As a senior consultant at a consulting firm, Christina had been working long and hard to ensure that she would soon be promoted. While she could almost taste the sweet success of her hard work, she could not help but feel sour about recent events. A few weeks ago, Kyle, a well-liked partner who was behind on meeting his annual sales target (the end of the year was just six weeks away), had asked for Christina's help in scoping out a potential project for a client. Having worked with this client on similar projects before, Christina was well versed on what needed to be done and how many consultants would be required. Given her estimation that the project, which was relatively straightforward, should need to last only three months, Christina thought that one engagement manager, one senior consultant, two consultants, and one business analyst would suffice. . . .