The business and social dimensions if information technology management consultancy projects

Management Consultancy is an industry in which the UK is a world class performer. However, the industry has been little studied. The majority of the industry's revenues are earned in the field of IT Management Consultancy. The aims of this research were:

1. To identify the clients of IT management consultants and the work conducted for those clients.

2. To identify the factors that have led to IT management consultants being commissioned to undertake IT/IS projects.

3. To identify the factors that influence the performance of IT management consultants when undertaking IT/IS projects.

4. To identify the factors that may be used by the clients and IT management consultants to assess the success of IT/IS projects.

5. To identify the factors that may influence the clients’ feelings of ownership in relation to the outputs of the IT/IS projects.

To achieve these aims the study was conducted in two parts. The first part of the study was quantitative and a questionnaire was issued to 120 IT management consultants. Frequency, crosstabulations and factor analyses were undertaken and were based on the 57 responses. There were nine factors identified: BENEFITS', OWNERSHIP', CLASSIC MEASURES, ROLES, WORKING RELATIONSHIP, CEO INVOLVEMENT, INTERACTIONS, COMMUNICA TION and SYSTEM OUTPUT.

Subsequently, two case study interview schedules were developed and distributed in the qualitative part of the study. These were responded to by clients and consultants, from eight different IT/IS projects, to determine which factors were important in assignment outcome success from both perspectives. A cross case analysis of the various issues identified in the interview schedules was then conducted and finally the projects were ranked in terms of literature defined and respondent defined project success measures. Some of the hypothesised relationships require further investigation before conclusions can be drawn.