Internal vs External Consulting

1096 Words5 Pages
MN321-CA1 Internal consultants are members of the organisation. They can try to improve organisational development exclusively or as part of their other tasks. External consultants are not members of the organisation and work for an outside party, such as a consulting firm. There are advantages and disadvantages to both internal and external consulting regarding organisational development and change. At different points during the 5 stage consulting process, one of either internal or external consulting will have an advantage over the other. Briefly; during the entry and contracting stages of the process, an internal consultant can be seen to have more advantages. During the diagnosis stage of the process there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. A company in the intervening stage of the process will find better results in an external consultant's help. Because internal and external consultants add different value, clients can assess their needs and make the choice of which to use based on the contributions each makes. We will now look at the advantages and disadvantages of internal consulting in organisational change. Internal consulting shows a clear advantage over external consulting in the entry stage of the consulting process. Internal consultants will have ready access to an organisation's clients. They will also have existing relationships with other employees which will make communicating with them easier and more relaxed. Also, they will know the jargon of the company, meaning that communication with other employees will not fell as though like a complete outsider is speaking to them. And they will be familiar with the root causes of many of the organisation's problems which will grant a head start into the development and change process. There are time advantages of this because internal consultants do not have to spend time
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