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Abstract

An underdeveloped aspect of Organizational Development literature is the need for understanding individual organizational consultants and their styles, which influence their interventions. It is through understanding styles that one can begin to appreciate and understand the process of application of behavioral science knowledge to the development of organizations. In this paper an attempt is made to provide insights into consulting styles through a summary of results of research on 21 leading organizational consultants, 11 in the U.S.A. and 10 in India. Three "approach-related" and three "person-related" elements of styles are elaborated upon, using data from in-depth "client-centered" interviews with the consultants. Two distinct styles of organizational consulting emerge from the data and their relation to values, approaches, and consulting experience are discussed, as are their interrelations.

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Organizational Consultants: A Comparison of Styles

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