Session Summary

Session Number:659
Session ID:S333
Session Title:The Changing Dynamics of Tomorrow’s Pluralistic Professional Services Firms: Sharing Perspectives, Learnings, and Collaboration Opportunities
Short Title:Tomorrow's Prof Services Firms
Session Type:Theme Session
Hotel:Swiss
Floor:4
Room:Davos
Time:Monday, August 09, 1999 12:20 PM - 2:10 PM

Sponsors

MC  (Anthony Buono)abuono@lnmta.bentley.edu (617) 891-2529 

General People

Facilitator Weidner, Ken C.  Loyola U., Chicago kweidner@worldnet.att.net (815)-372-3232 

Submissions

Growth and Growing Pains in a Specialized Consulting Environment 
 Ambrose, Larry  Perrone-Ambrose Associates Inc.    
Workforce and Human Resources Trends in Professional Services Firms 
 Bock, Heather E. Arthur Andersen LLP heather.e.bock@arthurandersen.com (312) 507-6839 
Successful Merger and Synthesis of Large Professional Services Firms 
 Furcon, John  Pricewaterhouse Coopers john.furcon@us.pwcglobal.com (312) 701-5820 
Taking Diversity Into the Next Century 
 Harris, Doug  The Kalleidoscope Group dharris@worldvue.com (312) 705-7103 
The Need for Organization Development Skills in the Professional Services Firm of the Future 
 O'Malley, Michael  Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group momalley@dttus.com (312) 946-2540 
Professional Services Firms: Observations and Suggestions for a Pluralistic, Applied Research Agenda 
 Weidner, Ken C.  Loyola U., Chicago kweidner@worldnet.att.net (815)-372-3232 

Abstract

A number of students of modern organizations are calling the professional services firm the “organization model of the future.” This characterization reflects the fact that in managing knowledge, skills, and other intellectual capital, these firms are capable of flexibly deploying resources for specific projects, allowing them to maintain a broad base of experience that can be brought to a wide range of opportunities with great agility. Research on professional service practices, however, is somewhat limited, a problem that is compounded by the fact that no two consultancies are alike. This symposium presents an opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on the consulting field from reflective practitioners and researchers, and to explore the opportunity points where future practitioner and academic collaboration might exist in the emerging pluralistic consulting environment.