Consultancy-style enquiry
Investigate a client problem with explicit research logic
Consultancy-style enquiry starts from an organisational problem and produces evidence-informed advice or diagnosis for a client. It is an applied purpose, not a single recognised research design. A defensible academic project specifies the underlying design, theory, data and evaluative criteria while managing negotiated scope, confidentiality and competing stakeholder interests. Client usefulness and scholarly contribution may require different outputs.
Choose when an MBA or practitioner project has a real client, feasible access and a bounded decision need. Agree what can be published and distinguish the client's preferred solution from the researchable problem.
Strengths
- Addresses an actionable organisational need
- Can access contextual knowledge through collaboration
Limitations
- Client expectations can bias diagnosis and reporting
- Commercial confidentiality can restrict independent scrutiny
Know the boundary
Consultancy is not itself a causal design, and delivering a recommendation does not demonstrate that it works.