“Consultancy fatigue”: epidemiology, symptoms and prevention

This paper examines a phenomenon increasingly evident among senior management and officials within Central and Eastern European commercial and governmental organisations. The term “consultancy fatigue” coined in a Tacis report describes a sense of weariness, frustration, and cynicism about the activities of Western consultants in countries served by Tacis programmes. This “syndrome” contributes to problems in the quality and effectiveness of Western consultancy initiatives. The key points drawn from a survey of the literature are borne out by a research project, based on case studies currently under way, into the effectiveness of Western management knowledge transfer into Russia. The paper identifies the ways in which the interplay between the attitudinal sets of Russian top managers, and consultants’ behaviours, creates disillusionment and disappointment. The conclusion is that consultancy fatigue cannot be eradicated, but its worst effects can be mitigated by measures which are offered as guidelines towards the end of the paper.