Management consultants are not as innovative or creative as they want people to believe, a new study from the Economic and Social Research Council claims.

According to a three-year project by the think-tank, the popular impression that consultants were the key to spreading new ideas was misleading. They were, in fact, simply knowledge-brokers and more concerned with managing projects than introducing new organisational techniques.

The study, led by Professor Andrew Sturdy, of the University of Warwick, spent 30 months observing consultants in four projects, including a local authority and a prison.

It found consultants walked a ‘tightrope' between offering a helpful challenge and interfering. The most successful displayed a good understanding of the business, respected employees' knowledge and were politically close to the project team. In this respect, they were able to ‘share knowledge' with their clients and help broker solutions.

‘The real outsiders are the most senior management,' said Professor Sturdy. ‘This means consultants are not as innovative or different as often thought.'

For more, see the Economic and Social Research Council website