“We’re All in This Together”; Covid, Clients, and Consulting Ethics: A Tale of Two Firms

Abstract

Unsurprisingly, management consultancy continues to provide examples of contradictory approaches towards clients even during a time where the phrase “we’re all in this together” has been the umbrella under which we have all sheltered for at least some comfort in the difficult times that the Covid 19 pandemic has placed us in. However, it would seem some of us have been more in it together than others. In conversations with staff in two UK consulting firms over the last 6 months a stark contrast in approaches towards their clients and their business model became apparent. Rather than explicitly judge either example, I present the summaries of the conversations to the readers of this journal for consideration, to provide an opportunity perhaps for discussion within firms or even food for personal thought and reflection about what is important for a firm’s success and its longevity.