Consulting meets Academia
Consulting meets Academia
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants is enhancing its outreach to leading universities with its new high-profile strategy development series, "Consulting meets Academia".
Developed in part to further the dialogue between theory and practice in management consulting, the first session, chaired by Roland Berger CEO, Burkhard Schwenker, focused on scenario planning techniques.
The symposium, which includes professors from the consultancy's own Academic Network, Roland Berger Partners and selected guests will be held every three months on a variety of different topics relevant to consulting practice and theory.
Initiators of the new project hope that the ideas generated by this exchange will lead to further research projects and eventually create new tools germane to every day consultancy work. Each seminar is designed to stimulate debate through the presentation of two papers on the same topic from each side of the table.
Launching the first of these discussion rounds, CEO Schwenker highlighted how scenario techniques can advance strategic planning in companies where the established strategy tools fall short. Playing out various scenarios can, to a certain degree, preempt the difficulties many company's face in today's market, where the quantification and communication of plans becomes increasingly complex. Scenario planning could enhance the kind of innovative, flexible 'out-of-the box' thinking companies needed in these times.
Developed in part to further the dialogue between theory and practice in management consulting, the first session, chaired by Roland Berger CEO, Burkhard Schwenker, focused on scenario planning techniques.
The symposium, which includes professors from the consultancy's own Academic Network, Roland Berger Partners and selected guests will be held every three months on a variety of different topics relevant to consulting practice and theory.
Initiators of the new project hope that the ideas generated by this exchange will lead to further research projects and eventually create new tools germane to every day consultancy work. Each seminar is designed to stimulate debate through the presentation of two papers on the same topic from each side of the table.
Launching the first of these discussion rounds, CEO Schwenker highlighted how scenario techniques can advance strategic planning in companies where the established strategy tools fall short. Playing out various scenarios can, to a certain degree, preempt the difficulties many company's face in today's market, where the quantification and communication of plans becomes increasingly complex. Scenario planning could enhance the kind of innovative, flexible 'out-of-the box' thinking companies needed in these times.
However, he noted that scenario technique to provide robust results more quickly and take full account all the relevant information, in order to become a viable tool. Additional research had to go into fine-tuning existing methodologies.
Speaking from an academic viewpoint, Professor Dr. Torsten Wulf from the Leipzig Graduate School of Management (Chair of Strategic Management and Organization) underlined the different existing techniques for generating scenarios. The academic treatment of the topic had, however, thus far fallen short of clarifying key questions. For example, the degree that scenarios had on actual company behavior in the market was still unclear. In the discussion Partners from the consultancy took up this point and illustrated practical approaches based on scenario development
If you have questions or comments regarding this, or any other story, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Speaking from an academic viewpoint, Professor Dr. Torsten Wulf from the Leipzig Graduate School of Management (Chair of Strategic Management and Organization) underlined the different existing techniques for generating scenarios. The academic treatment of the topic had, however, thus far fallen short of clarifying key questions. For example, the degree that scenarios had on actual company behavior in the market was still unclear. In the discussion Partners from the consultancy took up this point and illustrated practical approaches based on scenario development
If you have questions or comments regarding this, or any other story, please do not hesitate to contact us:
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