The Influence of Inter-Organizational Alignment on Consultancy Project Success

Consulting is a multi-billion-dollar business, and literally all large companies use the services of consultants. This study examines inter-organizational alignment structures between the consultant and their clients. It is conceptualized using social capital which serves as a significant factor influencing project success, e.g., by facilitating knowledge exchange. In this exploratory research, we use expert interviews with actual project leaders of successful and unsuccessful projects. Matching pairs of consultant and client engagement managers were asked about their perceptions on joints project in separate interviews. Our findings indicate that social alignment, which is composed of the social capital between consulting and client firm and consultant\u27s understanding of the client\u27s needs positively impact project success