Exploring Consultant Roles: Analyzing Power Dynamics Through Expert and Referent Power Bases

A notable research gap exists in understanding the factors that distinguish successful from unsuccessful management consultants in achieving client goals and the unde-fined power consultants possess to motivate client success. To address this gap, a two-phase analysis was conducted. In the qualitative phase, 40 consultants, including 10 from abroad, were interviewed using a semi-structured approach to explore consultants’ power bases. The primary research question focused on identifying common power bases and their impact on the consulting process and the consultant-client relationship. Two prominent themes, Knowledge and Identity, emerged from the inter-views, with Expert power identified as the most valuable power base according to consultants, diverging from the commonly referenced three power bases in the lit-erature. To validate consultants’ perceptions, the quantitative phase investigated the influence of power bases on clients’ self-efficacy and managerial stress. The study explored whether the consultant’s main power base, emphasizing Referent or Expert power, had a relationship with the client’s level of managerial stress and self-efficacy. This research enriches existing literature by highlighting a key power base and offering new insights into power dynamics in management consulting. Additionally, it provides practical benefits by improving consulting outcomes, influencing the perspectives of both clients and consultants.