All Topics  
Consultant

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Consultant
 
 
  Topics Consultant Topic Home

A consultant (from the Latin consultare means "to discuss" from which we also derive words such as consul and counsel) is a professional
Professional

A professional is a person who has completed a doctoral or law program or equivalent .A professional is someone who has a professional degree - a number one on the Hollingshead scale....
 who provides advice in a particular area of expertise such as management
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
, accountancy
Accountancy

Accountancy or accounting is the system of recording, verifying, and reporting of the value of assets, liabilities, income, and expenses in the books of account to which debit and credit entries are chronologically posted to record changes in value ....
, the environment
Environmental consulting

Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations....
, entertainment, technology
Technology

Technology is a broad concept that deals with an animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects an animal species' ability to control and adapt to its Natural environment....
, law
LAW

LAW may refer to:* Anti-tank warfare, e.g. the US Army M72 LAW or the British Army LAW 80*Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights ...
 (tax law
Tax law

Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes....
, in particular), human resources
Human resources

Human resources is a term with which organizations describe the combination of traditionally administrative personnel functions with performance, Employee Relations and Resource planning....
, marketing
Marketing

Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large....
, medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, finance
Finance

The field of finance refers to the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated. Banks are the main facilitators of funding through the provision of credit, although private equity, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other organizations have become important....
, economics, public affairs
Public administration

Public administration can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government public policy. The pursuit of the public good by enhancing civil society and social justice is the ultimate goal of the field....
, communication
Communication

Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs...",, 1: an act or instance of transmitting and 3 a: "a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or beha...
, engineering
Engineering

Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying Technology and science knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and process that safely realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria....
, sound system design
Audio engineering

Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music....
, graphic design
Graphic design

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages....
, or waste management
Waste management

File:Kathmandu-M?llabfuhr.jpgWaste management is the waste collection, transport, waste treatment, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials....
.

A consultant is usually an expert or a professional in a specific field and has a wide knowledge of the subject matter.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Consultant'
Start a new discussion about 'Consultant'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


A consultant (from the Latin consultare means "to discuss" from which we also derive words such as consul and counsel) is a professional
Professional

A professional is a person who has completed a doctoral or law program or equivalent .A professional is someone who has a professional degree - a number one on the Hollingshead scale....
 who provides advice in a particular area of expertise such as management
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
, accountancy
Accountancy

Accountancy or accounting is the system of recording, verifying, and reporting of the value of assets, liabilities, income, and expenses in the books of account to which debit and credit entries are chronologically posted to record changes in value ....
, the environment
Environmental consulting

Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations....
, entertainment, technology
Technology

Technology is a broad concept that deals with an animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects an animal species' ability to control and adapt to its Natural environment....
, law
LAW

LAW may refer to:* Anti-tank warfare, e.g. the US Army M72 LAW or the British Army LAW 80*Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights ...
 (tax law
Tax law

Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes....
, in particular), human resources
Human resources

Human resources is a term with which organizations describe the combination of traditionally administrative personnel functions with performance, Employee Relations and Resource planning....
, marketing
Marketing

Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large....
, medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, finance
Finance

The field of finance refers to the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated. Banks are the main facilitators of funding through the provision of credit, although private equity, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other organizations have become important....
, economics, public affairs
Public administration

Public administration can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government public policy. The pursuit of the public good by enhancing civil society and social justice is the ultimate goal of the field....
, communication
Communication

Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs...",, 1: an act or instance of transmitting and 3 a: "a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or beha...
, engineering
Engineering

Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying Technology and science knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and process that safely realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria....
, sound system design
Audio engineering

Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music....
, graphic design
Graphic design

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages....
, or waste management
Waste management

File:Kathmandu-M?llabfuhr.jpgWaste management is the waste collection, transport, waste treatment, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials....
.

A consultant is usually an expert or a professional in a specific field and has a wide knowledge of the subject matter. A consultant usually works for a consultancy firm or is self-employed, and engages with multiple and changing clients. Thus, clients have access to deeper levels of expertise than would be feasible for them to retain in-house, and to purchase only as much service from the outside consultant as desired. It is generally accepted good corporate governance to hire consultants as a check to the Principal-Agent problem
Principal-agent problem

In political science and economics, the principal-agent problem or agency dilemma treats the difficulties that arise under conditions of incomplete and information asymmetry when a principal hires an Agent ....
. 'Consultant' is also the term used to denote the most senior medical position in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 and Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 (e.g., a consultant surgeon
Surgery

Surgery is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, to help improve bodily function or appearance, or sometimes for some other reason....
).

Ways in which consultants work

Often a consultant provides expertise to clients who require a particular type of knowledge or service for a specific period of time, thus providing an economy to the client. In other situations, companies implementing a major project may need additional experienced staff to assist with increased work during that period.

Consulting has come under some criticism because of staff augmentation and the high amount of jargon consultants use, also known as consultantese.

Sometimes a consultant is not an independent agent but is a partner or an employee of a consultancy, that is a company that provides consultants to clients on a larger scale or in multiple, though usually related, skill areas.

Strategy consultants are common in upper management in many industries. There are also independent consultants who act as interim executives with decision-making power under corporate policies or statutes. They may sit on specially constituted boards or committees.

See also

  • Management consulting
    Management consulting

    Management consulting refers to both the industry of, and the practice of, helping organizations improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing business problems and development of plans for improvement....
  • Tax advisor
    Tax advisor

    A tax advisor is a financial expert especially trained in tax law. Some countries require tax advisors to verify the balance sheets of companies above a certain size....
  • Information technology consulting
    Information technology consulting

    Information technology consulting is a field that focuses on advising businesses on how best to use information technology to meet their business objectives....
  • Foreclosure consultant
    Foreclosure consultant

    Foreclosure consultant means any person who makes any solicitation, representation, or offer to any owner to perform for compensation or who, for compensation, performs any service which the person in any manner represents will in any manner do any of the following:...
  • Human Resource Consulting
    Human resource consulting

    Human resource consulting is a $18.4 billion industry that has emerged from management consulting, asclients' needs have become more complex and specialized, widening the gap between HR needs and work force capabilities, and thus accentuating the ability of HR management consulting firms to fill this gap....
  • Public consultation
    Public consultation

    Public consultation, or simply consultation, is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, transparency and public involvement in large-scale projects or laws and policies....
  • Umbrella company
    Umbrella company

    In the United Kingdom, an umbrella company acts as employer to independent contractors who work under temporary contract, usually through a specialist employment agency....
  • Certified Management Consultant
    Certified Management Consultant

    Certified Management Consultant is an international professional certification for Management consulting professionals, awarded by institutes in 44 countries ....
  • Political consulting
    Political consulting

    Political consulting, beyond the self-evident definition of consulting in political matters, refers to a specific management consulting industry which has grown up around advising and assisting political campaigns....
  • Consultant (medicine)
    Consultant (medicine)

    In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, consultant is the title of a senior physician who has completed all of his or her Medical specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty....
  • Independent contractor
    Independent contractor

    An independent contractor is a natural person, business, or corporation which provides good or Service to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement....
  • Contingent Workforce
    Contingent Workforce

    A contingent workforce is a provisional group of workers who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis, also known as freelancers, independent professionals, temporary contract workers, independent contractors or consultants....
  • IRS Reclassification
    IRS reclassification

    IRS reclassification as an employee occurs where persons claimed as independent contractors are recategorized by the Internal Revenue Service , or by state tax authorities, as W-2 employees....
  • Permatemp
    Permatemp

    A permatemp is an employee whose status is somewhere between a Temporary work#Temporary workers and a permanent employee. The word is a portmanteau of the words permanent and temporary....
  • Consultant pharmacist
    Consultant pharmacist

    A consultant pharmacist is a specialized pharmacist. The main principle of consultant pharmacy is Pharmaceutical care term developed by Hepler and Strand in 1990....
  • Creative consultant
    Creative consultant

    Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have script doctor a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit....
  • Educational consultant
    Educational consultant

    An educational consultant is an independent consultant who helps parents and students with educational planning. While this job title does not appear in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, it is similar to that of "Educational, vocational, and school counselors." Educational Consultants, however, are normally self-employed , while school coun...
  • Elevator consultant
    Elevator consultant

    An elevator consultant is someone who specializes in the design, testing, and maintenance inspection of elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and many other conveyances that move people....
  • Employment consultant
    Employment consultant

    An employment consultant is an expert witness who advises courts and tribunals on employment related issues such as earnings, labour market analysis, residual earning capacity, and retraining....
  • Knowledge Management Consultant
  • Lactation consultant
    Lactation consultant

    A lactation consultant is a healthcare provider recognized as an expert in the fields of human lactation and breastfeeding. The USLCA, United States Lactation Consultant Association, is the presiding organization in the United States of America and the International Lactation Consultant Association is the professional association for lactat...
  • Legal nurse consultant
    Legal nurse consultant

    A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse who uses expertise as a health care provider and specialized training to consult on medical-related legal cases....
  • Loss control consultant
    Loss control consultant

    Loss Control Consultant is a person possessing a demonstrated knowledge and / or education in the arts and science of Safety Engineering and Risk Management....
  • Magic consultant
    Magic consultant

    Magic Consultant - Adviser to writers, producers and directors of all elements relating to magic and illusions for television, film, theatre, and other live events....
  • Media consultant
    Media consultant

    A media consultant is a term used to describe a marketing agent or public relations executive, hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage....
  • Process consultant
    Process consultant

    In organization development, a process consultant is a facilitator who helps a group deal with issues involving the Group process in a meeting, rather than the tasks....
  • Professional and Technical Consultants Association
    Professional and Technical Consultants Association

    PATCA - Professional and Technical Consultants Association PATCA, the Professional and Technical Consultants Association, was Silicon Valley's first association of consultants....
  • Statistical consultant
    Statistical consultant

    A statistical consultant provides statistical and research advice and guidance to clients in business, medicine, psychology, law, industry. The role of the statistical consultant varies from project to project, and can include any or all of the following:...
  • Theatre consultant
    Theatre consultant

    A theatre consultant is a consultant who specializes in the design of facilities for the performing arts, equipment for those facilities and the operation of theatre....


External links