What does it take to be the next champion in sustainability consulting ? An analysis of the approaches & selection criteria in the Belgian sustainability consulting market.
Files
deVillenfagneGillis_9875140023721400_2019.pdf
UCLouvain restricted access - Adobe PDF
- 2.39 MB
Details
- Supervisors
- Faculty
- Degree label
- Abstract
- In a context of increased importance of corporate sustainability, we will analyze the Belgian market for sustainability consulting services. Although consultants can play a role in the sustainability challenge ahead, they have been overlooked by the business literature. In this thesis, we will thus attempt to lay some foundations for a better understanding of both the demand and the supply-side of the market. We address the topic from the angle of competition, by applying and adapting two frameworks (the five stages of Sustainability of Landrum and the Order Qualifiers and Winners of Hill) to try and determine what might be required from a consulting firm to gain the upper hand on its market. To do so, we propose a new categorization of consulting firms based on their approach towards sustainability, on top of forecasting possible demand trends among potential clients. This allows us to observe that most consulting firms appear to be positioned in a weak form of sustainability, while potential clients might require a much more diverse set of services in the coming years, with some specific requirements on who they would hire. We will conclude this thesis by discussing the future state and trends on the market.