Call for Chapters: Scientific Research Methods in Management Consulting

Closes:
Guest editor(s)
Dr. Vanessa Hills, Dr. Pierre El Haddad,
Submission deadline date: November 30, 2026

Introduction

Management consulting has long claimed to be scientifically grounded and offer evidence-based solutions, yet the specific research methods underlying that evidence are rarely examined in depth (Cappelletti & Khenniche, 2025; Kieser et al., 2015; Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006). This volume of Research in Management Consulting seeks to address that tension by assembling a practical, methods-focused compendium. Each chapter in the volume will present a distinct scientific research method used in management consulting, explaining what it is, why it works, and how it has been applied in real-world consulting engagements.

There exists plenty of commentary on evidence-based consulting as a concept. This volume, in contrast, will function as a working toolkit and an invitation to progress the discussion on what makes consulting scientifically grounded. We invite contributions that can detail specific qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches, action research and design-based techniques, and emerging methods used in consulting practice. Each chapter will need to ground its method in established scientific principles, articulate why the method is reliable for generating reliable, actionable knowledge in organizational settings, and illustrate its use through an applied example or case.

By compiling a rigorous, practice-tested set of research methods, this volume aims to give consultants, organizational leaders, and scholars a concrete methodological resource to strengthen the scientific foundation of consulting and provide both rigor and relevance (Pettigrew, 2001).

Potential chapter ideas might include (but are certainly not limited to) the following examples of research methods used in consulting:

  • Grounded Theory
  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Storytelling
  • Intervention Research
  • Action Research/Participatory Action Research
  • Netnography/digital ethnography
  • Psychodynamic interviewing
  • Socio-economic Approach to Management (SEAM)
  • Clinical Inquiry
  • Participatory action research
  • Socio-technical approach
  • Interventionist Research

REFERENCES:

Cappelletti, L., & Khenniche, S. (2025). Is there such thing as science-based consulting? Academy of Management Proceedings, 2025(1), 16022. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2025.143bp

Keiser, A., Nicolai, A., & Seidl, D. (2015). The practical relevance of management research: turning the debate on relevance into a rigorous scientific research program. Academy of Management Annals, 9(1), 144-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/19416520.2015.1011853

Pettigrew, A. (2001). Management research after modernism. British Journal of Management, 12, S61-S70. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12.s1.8

Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. I. (2006). Management half-truths and nonsense: How to practice evidence-based management. California Management Review, 48(3), 77-100.

List of topic areas

  • Research methods
  • Science-based consulting
  • Management consulting

Submission information

You are warmly invited to submit a proposal for a book chapter in our upcoming edited book titled Scientific Research Methods in Management Consulting (not yet under contract). To submit, please email the Editors with your chapter proposal:

Proposed chapters should clearly specify and detail a research method applicable in the field of consulting. We especially welcome contributions from practitioners who have extensive experience using their described research method in practice. Each chapter submission must include:

  • A proposed chapter title
  • An abstract of 200-600 words with mention of the case (illustrative or otherwise) that will be included in the final chapter
  • Names, designations, and affiliations of each contributing member
  • 4-6 keywords

Final Chapters should be 5,000-7,000 words (including references), double spaced pages and structured to include:

  • Abstract (200 words)
  • Key words (4-6 keywords)
  • Grounding in established scientific principles
  • Illustrative examples of the method in practice
  • APA 7th style for referencing

Key deadlines

30 November 2026: Submission of proposed chapters from authoring teams:

  • A proposed chapter title
  • An abstract of 200-600 words with mention of the case (illustrative or otherwise) that will be included in the final chapter
  • Names, designations, and affiliations of each contributing member
  • 4-6 keywords

March 14 2027: Contributors notified of abstract outcomes

May 31 2027: Submission of draft chapters

June 1 – July 15 2027: Peer review of draft chapters (NOTE: all contributing authors must review another submission within their area of expertise)

August 15 2027: Peer review feedback to authors

September 30 2027: Authors submit final draft of chapters

October 2027: Editors organize Submission to publishers

June 2028: Anticipated publication date (promote at 2028 Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada)