COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF A FINNISH MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM IN BRAZIL. Case TwinSpark Consulting
TUOMI, MARIA (2011)
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TUOMI, MARIA
2011
Yrityksen taloustiede, markkinointi - Marketing
Johtamiskorkeakoulu - School of Management
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2011-06-07Tiivistelmä
"Brazil is not for beginners" is the phrase that begins almost all the literature concerning to Brazil. Brazil has diverse and many times even unexpected characteristics and specialties as a county, economy and business environment especially for foreign people and firms unfamiliar with the country. On the other hand, Brazil is also a huge and attracting emerging market full of opportunities and in need of new and different managerial doctrines and development. Brazilian companies have already expressed their interest towards Finnish firms offering high technological knowledge and know-how.
The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the competitive advantages that a Finnish management consulting firm can have or create in Brazil. Management consulting business includes nowadays more technical and technological knowledge and forms an important part of the knowledge-intensive business service sector that is in the center of knowledge-based economies of today. Hence, the purpose was addressed through first reviewing the previous research and identifying the main sources of small and young knowledge-intensive business service and especially management consulting firms' competitive advantages in foreign markets, finding out which of these the case firm, TwinSpark Consulting, is considered to have especially in Brazil and how can the existing competitive advantages be developed and new ones created in that market.
This study is a qualitative case study and focuses on providing rich and thick qualitative information about the intangible sources of competitiveness in Brazil. The empirical data was gathered through focused interviews in Brazil. All together 20 interviews were made to people from different business branches and nationalities working and being related to the management consulting business in Brazil. Interviewees were categorized into three main groups: consulting companies' representatives, potential client firms' employees related to their consulting policies and export consultants in Brazil. By interviewing people with different backgrounds and perspectives to consulting, diverse and more extensive answers and perspectives to the empirical data were achieved.
The results of this study were in line with the previous KIBS and management consulting research, but are enriched with special considerations and details from Brazilian business environment. Strongest emphases were given to networks' and personal relationships' importance, technologically superior, different and new knowledge and versatile expertise, fastness and flexibility of the small firm, trustworthy reputation of the possible famous previous employer and country of origin, rescue project management know-how, local references and adaptation to different working culture in Brazil. At least these are Finnish management consulting firms' potential competitive advantages in Brazil.
Asiasanat:Competitive advantage, Management consulting, Knowledge-intensive business services, Brazil
The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the competitive advantages that a Finnish management consulting firm can have or create in Brazil. Management consulting business includes nowadays more technical and technological knowledge and forms an important part of the knowledge-intensive business service sector that is in the center of knowledge-based economies of today. Hence, the purpose was addressed through first reviewing the previous research and identifying the main sources of small and young knowledge-intensive business service and especially management consulting firms' competitive advantages in foreign markets, finding out which of these the case firm, TwinSpark Consulting, is considered to have especially in Brazil and how can the existing competitive advantages be developed and new ones created in that market.
This study is a qualitative case study and focuses on providing rich and thick qualitative information about the intangible sources of competitiveness in Brazil. The empirical data was gathered through focused interviews in Brazil. All together 20 interviews were made to people from different business branches and nationalities working and being related to the management consulting business in Brazil. Interviewees were categorized into three main groups: consulting companies' representatives, potential client firms' employees related to their consulting policies and export consultants in Brazil. By interviewing people with different backgrounds and perspectives to consulting, diverse and more extensive answers and perspectives to the empirical data were achieved.
The results of this study were in line with the previous KIBS and management consulting research, but are enriched with special considerations and details from Brazilian business environment. Strongest emphases were given to networks' and personal relationships' importance, technologically superior, different and new knowledge and versatile expertise, fastness and flexibility of the small firm, trustworthy reputation of the possible famous previous employer and country of origin, rescue project management know-how, local references and adaptation to different working culture in Brazil. At least these are Finnish management consulting firms' potential competitive advantages in Brazil.
Asiasanat:Competitive advantage, Management consulting, Knowledge-intensive business services, Brazil