An investigation into the link between culture and strategy using soft systems methodology and group analysis. Part 1 soft systems methodology

This is the first of two papers that examine the capacity of a management consultancy (the Company) to adopt a new team-based business model. The first part of the paper utilises Soft Systems Methodology and the change kaleidoscope to examine the cultural paradigm that pervades the Company. As a result of the investigations derived from the Soft Systems work, the researchers used Belbins' SPI as a method of distinguishing between different personality types and various team roles in order to asses if the consultants were capable of working together in teams. The analysis reported in this paper showed that the firm did not have adequate policies, structures or culture. The analysis reported in the second paper suggested it did not have the appropriate mix of consultants to support a team-based business model.