Alternative paths to high consulting fees: A fuzzy-set analysis

Little research exists on factors that cause high consulting fees. This study examines what combinations of factors can generate the kind of competitive advantage that consulting firms can benefit from. Accordingly, this study performs a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to ascertain whether consulting-client satisfaction explains differences in consulting fees and determine the conditions that lead to high consulting fees. This analysis suggests complex pathways driving companies' willingness to pay higher consulting fees. This methodological approach sheds new light on the relationship between combinations of conditions and high consulting fees. The set of conditions with maximum consistency score includes team satisfaction. However, team satisfaction alone is not sufficient, and this condition requires the inclusion of other variables such as responsiveness, quality commitment, and properly conducted fieldwork.