How behavioral economics is changing management consulting

Published on 26th June 2025

This insights post is a summary of the blog post published by HBI Communication. View the full insight at: Between gut feeling and strategy: How behavioral economics is changing management consulting.

In many situations, management consulting involves creating PowerPoint presentations, analyzing data, and formulating solutions. However, what occurs when individuals do not base their decisions on rational considerations? What if routines, emotions, or even mistakes in thought play a considerably larger influence than anticipated?

By implementing behavioral economics into consulting, it provides a more robust picture that incorporates human behavior. It is these questions that rely on behavioral economics for solutions.  It is a trendy term that is gaining importance the consulting industry.

What is Behavioral Economics?

Behavioral economics is a that not only look at data, but the field examines how individual decisions are made in real-life situations and simultaneously analyses systematic deviations from the classic model of homo oeconomicus.

Unlike classic economic models, which are based on purely rational actors, behavioral economics focuses on what really drives us: Emotions, routines and fallacies. In short, it incorporates the human element.

People often act inconsistently, impulsively, or irrationally. They follow the familiar, avoid uncertainty and allow themselves to be influenced by small things. Behavioral economics builds on precisely these circumstances, examining them to develop theories and economic strategies that work because they incorporate human behavior into the equation.

Why is behavioral economics crucial for management consulting?

Management consulting benefits greatly from behavioral economics because it allows businesses to incorporate how people think, feel, and make decisions in the strategy and the busienss outcomes. This allows for the successful design of change in addition to its planning. Here are some concise viewpoints:

  1. Change begins in the mind – not on the drawing board: Rarely do changes fail because of the concept. Most of the time, they fail because they are rejected.  It is more likely that people will follow procedures that are easy to understand, relate to, and intuitive.
  2. More impact through psychological design: Whether it’s a change campaign or a strategy paper, the effectiveness of the communication is frequently more important than the content’s quality.
  3. Think data and behavior together: Naturally, market analysis, benchmarking, and KPIs continue to be essential elements of consulting. However, they only provide half the picture.  Every KPI has human beings with feelings, backgrounds, and biases behind it.
  4. Consulting with relevance: The concept is not the end of optimal consultation; its full impact only materializes when it is comprehended, embraced, and applied in day-to-day activities.

To get more details about this process and insights on using behavioral economics, visit the full post at: Between gut feeling and strategy: How behavioral economics is changing management consulting.

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