1.  THE CONSULTANT AS AN INTERNAL-EXTERNAL 
                                TRAINING RESOURCE
             
             As the 21st Century rapidly approaches and corporations of
        all types engaged in a multitude of enterprises struggle to adapt
        to the changing economic, social, and political climate, the need
        for training, organizational redevelopment, and total quality
        management will become essential for their survival.  Some of the
        larger corporations may utilize internal training departments and
        changes agents to precipitate the needed changes in their
        specific milieus.  However, a greater number may seek the
        services of external consultants with expertise in the unique to
        address specific organizational needs.  
             
             Today, consulting is not what it was just a decade ago.  In
        the past, a corporation, finding a need, hired someone who was
        purported to possess some expertise in a given area to provide
        some training for its employees.  Not much research was done to
        insure that the consultant was exactly what the corporation
        needed.  Hence, the money was often ill-spent and results
        marginal.
        
             The exponential rate of growth described in Future Shock
        (Toffler, 1970) precipitated a surge in the evolution of
        corporations from unidimensional structures to multinational
        conglomerates.  Combined with the confusing economic times
        resulting from shrinking global resources and expanding
        populations, corporations were required to become more
        sophisticated in their choice of the kind of consultants they
        hired.  
        
             Into this framework, training consultants, often referred to
        as "External Training Resources" (ETRs) were hired principally to
        produce physical products such as training materials,
        presentation aids, and training-video scripts for their clients. 
        They fulfilled a needed role between the corporate status quo and
        the evolutionary "Third Wave" (Toffler, 1980) dynamic
        organization capable of making nearly spontaneous changes in
        their production capabilities and marketing strategies (Bade,
        1991).
        
             Who will be these "New Age" consultants that will bridge the
        gap between what is and what must be to insure economic survival? 
        Where do they come from?  What makes them different, unique in
        the world of business and industry?  What kinds of roles will
        they fulfill?       What do they actually do?  What ethics,
        values, and morals will keep them from abusing their unique
        position as change agents?  What does the future hold for
        consultants as the "winds of change" blow across the global
        economy?  
        
             To answer these questions is the purpose of this book.