ABSTRACT
This chapter defines professions and professional service firms (PSFs). Design consultancies can be considered professional services firms, a term which has been used to describe law firms, accounting firms, management consultancies, advertising agencies, engineering consultancies, investment banking, and public relations firms, on which significant empirical research has been carried out. "The output of PSFs is co-produced through coordinated efforts of the PSF and the client firm, close contact and ongoing communication between the two firms is necessary for the delivery of services to occur". Through the service co-production process occurring during client–PSF relationships, PSFs are exposed and are receptive to influences from client organisations (COs). Such influences often shape the structures and internal processes PSFs adopt and operate with. A number of activities which help PSFs to minimise conflict with client firms and promote smooth working relationships have been proposed by many scholars.
