ABSTRACT

Date: 2026-06-01

Level: Master thesis in Global Strategy and Management, 30crInstitution:

Department of Business and Mathematics, Mälardalen UniversityAuthors: Sana Iqbal (93/07/13) Prosper Ndagabwene Ganyara (88/10/30)

Title: The Impact of Business Consulting on the Perception on Strategic Performance and Sustainability of Swedish SME

Supervisor: Peter EkmanKeywords: Business consulting, Swedish SMEs, strategic performance, ESG practices, absorptive capacity and sustainability.

Research questions How does the use of business consultants relate to SMEs‟ perceived improvements in strategic performance outcomes? How do absorptive capacity, firm size, and limited international exposure influence the relationship between SMEs using consultants and perceived performance and ESG outcomes?

Purpose: The goal of the study was to understand how business consultation advice translated to real-world results including improved decision making, cost control, efficiency, performance monitoring, waste reduction, energy saving and basic ESG practices.

Method: A multiple case study design was employed that utilized qualitative data. The data was obtained from semi-structured interviews with eight of the participants from the Swedish SMEs in the food, hospitality, retail, grocery, restaurant, and logistics sectors. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the interviews.

Conclusion: The study concludes that a consultancy approach could provide perceived strategic performance and ESG practices in SMEs in Sweden, but only when external advice is turned into routines and the firm takes ownership of the external advice. The study suggests that SMEs should choose consultants that know the size and resources of the SMEs and the reality of their operations.