Can someone please clarify the difference between an MBBB firm and a MB firm for me?I take it MBBB are the larger better known firms and MB are the next tier down?These terms are mentioned often on diffreent threads but I'm not actually sure what the acronym stands for. Sorry to those who know the answer and are bored by this question.

The four "best" management consulting firms:McKinsey.........Boston Consulting Group...Bain ... ....Booze-Allen-Hamilton.

this is patently false. Accenture is better than Booz, except for in the strategy practice, where they are equivalent. I say this in 2008, when Booz is fading dramatically and Accenture, and frankly, Deloitte as well, are growing stronger in strategy and management consulting. MBB are the top 3 in strategy/management consulting but are hardly the most powerful firms.

And what exactly is powerful?If powerful is the best brains in the market, MBB beats the rest.If powerful is the best revenue on whatever basis you want, MBB beats the rest.If powerful is the largest amount of work/life balance wankers calling MBBers freaks, then yeah, the rest wins.Anon, seriously, do you axpect ANYONE to take an offer from Deloitte/Accenture over MBB for reasons other than work/life balance?

Without wanting to split hairs, I think we need to get our acronyms right here. If we are talking MBB (McK, BCG, Bain) then I agree with pk - I don't know anyone that would turn them down for Accenture or Deloitte. However, if we are saying MBBB and bringing Booz into the conversation, then I completely agree with anon, as their reputation has been in freefall for the last 6 months. Almost everyone I speak to would take Accenture Strat in front of Booz at the moment.

Hilarious. The MBBB have been "extending their value chain" for years in to the areas of consulting that their clones sneer at on here as supposedly pathetic work for the ACNs, KPMGs, PWCs of the world. They are just the same as the rest, brighter brains doing the same old stuff yet making a hash of it as they have no track record or process like the others.

To answer the question directly:MBB stands for Mckinsey, BCG, and BainMBBB has Booz Allen included.The arguments as to whos better etc...well that indeed is a totally different story that can fill volumes.