Do any firms have roles for research / publication of though pieces?

Yes, I often read pieces from firms such as McKinsey that say, "You should reduce costs, THOUGH, it also important that you increase revenues"

I like what I tend to call the "international dimension" of consultancy thought pieces. You know, how they tend to use examples from obscure places in the Far East as case studies. All very irrelevant to me, I'm interested in what's happening in the Winslow Trading Estate far more than emerging best practice in the Zzyongh province of the Xyzzngh region.