MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

Middle managers have been seen over the past years as an extra cost and an opponent to change, which lead to their reduction by downsizing and reengineering; and even though they are considered to be restricted to just implementing strategy, this implementation task has greater strategic significance than it has been credited with (Balogun, J., 2003).

However, most of the companies still have middle management in their organization because, by the position it occupies in the company’s hierarchy and its functions, it represents the interface between leadership and execution, ensuring the accomplishment of the vision, mission, strategies and policies of the organization. The success of the change projects generated by the top management together with the financial flow of the company rests on the middle management qualification and abilities.

To give us a real insight on the middle manager matter a representative from the company “Telia Sonera”- Mica Wulff Kamm visited JIBS. This lecture proved to be very useful by providing a practical value added to the research articles on the issue.
One of the article states that if organizations want a middle management group to be responsive, it needs greater sensitivity to how meaning is made in organizations and how to include middle management in that process (Westley, F.T. 1990). The implications were further emphasized by Mica, she herself has been working for the company for eleven years and together with Telia Sonera she has experienced numerous changes, but she have never felt herself performing just the role of “change implementer”, the company has created an environment where she could fulfill her ambitions and self-esteem needs by being the engine of change. Middle managers play active role in the change process of the organization, their actions have also facilitated important organizational outcomes, such as development of new skills and operational continuity (Huy, N.Q 2002).

Based on the insights given by Mica together with the supporting articles, I have made my own assessment of the middle management, perceiving it as ‘the heart of change’, its driving force.

References:

1)Balogun, J., (2003) From Blaming the Middle to Harnessing its Potential: Creating Change Intermediaries, British Journal of Management, vol. 14, 69-83.

2)Huy, N. Q. (2002) Emotional Balancing of Organizational Continuity and Radical Change, Administrative Science Quarterly, 47 (1), 31-69.

3)Kamm W.M., (2008) Guest Lecture Middle Managers : Real Life

4)Westley, F.T. (1990) Middle Managers and Strategy: Micro-Dynamic of Inclusion, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 11 (5), 337-351.