The role of middle management has been debated for a long time. Some give them a crucial strategic importance within the company, while others see middle managers as additional costs which company needs to reduce. However, in nowadays fast changing business world, it became obvious that the success of important management processes such as implementing change initiatives and pursuing new directions depends heavily on the middle manager. Balogun and Johnson mention in their article “Organizational Restructuring and Middle Manager Sensemaking” that middle managers are “recipients of change as much as its implementers” and that their role will “increase in importance as organizations become increasingly complex” (Balogun & Johnson, 2004).
The role of middle managers and the dilemmas they face was the topic of the guest lecture presentation we had at JIBS. The guest lecture was Mica Wulff Kamm, the Head of Global Product Management at TeliaSonera. Mica has been working in the company for 11 years now and has passed through as many restructuring periods. In her opinion, “in knowledge intensive industries middle managers are definitely needed”. The role of middle managers is crucial in suggesting and implementing changes, not only executing somebody else’s plans (M.Kamm, guest lecture presentation, 2008-11-24).
In providing arguments, Mica used lots of examples from her personal experience and did it with a lot of enthusiasm and inspiration. At one point, TeliaSonera had to respond to a competitor’s action (we are talking about Skype). So Mica together with her team proposed to introduce a new service, and this suggestion was fully supported by the senior management. According to Balogun’s article “From Blaming the Middle to Harnessing its Potential: Creating Change Intermediaries” (2003), middle managers take advantage of the resources they possess to initiate innovative ideas and take advantage of the business opportunities. Moreover, they encourage projects within the department they manage and use their position to gather the necessary information (Balogun, 2003). What Mica did was developing a plan to react to the competitor’s move and showing all the information to senior management. This is one of the many examples she gave that supported the importance of middle management when it comes to innovation and needed change.
In the article “Middle Managers and Strategy: Micro-Dynamics of Inclusion”, Westley discusses the role of middle managers in strategic operations in bureaucratic organizations. The advice in this case is to keep middle managers “included” and “energized”. Middle managers are more enthusiastic and energetic if they are not excluded from “hierarchy of coalitions” and negotiation of rules with senior managers is possible. Also, middle managers should be allowed to dominate the “framing rules in a strategic conversation (Westley, 1990). Westley’s article can be categorized as pieces of advice for senior managers when it comes to supporting the middle management of their company. In TeliaSonera’s case, empowerment is used as a motivation and is one of the shared values of the company. According to Mica, empowerment is used to encourage innovative thinking and acting (M.Kamm, guest lecture presentation, 2008-11-24).
Moreover, middle managers play an important role in balancing emotions and facilitating organizational adaptability. This is how they succeed at “change, continuity in providing quality in customer service, and developing new knowledge and skills” (Huy, 2002). Especially when dealing with change, middle managers should pay special attention to the employees, as “tension between continuity and change also exists on the individual level” (Huy, 2002). If you want employees to join you in the implementation of change, you should foster an atmosphere of trust and support.
My personal opinion is that middle managers are indeed a strategic asset to the company and their value cannot be denied. They facilitate communication and guide employees when it comes to implementing changes. In her presentation, Mica gave us a couple of advices. One is to get involved in whatever is happening in the company, not just watch. Her leadership style is a participative one and she encourages us to be the same way. She has three golden rules for succes:
• be there when the ground shakes
• make your co-workers visible
• make your team self-running.
References:
Balogun, J. & Johnson, G. (2004) “Organizational Restructuring and Middle Manager Sensemaking”. Academy of Management Journal. Vol 47, 523-549.
Balogun, J. (2003) From Blaming the Middle to Harnessing its Potential: Creating Change Intermediaries, British Journal of Management, vol. 14, 69-83.
Huy, N. Q. (2002) Emotional Balancing of Organizational Continuity and Radical Change, Administrative Science Quarterly, 47(1), 31-69.
Kamm, M.W. (2008). Guest Lecture 24th of November, Middle Management - Real Life, Retrieved 2008-11-26 from Jönköping International Business School’s website:
http://jibsnet.hj.se/documents/files/download/832478114/3385827292690149047/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20-%20Middle%20Management%20JIBS%2020081124.
Westley, F. T. (1990) Middle Managers and Strategy: Micro-Dynamics of Inclusion, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 11 (5), 337-351.
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1 comment:
"My personal opinion is that middle managers are indeed a strategic asset to the company and their value cannot be denied."
I share your opinion!
Norman
www.businessmatter.wordpress.com
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