Leadership: Reflections on "Middle Management" Guest Lecture

The guest lecture “Middle Management – Real Life” discussed about the significant role of middle managers in today’s business environment. It was presented by Mica Wulff Kamm, The Head of Global Product Management, Home Services, BU Broadband, TeliaSonera.

Who are “Middle Managers”? Steward states that middle managers are employees who have subordinates and manage other people directly, but still with top management above them in the hierarchy (1988).

Until recently, the middle managers were being derided, rejected, disempowered and downsized (Sethi, 1999). They had been the target in downsizing activities of organizations for many decades. However, the middle managers role within today’s organization has changed considerably. According in our guest lecturer, “in knowledge intensive industries middle managers are definitely needed”. Sethi asserts that there is no doubt that middle managers can play a critical role in the success of an organization (1999).

Middle managers play an important role in the change process. Their role as “change intermediary” (Balogun, 2003) will “continue to increase in importance as organizations become increasingly” (Balogun & Johnson, 2004). Mica gave us an example of Skype from her own experience to prove that besides executing decisions made by senior management, the middle managers do have a voice in the decision making with the company (2008).

The middle managers also have a critical role in communication within the firm (Westley, 1990). Role of middle managers as communicators increases significantly when change is under way. They must “strive for clarity” (Mica, 2008) from the top management and break down information in a way that makes sense to the subordinates. Mica agreed that information should be available to everyone. However, Mica added, it would be difficult for a middle manager to define what ought to be closed or open. Therefore, information should be provided in a comprehensible and timely manner (Mica, 2008). If it does not communicate effectively, employees will make assumptions and fill in blanks, which results in gossip and rumors senior management and the organization; that obviously obstructs the change process.

I am really impressed with Mica’s suggestion for the middle managers, which is “getting involved”, being accessible anytime, having an open landscape with no walls, no doors. She mentioned employees usually wanted to talk to the middle managers, who “are structurally closer to their employees and so are likely to be more attuned to their subordinates' emotional needs” (Huy, 2002).

One of the cons that Mica said about middle managers is “no time for refinement” because “the middle managers had a lack of time for this activity due to their coordination/management roles” (Balogun, 2003). From Sethi’s research, to perform the role successfully, the middle managers need to develop or enhance the following critical competencies: Self-awareness and 360-degree awareness; Relationship skills/emotional competence; Advanced communication, coaching & influencing skills; Strategic and creative mindset; Career management skills; Continuous learning; Self-esteem. If middle managers invest in themselves to build those competencies, they will not only help their organizations thrive, but will also develop their own careers (1999).

In summary, this guess lecture was very interesting with valuable shared information / personal experience from the presenter, a successful middle manager. I would say “middle manager” is a strategic asset to any organizations because it serves “as a bridge between the visionary ideals of the top and the often chaotic reality of those on the front line of business." (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995)


References

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

Balogun, J. & Johnson, G. (2004) “Organizational Restructuring and Middle Manager Sensemaking”. Academy of Management Journal. Vol 47, 523-549.

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 November 24th, Middle Management - Real Life, Retrieved 2008-11-27 from Jönköping International Business School’s website

Nonaka, I & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The Knowledge-creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation", Oxford University Press

Sethi, D. (1999). Leading from the middle. Human Resource Planning. 22(3) , p. 9-10.

Stewart, R. (1988). Managers and their Jobs (2nd Edition). London: MacMillan Press.

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