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Perceptions Of European Middle Managers Of Their Role In Strategic Change

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  • W. Christian Buss
  • Rosalie Kuyvenhofen

Abstract

The middle management role in strategy execution remains a critical issue in the success of strategic initiatives. The management literature has viewed middle managers as 1) implementers of topmanagement defined strategic changes, 2) relationship managers in strategic-change programs and 3) key strategic actors in the emergence of the strategic change. The paper summarizes the development of these three views of the strategic implementation role of middle management. The perceptions of experienced European middle managers are used to validate and augment the three formulations. Conclusions are drawn that yield 1) insights into the middle-management roles in strategic changes, 2) a preliminary typology of these middle-management roles and 3) an exploratory test of the sufficiency of this typology in covering the breadth of middle-management role behaviors in strategic change initiatives. Implications for further research on the role set of middle managers in the implementation of strategic-change initiatives are drawn.

Suggested Citation

  • W. Christian Buss & Rosalie Kuyvenhofen, 2011. "Perceptions Of European Middle Managers Of Their Role In Strategic Change," Global Journal of Business Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 5(5), pages 109-119.
    • Handle: RePEc:ibf:gjbres:v:5:y:2011:i:5:p:109-119
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Balogun, Julia, 2007. "The Practice of Organizational Restructuring:: From Design to Reality," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 81-91, April.
    2. Linda Rouleau, 2005. "Micro‐Practices of Strategic Sensemaking and Sensegiving: How Middle Managers Interpret and Sell Change Every Day," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(7), pages 1413-1441, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Carl Deschamps, 2019. "Stages of management control in a large public organization: from top to frontline managers," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 153-184, July.
    2. Constantinos Choromides, 2021. "Leading change in Financial Service Organisations: An Exploration of Employees’ Perceptions of Management of Change Using an Organisational Justice Framework," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 71(3-4), pages 67-97, July-Dece.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Strategy implementation; middle-management roles; middle management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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