Problems of middle management in France: Their special position regarding work reorganization

Abstract

Starting from an example of work reorganization in a factory belonging to a large industrial group with diversified activities, this contribution poses the more general problem of management demands at various levels, namely, concerning that very particular category called ‘middle management’. In France, there are approximately three broadly distinguishable categories of management: top management, middle management, and supervisors. Top management consists of the very few people who actually have decision-making power. In a large industrial group, only a few directors are a part of top management; they are in charge of all the group’s factories from company headquarters. The middle management staff is made up of all persons, whether functional or operational, who, because of their qualifications or seniority, have been able to rise to a certain status (level and conditions of remuneration, employment security, retirement) that has advantages over the supervisory or worker levels. In a large industrial group, this includes factory managers and their engineering or administrative assistants, and functional specialists from headquarters. Supervisors, who comprise the first and second hierarchical levels of direct management on the shop floor, are regarded as a different group. Very often, at least in the past, they were former workers who had risen from the ranks.