The Contemporary Middle Manager - One Size Does Not Fit All

Abstract

It can be argued that middle managers’ capability to facilitate strategic change is crucial in order to perform within the present business environment which is characterized by an increased pace of change, globalization, new organizational structures, and multiple changes. This paper reviews middle management literature to identify middle managers’ roles and practices in planned strategic change. Previous research has emphasized implementer to be the main role for middle managers within planned strategic change. However, I argue that a new set of challenges have emerged within contemporary organizations requiring middle managers’ to take an more expanded role during strategic change. The purpose of this article is to shed light on how the characteristics of contemporary organizations have implications for middle managers role and practices within planned strategic change.