Interim Managers Research Articles

The liability of outsiderness: professional interim managers and their on-the-job challenges

PurposeOrganisations increasingly rely on professional interim managers (PIMs), i.e. independent contractors who perform managerial work. These managers, who are usually very experienced and skilled, could help organisations drastically improve their performance. However, research has found that they often fail to do so, indicating that PIMs face unique on-the-job challenges that challenge their capability to be effective managers. In the study reported in this paper, I explored PIMs’ on-the-job challenges and how they overcome them. To better understand the various on-the-job challenges, I developed the concept of the liability of outsiderness.Design/methodology/approachI applied an exploratory approach and conducted 32 interviews with 21 PIMs.FindingsI uncovered three on-the-job challenges common and unique to PIMs – communicating the contract status and contract period, being quick off the mark and attaining power – and the ways they overcome these challenges.Practical implicationsThis paper reports findings and theory that provide several valuable guidelines for practitioners involved with interim management.Originality/valueInterim management has received little scholarly attention despite its increasing relevance. Empirical research, particularly on PIMs in executive positions, is lacking. This leaves us with little evidence to base our theories and guidelines for interim management. The study reported in this paper adds novel insights to an under-researched but important field of management. The study also introduces the liability of outsiderness concept, which holds much promise for future studies of interim management.

Leveraging liminality: how the interim manager’s liminal position facilitates knowledge transfer to client organizations

Purpose With the rise of the gig economy, management positions are increasingly staffed with flexible labor, so-called interim managers. They plunge into organizations for a limited period, operating in a liminal position as partly insider, partly outsider. Although several contributions to their client organizations are acknowledged, it is unknown how the interim manager’s knowledge from previous assignments is made useful in the new context under these particular working conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of how the interim manager’s knowledge is transferred to the client organization while operating from a liminal position. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents an interview-based multiple case study of six interim assignments where knowledge transfer is considered a social and context-dependent process. Findings The findings unveil the multifaceted nature of the liminal position, which consists of task orientation, time limitation, political detachment and cultural distance. These facets contribute to knowledge transfer in terms of new shared understandings and joint interests, which in turn might create new practices that augment continuous knowledge-sharing patterns. Originality/value The results contribute to the research on flexible work arrangements by shedding light on how the liminal position, predominantly depicted as an obstacle for the individual, might facilitate knowledge transfer. Through the process of knowledge generation, it is shown how a short-term engagement might enable the organization to increase its knowledge over time.

Knowledge transfer in interim management projects

Abstract This study aims to define the role of knowledge in a triad of factors determining effectiveness in Interim Management (IM) projects. The discussion is based on the authors’ research concept, which, in addition to knowledge, also explores the categories of trust and power. A longitudinal study using the empirical-inductive approach was conducted in Poland between 2019 and 2021. It included ten enterprises that implemented IM projects in the studied period. The results presented in this article confirm the importance of the empirically adopted study factors, including the transfer of knowledge between the Interim Manager and the client’s (organisation’s) project team. A significant relationship between the level of knowledge and the levels of trust and power emerges as particularly evident. Research can be continued to verify the authors’ initial findings and include the proposed research tools and entities representing different sectors, management cultures and geographical regions in search of additional variables and their correlations with trust, power and knowledge. The research conclusions may prove applicable to both Interim Managers (IMs) and their clients (organisations). They can be used not only for pre-project planning but also during the IM projects.

Platform workers and digital agency: Making out on three types of labor platforms.

Much of the research on platform workers has focused on individuals involved in low-skilled and highly standardized tasks. However, platform workers are not a homogeneous group. Utilizing a classification system that makes a distinction between different layers of platform control and grouping platforms according to how they divide decision rights between platforms and workers, we examine how and for what purposes platform workers operating in three types of control contexts have practiced and developed their digital agency for making out. The study, based on an analysis of platform webpages and 32 semi-structured interviews of food couriers, freelancers, and interim managers, shows that workers can exercise their digital agency on all three types of platforms, but different platforms create different conditions for this depending on their special forms of control. In addition, the forms of control also affect to what extent workers are motivated to direct their agency for making out. Instead of regarding platform work as just another layer of a periphery segment in the labor market, our analysis suggests that platforms exercising algorithmic control are new types of arenas for work, which seem to reproduce, or even amplify, the inequalities found in the offline world of work in the digital world.

Lice zaduženo za usklađenost poslovanja u Republici Srbiji - zaposleni ili privremeni menadžer?

The first part of the paper analyzes the principle of legality in business and the basic features of the compliance function. Taking into account that the principle of legality in business is one of the core pillars for achieving good corporate governance, having a person who will perform the compliance function is of great significance. The legal position of the compliance officer may be differently regulated, whether as an employee or an outsourced expert. The second part of the paper deals with these two options taking into account the standing practice in the United Kingdom and Germany, where the compliance function has a long tradition. These examples may be challenging for Serbia to follow, since its compliance function is at the very beginning, although having a compliance officer (team) as an employee should be the ultimate objective. In the meantime, the authors propose for Serbian companies to hire compliance officers as interim managers as a solution.

Regulation of Non-Governmental Organisations under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020

The Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020), seems to have revolutionized the face of corporate practice in Nigeria in recent times. The sweeping reforms enshrined in CAMA 2020 will undoubtedly accelerate economic growth and rapidly promote the ease of doing business in Nigeria. In one breath, the remarkable reforms entrenched in the Act, particularly with respect to incorporation, commencement operation of companies and business names, have been widely applauded by Nigerians. On the other hand, religious bodies, associations and other incorporated trustees (ITs) have heavily condemned some provisions in the Act, especially Part F that deals with operations of ITs and in fact some associations have called for an outright amendment of section 839 of the new Act because of the enormous powers given to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to suspend, remove and install interim managers for any incorporated trustee (IT) found wanting. This work examines the legal implications of the novel provisions embedded in CAMA 2020 as it relates to the regulation of ITs in Nigeria. A brief review is made of the Charities Act, 2011 of the United Kingdom (CA 2011), which appears to be the model for the controversial provisions CAMA 2020. The research methodology adopted in this article is doctrinal and comparative. This paper concludes that while accountability of ITs is desirable and expedient, the Commission should operate within the purview of the rule of law and eschew any tyrannical tendencies that will stifle legal operations of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) incorporated in Nigeria.

A Survey of Interim Nurse Managers to Understand the Role and the Impact on Nurse and Patient Outcomes.

The aim of this study was to describe the current state of the interim manager (IM) role and the impact of the role on job performance. Interim managers provide leadership during organizational change, yet little is known about the role and its impact on outcomes. An electronic survey was completed by 179 IMs working in acute care hospitals. Instruments included the Nurse Manager Practice Environment Scale, Decision Involvement Scale, Subjective Stress Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Brief Resilience Scale. The average tenure for IMs was 10 months. Despite moderately high levels of stress and exhaustion, IMs were resilient, positively viewed their work environment, and perceived their job performance as positively impacting nurse and patient outcomes. Interim managers were generally satisfied in their roles and likely to pursue nursing leadership as a career. Interim managers desire permanent leadership opportunities providing a pool for replacing exiting nurse managers. Support is needed to be successful.

Designing employee performance evaluation model in Isfahan municipality: an interorganizational experience

PurposeThis study aimed at developing and testing a model to evaluate employee performance in Isfahan municipality.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method design is applied in this study. To extract the model, a semi-structured interview based on the thematic analysis approach was employed. The qualitative data were obtained using a researcher-made questionnaire from a sample of 12 municipal experts selected based on purposive sampling. In the quantitative phase, the sample consisted of 76 managers and interim managers. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by the content validity index, while the structural validity was tested based on structural equation modeling using SmartPLS software. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability indices.FindingsThe factors obtained in the qualitative model included performance evaluation criteria, the desired time interval for performance evaluation, results announcement, performance evaluation approach, performance evaluation method and evaluator-related variables. There should have been an agreement between evaluators and those who were evaluated in all components of the model. In the quantitative section, performance evaluation criteria, evaluators, the evaluation method and time interval were confirmed with coefficients of 0.871, 0.815, 0.646 and 0.615, respectively.Practical implicationsThe novelty of this study is that it uses a mixed-method research approach to extract a performance evaluation model that is specific to the Isfahan municipality.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is that it uses a mixed-method research approach to extract a performance evaluation model that is specific to the Isfahan municipality.

A sustainable career for interim managers: the role of career communities

PurposeThis study examines how the collective construction of career sustainability takes place through a career community of interim managers.Design/methodology/approachWe draw on 31 interviews with interim managers who are part of a career community in the form of a professional association of interim managers in France.FindingsThe findings show the importance of career communities as a vehicle through which to create a sustainable career. More specifically, we show that occupational career communities provide mutual and reciprocal career support, collective being and belonging through sense-making as well as collective learning leading to the collective creation of a sustainable career.Originality/valueWe add to the literature on sustainable careers by providing a collective community-level analysis and make a theoretical contribution by using the concept of career communities in shedding light on the career sustainability of interim managers. In the light of the increase in non-standard forms of employment, career communities might become an interesting vehicle for career management and development.

Effective interim leadership and management: development of a cyclical model of interim assignments

PurposeThis paper reviews literature on interim leadership and management through the lens of effective interim performance. The purpose of this review is to advance understanding of interim assignment performance and the antecedent individual psychological characteristics of effective interim leaders and managers, to improve the practice of managing interim leaders from a human resources (HR) perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports a targeted review of the literature on interim leadership and management.FindingsThe main proposition from this review is that the influence of individual factors on interim performance operates within the stages and contexts of assignments. Accordingly, the authors propose a framework of the demands on interim assignments (the interim assignment cycle), comprising stages of preparation, entry, delivery and exit. The paper subsequently reviews evidence of the potential individual characteristics (focussing on individual differences in personality, leadership approach, motivation and competencies) of effective preparation and entry to an assignment, actions and performance during an assignment and exit/disengagement.Practical implicationsThe findings of the review have implications for the selection and placement of interims into organizations and their management once appointed.Originality/valueThe main original contribution of the paper is to provide a framework around which interim assignments can be modelled and better understood. The paper discusses implications for future research, theory and human resource management practice and calls for a renewed research effort in this critical area of management and leadership.

M&A Post-merger integration – istota i rola dobrze przygotowanego przejęcia

Ponad połowa fuzji i przejęć kończy się zniszczeniem wartości (value destruction) dla akcjonariuszy. W długim okresie – ponad 5 lat – tylko niektóre fuzjei przejęcia wnoszą wartość dodaną dla obu stron transakcji. Integracja – spółki przejmowanej do aktywów nabywcy po połączeniu – jest jednym z problemów związanych z tworzeniem wartości (value creation) w transakcjach fuzji i przejęć. Większość członków kierownictwa zaangażowanych w proces M&A koncentruje się na procesie badania spółki (due dilligience) lub aspektach proceduralnych „zakupu”. Przygotowanie odpowiedniego planu integracji dla firmy często jest elementem odkładanym na później, a jest on jednym z kluczowych elementów procesu przejęcia. Należy podkreślić, że istnieje szereg kluczowych aspektów, które należy wziąć pod uwagę – od ustalenia celów i wskaźników efektywności dla kadry kierowniczej po zrozumienie „ekosystemu”, w którym działa firma i jej interesariuszy. Komunikacja jest także jednym z wiodących problemów w integracji po fuzji i przejęciach. W ostatnich latach pojawiła się nowa koncepcja tymczasowych menedżerów (interim manager). Osoba odpowiedzialna za projekt integracji bywa nazywana menedżerem integracji (post-M&A manager). Osoba taka może zostać oddelegowana zarówno na stanowisko członka zarządu ds. finansowych jak i operacyjnych czy handlowych. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest wyjaśnienie znaczenia procesu integracji po połączeniu, a także przybliżenie roli menedżera integracji.

Interim Management as a New Approach to the Company Management

The article presented the importance of employing interim managers in the conditions of rapid changes in the business environment. The significance of interim management as a modern approach to management was highlighted. The author also pondered on how the companies of the future should be managed. Furthermore, the author presented his own experiences and findings acquired from projects he had carried out as an interim manager. The readers’ attention was drawn to the impact of the interim management on the organisational entrepreneurship.

Knowledge Acquisition – Sharing Based on Interim Manager Experiences

Intellectual capital is one of the most important organisational resources, so Knowledge Management (KM) belongs to the everyday activities in business life. An especially critical step of KM is knowledge acquisition and sharing, which is to make up for knowledge gaps in order to achieve a higher level of organisational performance. Organisational practice turns to solutions more and more, which acquire the necessary knowledge with the help of external sources. A possible solution is employing interim managers, who have gained extensive knowledge by solving the problems of different organisations. The interim manager, as a knowledge manager, brings the new knowledge into the organisation, develops, transfers, uses and preserve it. In our qualitative research, using the logic of an own model, we tried to identify the phases, in which the process of KM and the activity of the interim manager are connected. A structured in-depth interview was used to collect information that was evaluated using the NVivo program. The result shows that, in most cases, managerial and professional knowledge is also transferred, and the interim managers are valuable to enterprises for their tacit knowledge. Knowledge transfer and development are the result of collaboration, knowledge generation through shared thinking, and knowledge development through that individuals solve complex problems on their own. In every case, a prerequisite of successful knowledge transfer (and its integration into organisational memory) is the trust developed between the sponsor and the interim manager. The study introduces the reader to the details of the research.

Interim Managers in the CFO Role in Medium-sized Companies: Literature Overview, Conceptual Approach, and Empirical Study

This study aims to provide interim managers in CFO roles in medium-sized businesses ideas on how to contribute to the success of a company within the limited time they have their assignment. A significant proportion of interim projects are in Small and Medium-sized Companies related to finance, controlling and accounting. In this paper, the impact of interim managers in the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role in medium-sized companies and organizational capabilities on interim assignment outcomes regarding project success, company success, and CFO value contributions are evaluated. This research used quantitative research where the number of respondents was 167 interim CFOs as respondents from 22 European countries. The research has shown that they can deliver value, in particular, their CFO value contributions. Project success and Company success are determined by the organization agility rather than the interim manager. A recommendation is, therefore, to assess the companys agility at a very early stage and to discuss any deficits identified with the client. This avoids disappointment during the project if specific changes and improvements are not feasible due to a lack of corporate agility.

Interim management – nowy trend w zatrudnianiu menedżerów w przedsiębiorstwach

The concept of interim management (IM) is still relatively little known in Poland. However, it can become widespread and highly regarded solution in the Polish enterprises as a result of striving to increase labour mobility and flexibility of employment forms in the European Union. The aim of the paper is the analysis of the possibilities of implementing the concept of interim management as a flexible form of employment in the modern enterprise. At the outset, the essence and genesis of the concept of interim management has been presented. In the following part, the labour market for interim managers in Europe and Poland has been characterized. The comparison of this form of flexible employment and other forms used in Polish companies has been conducted. In the final part of the article, the key benefits and risks of implementation the concept of IM for the company as well as for interim managers have been identified.

Cooperation despite contingency: what accounts for cooperative behaviour of contingent managerial workers?

Previous empirical results have revealed two particular mechanisms influencing cooperative or extra-role behaviour of contingent employees. These are the mechanism of instrumentality, mainly driven by contingent employees’ desire for a permanent position, and the mechanism of social exchange, based on the ‘norm of reciprocity’ (Gouldner in Am Sociol Rev 25:161–178, 1960) between employer and employee. For the most part the cooperative behaviour studied among contingent workers has been restricted to non-managerial positions. But is it also possible to transfer these mechanisms to contingent employees in managerial positions? A quantitative study of contingent (self-employed) workers in managerial positions (also called ‘interim managers’) was carried out among 133 German interim managers. The results of regression analysis reveal that social exchange as well as instrumentality mechanism can facilitate cooperative behaviour of contingent employees in managerial positions. However, the aspects of social exchange, especially task autonomy, seem to be more relevant to the cooperative behaviour of these individuals.

The role of interim managers in performance improvement: evidence from English local authorities

This article shows how interim managers use the ambiguity of being perceived as both an insider and outsider to an organization to manage difficult situations in the process of turnaround from poor performance. Their temporary involvement with an organization allows them to support staff, as well as deal with urgent managerial and governance issues. Their contributions to the improvement of organization performance often take place in the early stages of the process and remain largely invisible. Reducing management in the public sector in order to cut the cost of delivery may put organizational performance at risk.

Get the best from interim managers

Get the best from interim managers

Leadership in organisational change: Rules for successful hiring in interim management

It is not sufficient for managers who hire an interim manager to do no more than choose ‘the right person for the job’ for their change projects. Too many change processes fail and that's not only due to what the interim managers do. The hiring managers themselves can do more to create success. They have many more possibilities than only in the selection phase. This article discusses a number of rules or action repertoire for this purpose. This repertoire is based on a study into the factors of success and failure for interim management in projects of organisational change. We suggest that hiring managers should focus their attention on the cooperation of all stakeholders. They might take a pioneering role in the professionalisation of all persons involved in the organisational change.

Cultural Differences and Managerial Behaviour: European and Asian Interim Managers

Cultural Differences and Managerial Behaviour: European and Asian Interim Managers