Middle Management Involvement Research Articles

EMPLOYEES’ RESISTANCE TO CHANGE DURING POST-MERGER INTEGRATION IN SERVICES ORGANISATIONS

Mergers and acquisitions are an important strategic option for a corporation to drive higher growth and profitability. Despite significant investments being made in mergers and acquisitions, past experiences indicate that many mergers and acquisitions fail. The failure is often attributed to employees’ resistance to change. Factors, such as organisation change, culture, leadership, trust, and communication, among others, lead to employees’ resistance to change. This issue has a significant impact on service organisations since human capital is their key source of competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to determine factors influencing employees’ resistance to change during the post-merger integration. This paper synthesises findings from a systemised literature review of ‘peer-reviewed’ research papers, published from November 2020 to November 2023, in ProQuest and EBSCOhost databases with keywords ‘employees’ resistance to change’ and ‘post-merger integration’. The findings establish strategies managers could adopt such as creating a continuous learning environment, recognition of the existence of subcultures within a culture, greater involvement of middle managers in the integration phase, devising an appropriate reward plan for early adopters, and focusing on the pace of changes. The study outcomes will help organisations in designing effective post-merger integration programmes leading to efficient use of capital.

Knowledge network structure and middle management involvement as determinants of TMT members’ ambidexterity: A multilevel analysis

Even though scholars have widely asserted that ambidextrous organizations need ambidextrous managers, we still know relatively little about the emergence of ambidextrous behaviours among top management team (TMT) members. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding about how TMT networks and middle management involvement in decision-making collectively shape the ability of TMT members to deal successfully with the exploration–exploitation paradox. Through in-depth interviews and a multilevel analysis of internal networks of 123 TMT members in 20 public hospitals, results suggest that leaders' centrality and the density of TMT networks shape the ability of TMT members to behave ambidextrously. The framework of this paper also incorporates the role of middle management, critical in linking the strategic apex and the operating core, and thereby supporting TMT members’ ambidextrous behaviour. Various theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Scaling scrum with a customized nexus framework: A report from a joint industry‐academia research project

AbstractDespite a wide range of scaling frameworks available, large‐scale agile transformations are not straightforward undertakings. Few organizations have structures in place that fit the predefined workflows – while once one applies an off‐the‐shelf framework outside of its prescribed process, guidance quickly runs out. In this paper, we demonstrate how to instantiate a method configuration process using a lightweight experimental approach embedded in Action Research cycles. The proposed approach was developed to assist practitioners working on a multiple‐team project at Intel Technology Poland to find the right practices to continue their Nexus‐based transformation and integrate their in‐house method into the already established company structures, processes, and routines. In particular, it enabled identifying a series of challenges with scaled practices and coping with those. The challenges ranged from logistical problems, through poor availability of the Product Owner, to lackluster knowledge transfer and a wide array of communication/coordination issues at meetings. The study broadens the current body of knowledge within technology management and the scaled agile method‐tailoring domain. It indicates potential corrective actions that may be taken advantage of by entities that are not inclined, due to organizational constraints, to directly implement an off‐the‐shelf framework. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that a gradual transition to large‐scale agile at the project level (1) is possible with the preservation of traditional command‐and‐control management practices; (2) requires neither middle management involvement nor upfront investment; and (3) does not need to disrupt the continuous delivery of the product.

Influence of Championing Alternatives on Strategy Execution in Insurance Companies in Kenya

The purpose of the research was to establish the influence of championing alternatives on strategy execution in insurance companies in Kenya. The study also examined how organizational culture moderates the relationship between middle level management involvement and strategy execution in insurance companies in Kenya. The study targeted Kenyan insurance sector with a population of 436 middle managers. The study was guided by the positivism philosophy and used a descriptive correlational research design. . The population of study was 436 middle level managers in all the 49 insurance companies in Kenya. The sample size computed upon using the Yamane (1967) formula revealed a sample size of 209 respondents. A correlational result clearly demonstrated that championing alternatives significantly correlated with effective strategy executive, r (174) = 0.568, p < 0.05. the analysis revealed that there was a strong and positive relationship between championing alternatives and strategy execution among middle level managers in insurance sector in Kenya. The study also revealed that organizational culture positively and significantly moderated the relationship between championing alternatives and strategy execution, β = .059, t(173) = 5.436, p <.05. A manager who is an organizational champion is admired and influences employees.

The significance of employee behaviours and soft management practices to avoid digital waste during a digital transformation

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived effects between soft management practices, employee behaviours and the implementation of digital technologies in manufacturing plants, as well as how these relate to the emergence of digital waste.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses case-based research. Data was collected in two large manufacturing companies based in Norway and Sweden through semi-structured interviews with two management representatives and four shop-floor employees. The data was used to evaluate 29 variables describing lean- and total quality management (TQM)-associated employee behaviours and soft management practices, in light of digital transformation.FindingsThe results suggest that several variables were positively influenced by the digital transformation process. These were top management leadership, middle management involvement, employee education, corporate social responsibility focus, innovation, knowledge sharing, work-family balance, psychological capital, job satisfaction and career commitment. Training employees, creativity, discretionary effort, turnover intention and proactivity appear to be negatively influenced by digital transformation The findings also indicate that several soft management practices and employee behaviours were not only influenced by manufacturing digitalization but also themselves influenced the process. The potential for digital waste creation was also detected in several variables, including reward and recognition and training employees.Practical implicationsManagers, practitioners and academics may learn about the importance of certain managerial practices and employees’ behavioural needs during the digital transformation process. The findings may help in prioritizing TQM and soft lean management practices and certain employee behaviours during the digital transformation and in creating awareness of digital waste.Originality/valueThis study builds on several existing studies discussing the impact of digital transformation on soft management practices and employee behaviours. It provides insights from a lean and TQM angle and offers a means of prioritizing certain practices and behaviours during a digital transformation. This study also highlights the significance of digital waste.

Entrepreneurship-driven organizational transformation for sustainability: a sensemaking lens

PurposeThis paper adopts a sensemaking lens to explore the process of entrepreneurship-driven organizational transformation for sustainability.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis is based on an in-depth case study of a large European meat company. Sensemaking by top and middle managers is analyzed over the period of 18 months.FindingsThe findings show how, over time, bidirectional sensemaking, that is, sensemaking for and of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship, directed and accelerated organizational transformation for sustainability. The case company transformed with regard to organizational strategy, structure, operations and identity. The process revealed temporally different involvement of top and middle managers in sensemaking.Originality/valueThis paper offers unique insights into fast and emergent sustainability-oriented change in an established organization within a highly topical context. The results highlight how continuous and increasingly shared sensemaking can help top and middle managers navigate organizational change for sustainability in dynamic environments over time.

The Impact of CEO Narcissism and Counterproductive Work Behaviors in Involvement of Middle Managers in the Strategy Process

This research aims to develop a theoretical framework to explain the conditions that facilitate or hinder the strategic roles of middle managers, such as the effects of CEO narcissism on the strategic roles of middle managers through the moderating effects of counterproductive work behaviors. This research examines these issues in the context of large Tunisian companies participating in Industrial Upgrading Program. The results show that CEO narcissism positively influences the counterproductive work behaviors of middle managers, which in turn negatively influences the strategic roles of middle managers. Consequently, this negative influence calls into question the SRMMs and clearly shows that the presence of the CEO narcissism constitutes an unfavorable condition for the involvement of middle managers in strategy process. Obviously, this should lead the defendants of the involvement of middle managers in strategy process to rethink this participatory approach, and this by considering the conditions that facilitate or hinder the strategic roles of middle managers.

Opportunity or Threat? Exploring Middle Manager Roles in the Face of Digital Transformation

There has been much controversy concerning the effects of automation on the role of middle managers in contemporary organizations. Some scholars adopt the “automation-as-a-threat” perspective to argue that middle manager roles will disappear with digital automation. Yet, others take a “automation-as-an-opportunity” view to underscore the advantages digital technology offers to individuals and organizations. Drawing on role theory, we develop a framework that reconciles these opposing views, and argue that the effect of digital transformation on middle management involvement in strategic decision-making depends on which middle-management tasks are automated. Data from 74 middle managers of large firms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, show that automation of routine tasks can help middle managers to build capacity (both, in terms of time and cognition), offering opportunities to become more involved in strategic decision-making. At the same time, the automation of non- routine tasks precludes middle-managers’ meaningful engagement with strategic narratives. Overall, our study highlights that digital transformation is a double-edged sword for middle managers’ involvement in strategic decision-making – and its effects depend on which aspects are replaced by digital technology.

Influencing factors on energy management in industries

Energy management has been considered in the global agenda as a way to improve energy performance and greenhouse gas reduction in organizations. Industries account for a significant part of energy use worldwide and present opportunities for energy efficiency improvements. Within the industry, energy management is a complex task, regarding scenarios with variables related to the following perspectives: economics, contingency, technological change and behavioural. This paper aims at analyzing the influencing factors on energy management in industries from these perspectives. A survey with 40 variables was carried out with middle managers from different industrial sectors in Brazil. The variables were divided into three groups: drivers for investments in energy efficiency; organizational processes and actions in energy management; involvement of middle managers. Initially, an exploratory factor analysis technique was employed aiming at specifying the main factors influencing energy management. In the sequence, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to associate the variables to the main factors as well as to know how the factors relate to each other. The study showed a positive correlation among all the factors identified. Statistical tests suggested that the factors could not be explained separately. Hypotheses tests were applied to verify the influence of the factors among the groups surveyed. The final model comprised eight factors into the three groups: organizational (strategic, operational), involvement (motivation, support), drivers (production, economics, competitiveness, environment). The results and the main implications of the study are discussed in the paper.

What, when, and who: Manager involvement in predicting employee resistance to acquisition integration

AbstractApplying sensemaking research to acquisition integration, we outline factors that influence employee resistance to acquisitions. While integration is widely viewed as important to acquisition outcomes, there is limited systematic study of how employees react to the integration process. Using survey data from Chinese acquirers and applying partial least squares structural equation modeling, we examine what changes with human and task integration with the speed of when changes are made to explore relationships with employee resistance. Consistent with a temporal perspective of acquisition processes and sensemaking we find slower task integration may mitigate employee resistance to acquisition integration. However, employee resistance to the speed that changes are made likely varies for who is involved, suggesting different roles for top and middle managers. Specifically, middle management involvement with slow human integration and top management involvement with fast task integration reduces employee resistance following an acquisition.

Navigating in a Hierarchy: How Middle Managers Adapt Macro Design

With the emergence of new organizational forms promoting de-layering, downscoping, and self-management, middle managers have been under attack in recent years. Organizational design has traditionally been concerned with how top management designs organizations, and little is known about the role of middle managers in organizational design. Based on a case study of a reorganization in a leading food production company, this paper contributes to existing research on organizational design by advancing the knowledge of the role of middle managers in organizational design. It contributes to an understanding of organizational design as an iterative process that require active involvement of middle managers in designing micro dimensions of a macro design. In doing so, I provide an extension of prior work, which mainly focuses on vertical interactions and middle managers’ efforts to implement the intent of top management. I introduce a new middle manager role, designing, that relies on lateral rather than vertical coordination and interaction. I show how this role creates micro-level organizational elements needed to realize the intent behind top management’s strategy and make the macro structural arrangements work. These findings elevate the importance of middle managers in new forms of organizing.

Middle management involvement in resource allocation: The evolution of automated teller machines and bank branches in India

Research SummaryManagers at multiple levels of a firm influence resource allocation but most research focuses on senior rather than middle managers. We study involvement of middle managers in decision making, focusing on how rewards and controls shape resource allocation. We argue that higher income growth uncertainty (rewards) and lower monitoring (controls) increase resource allocation most strongly when middle managers are more involved in decisions. We test the arguments for ATM and bank branch allocations in Indian banks from 2011 to 2014. We assess causal mechanisms by comparing more and less favorable conditions for allocation, as well as considering a poststudy exogenous shock. The results suggest that the rewards and controls have different associations with resource allocation depending on the involvement of senior and middle managers.Managerial SummaryThe study examines how rewards and controls shape resource allocation decisions by middle managers, focusing on rewards arising from uncertainty about employee income and controls based on monitoring. The work suggests that rewards and controls that influence resource allocation by one level of managers may have less effect for another level. Hence, a firm's plans for resource deployment need to include rewards and controls that are relevant for both senior and middle managers.

Interactive profit-planning systems and market turbulence: A dynamic capabilities perspective

This article describes, theorizes and empirically investigates the concept of interactive profit-planning systems (PPS) through the lens of the dynamic capabilities logic. With this conceptualization: interactive PPS capabilities comprise budgeting, forecasting and results-reporting routines, in which top and middle managers interact to create knowledge for sensing, seizing, and business model reconfiguring (to manage strategic business change). Survey data from 331 Australian firms is analyzed employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The data provides support for two hypotheses: (1) greater market turbulence strengthens the positive effect of interactive PPS capabilities on business unit performance; and (2) greater market turbulence strengthens the positive effect of flexibility values (of organizational culture) on interactive PPS capabilities. Our findings show that interactive PPS capabilities function according to the salient tenets of the dynamic capabilities logic, and clarify the beneficial roles of formal cybernetic control systems and the intertwined involvement of top and middle managers in using dynamic capabilities.

Re-examining the impact of strategic roles of middle managers on the organisational performance in emerging country companies

The purpose of this study is to extend the foundational work of Wooldridge and Floyd from their 1990 study, to determine if the held view of the importance of middle managers in strategy process of developed country companies is still valid in emerging country companies. A survey questionnaire has been distributed to 350 CEOs of large Tunisian companies involved in the upgrading program. The application of structural equation methods leads to results that support previous research on the effects of strategic roles of middle managers on strategy formulation and organisational performance. The involvement of middle managers in strategy formulation varies depending on only two roles: championing alternatives and synthesising information. However, the impact of this involvement of middle managers in strategy formulation on organisational performance varies depending on all strategic roles: facilitating adaptability, implementing deliberate strategy, synthesising information, and championing alternatives.

Impact of strategic roles of middle managers on the relationship between successful strategy implementation and organisational performance

Many researches have confirmed the importance of middle management involvement in strategy formulation and have demonstrated that middle managers have strategic roles which positively influence the relationship between strategy formulation and organisational performance. In line with these researches, this research aims to exploit the results of these researches, and test them on strategy implementation. It assumes that strategic roles of middle managers could have a positive impact on successful strategy implementation and thus on the relationship between successful strategy implementation and organisational performance. This general hypothesis was tested among a representative sample of 364 large Tunisian companies involved in the upgrading program. The results of the application of structural equation methods show that facilitating adaptability, implementing deliberate strategy and championing alternatives, except synthesising information, has not only a direct effect on the successful strategy implementation, but also an indirect effect on the relationship between successful strategy implementation and organisational performance.

Middle management involvement in handling variable patient flows

PurposeThis study aims to explore the involvement of middle management in forming strategies to manage variable acute patient flows at a hospital.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical evidence from a university hospital was gathered via interviews, internal documents, observation and participation in meetings. The role of middle management in the development of strategies was analyzed using literature on middle management involvement.FindingsIn managing variable acute patient flows, middle management adopts a number of roles and behavioral characteristics that have been previously described in research. The role of facilitator is the most prominent, with middle managers prioritizing individual goals and strategies for the clinical departments that they manage before their collective responsibility for hospital performance. Unclear responsibilities and mandates within the organization, together with a lack of hospital-wide strategies concerning how the acute patient flow should be managed, are contributing factors to this behavior.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on an explorative, single case study methodology. Future research assessing the extent of different middle management roles in health care, in which more empirical data and quantitative analysis is conducted, is encouraged.Practical implicationsThere is a need for top management to establish long-term goals to enhance middle management roles when developing strategies for managing variable patient flows.Originality/valueMiddle management involvement in developing strategies for managing variable patient flows is a novel topic for research. The interface and division of tasks between top and middle management is crucial for successful strategies in managing variable patient flows.

Influence of Organizational Culture on Strategic Involvement of Middle Level Managers in Public Forest Sector in Kenya

This study sought to explore the organizational culture and its impact on management in the context of Public Forest Sector institution in Kenya. It particularly considered the extent to which organizational culture influence strategic involvement of middle levels managers. The study was carried out using descriptive survey due to the levels of objectivity required and the ease to make comparisons between the effects of organizational culture on strategic involvement of middle level managers in the Public Forest Sector. Using quantitative data was necessary to determine whether any statistical relationship exist between the organizational culture profile and the involvement in the strategy process by middle level managers in the research organization. The targeted population was the middle level managers based at the organization’s headquarter and field offices. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain a sample proportional to 10% of the population. Culture rating was found to be very accommodative to the employees. Furthermore, management is advised to find ways of encouraging team work and also incorporate and involve the employees in decision making to enhance the organizational culture of the institution. It has also been recommended that employees should be allowed to give feedback on management issues as part of fostering growth of culture. The study revealed that the management has maintained a good working environment by consistently giving opportunities to the employees to make their contribution with regard to decision making. Communication between workers and their immediate supervisors has also been found out to be good. In turn, this could lead to better output from employees.

Employee judgments of and behaviors toward corporate social responsibility: A multi‐study investigation of direct, cascading, and moderating effects

SummaryDo employee judgments of their organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs relate to CSR‐specific performance and in‐role job performance? Can middle managers influence the formation of such judgments and what factors might moderate such cascading influences? To answer these yet unaddressed questions, we conduct three studies. Study 1 takes an organizational justice perspective and tests our baseline model. Results show that employees' CSR judgments trigger their affective commitment and performance on extra‐role CSR‐specific behaviors; however, extra‐role CSR‐specific performance is unrelated to in‐role job performance. Study 2 replicates Study 1's findings while, in addition, applies a social information processing approach and offers novel insights by demonstrating the cascading effects of managers' CSR judgments on employee CSR judgments. Investments made in CSR programs in order to improve employee judgments and behaviors may be unsuccessful if employees' CSR judgments are based on social information that remains unchanged. In addition to replicating the findings from studies 1 and 2, study 3 draws from middle management involvement and leadership theories to show that leadership styles and managers' involvement in implementing deliberate strategy can strengthen or weaken these cascading effects. This highlights the important role of middle managers as “linking pins” in the CSR strategy implementation process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development through Fractals: Strategic and Operational Cycles in Healthcare Collaborations

This paper addresses the development of healthcare collaborations by examining how inter-organizational strategic and operational processes unfold and are aligned with each other. Based on Ring and Van de Ven’s (1994) process model of inter-organizational cooperation, we examine the set-up and implementation of a Dutch healthcare network, and identify the following main insights. First, the network’s inter-organizational strategic and operational processes consisted of recursive and intertwined cycles of negotiation, commitment, and execution. Second, these intertwined cycles, while broadly informed by each other’s commitments, nevertheless appeared to largely develop in parallel. Finally, the partners’ strategic interests and operational activities were tacitly aligned through the involvement of middle managers in both the strategic and the operational processes. Our findings help to further open the black box of how inter-organizational healthcare collaboration develop, with a series of practical implications for healthcare managers.

The mediating role of organizational capabilities in the relationship between middle managers’ involvement and firm performance: A European study

Summary During the recent decades, management research has paid a lot of attention to the importance of middle managers’ involvement and middle managers’ knowledge in the running of innovative organizations. This study is in line with a growing literature on the crucial role of middle managers in developing organizational capabilities and subsequently in improving company performance. It is suggested that the involvement of middle managers adds value not only to the implementation of strategy but also to its formulation. The objective of this study is to examine how the involvement of middle managers in the strategy making process and their autonomy contribute to developing organizational capabilities and, as a result, to improving firm performance. In other words, we tested the mediating role of organizational capabilities on the relationship between middle managers’ involvement, middle managers’ autonomy and company performance. To this end, we conducted a quantitative empirical study among 372 European companies that reveals that organizational capabilities play a mediating role in the relationship between middle managers’ involvement, middle managers’ autonomy and firm performance.