Middle Managers Research Articles

Human resource management in small enterprises

Small enterprises with fewer than 50 employees form the backbone of the economy in many countries and significantly contribute to gross domestic product, employment, and exports. Given their importance and role in economic development, economies can benefit from a strong, productive, innovative, growing small enterprises sector. Employees play an essential role in the development of small enterprises. For this reason, it is important to examine the extent to which small enterprise owners pay attention to human resource management and its development. Previous research on human resource management has mainly focused on large enterprises, while there is little evidence on how small enterprises manage and develop their employees. This paper analyses the approach to human resource management in two small Croatian enterprises. Based on six semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with three different groups of employees – the senior manager, the middle manager, and the senior staff, two qualitative case studies were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the approach to managing and developing employees in small enterprises. The findings suggest that small enterprise managers know the importance of their employees and the need to support their future development. Although small enterprises implement and adapt human resource management practices according to their capabilities and limitations, it is evident that fostering and empowering employees is embedded in their organizational culture.

The influence of human resource management policies on employee behaviour related outcomes and organisational resilience during COVID-19

PurposeThis study examines the effect of Human Resource Management (HRM) policies in respect to workplace flexibility and employee empowerment on two employee behaviour related outcomes (employee organisational commitment (EOC) and collegiality) and organisational resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using an online survey questionnaire managed by Qualtrics. The questionnaire was distributed to the lower, middle and senior managers of 1,000 Australian organisations with 337 responses used in the analysis.FindingsThe findings indicate that workplace flexibility exhibits a direct and indirect (through collegiality) significant positive association with organisational resilience, and employee empowerment exhibits a direct and indirect (through both EOC and collegiality) significant positive association with organisational resilience.Originality/valueThe results highlight the importance of implementing desirable HRM policies in respect to empowering employees and enhancing workplace flexibility due to their role in facilitating organisational resilience both directly and indirectly through their influence on employee behaviour related outcomes, specifically EOC and collegiality.

Empowering SMEs for the digital future: unveiling training needs and nurturing ecosystem support

ABSTRACT Previous studies show that digital transition brings several benefits and challenges for companies. Among those challenges, particularly for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), the main one is increased capacitation, from technical roles to management. Considering this, the main objective of this study is to identify the training needs and the ecosystem support in the face of the digital transition for Portuguese manufacturing SMEs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with industry experts and company professionals in the automotive and textile sectors. It was concluded that all workers, from technical roles to middle and top management, need more digital capabilities and would benefit from training programmes. The most desired areas for training are data science, virtualisation skills, quality assurance, technical training, and soft skills. The preferred format is physical (or hybrid at most) during working hours and with theoretical training before on-the-job learning. Both industrial companies and experts believe in the value of involving external entities in the training of employees, with the three most referred entities being technology and interface centres, universities, and business associations.

Recognizing and Describing the Factors Affecting the Design of the Innovation Ecosystem Model in the Field of Health with an Emphasis on the Role of E-Government

Background: Development of innovation issues in countries has led to the formation of new concepts in this field. Some of these concepts include innovation systems ranging from national, sectoral, etc., innovation networks, commercialization, and innovation ecosystems. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to design recognition and description of the factors affecting the design of the ecosystem model of innovation in the field of health with an emphasis on the role of e-government. Methods: The type of qualitative study is a type of theory. A semi-structured interview was used to gather information. And the analysis of Strauss and Corbyn's method and the paradoxical model were used. The samples were selected through targeted sampling. And finally, 7 senior and middle managers of government and non-governmental hospitals in Yazd province entered the study. Results: The model designed in this study includes the effective dimensions and components, obstacles and strategies, causal conditions, contextual, intermediary and constituent elements that are the pivotal phenomenon, Shows the consequences and strategies. identifiers and Ecosystem Factors Innovation 37 Concepts, 4 Main categories Enabling policies and regulations, Access to data and infrastructure، funding and validation opportunities and ease of acceptance and dissemination of innovations (from interviews and research literature) were formulated in the form of a conceptual model Conclusion: The process of study was explained in the form of the story line of the electronic government data theory. Finally, the innovation ecosystem model in the field of biotechnology was designed and analyzed. Finally, this model can be used to design an innovation ecosystem in the field of health.

Differentiation Strategy and the Performance of Medical Insurance Companies in Kenya

Against a backdrop of escalating global competition, health insurance firms grapple with the need to stand out amidst a saturated market. The study recognizes the imperative for organizations to adopt differentiation strategies, with a focus on product, personnel, distribution, and image differentiation. Acknowledging the current dearth of comprehensive research in the Kenyan context, the research problem centres on the critical need to investigate the extent to which differentiation strategies influence the performance of health insurance companies in the region. The general objective of the study was to investigate the effect of differentiation strategy on performance of Health Insurance Companies in Kenya. Drawing on established theories such as Porter's Competitive Advantage Model, Upper Echelons Theory, Resource-Based View, and Transaction Cost Economics, the study employs a multi-theoretical framework to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex relationships between differentiation strategies and organizational outcomes. Adopting the descriptive research design, the target population comprises 980 employees in the medical insurance firms in the top management and middle level management in Nairobi, drawn from the respective insurance firms’ Human Resources Departments. Employing a multi-stage sampling technique, the established sample size is 101 top and middle level management staff who were reached by stratified random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was the main data collection instrument and was distributed through a drop-and- pick- latter approach. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics measures of mean and standard deviation was used, while for inferential statistics, regression equations were employed. The study established that product differentiation strategy, personnel differentiation strategy, product differentiation strategy and image differentiation strategy had a positive significant effect on performance of health insurance companies in Kenya. The study concludes that product differentiation is the key aspect distinguishing one company’s products or services from its competition. Personnel differentiation strategy gives an organization the ability to respond in time to the needs of their members through the skills and knowledge of employees. A differentiated distribution strategy allows insurance companies to expand their sale potential by getting their product in front of more potential customers. An effective image establishes the product's character and value proposition and a person responds differently to company and brand images. The study recommends that the insurance companies should consider opportunities for differentiation in all of its production areas: marketing, product management, engineering, sales, and customer support. Organizations looking to build personnel differentiation strategy will need to produce or design extremely unique or distinctive products or services that create increased value for the consumer. The insurance companies should devote resources to channel management preferably at least one dedicated manager whose sole responsibility is to manage those relationships and build the marketing programs to drive revenue through the channel. The insurance companies should identify their brand gaps, which are the discrepancies between their desired and actual brand performance.

Middle Management Leadership Experiences of a Mission-Driven Innovation University Strategy

Middle Management Leadership Experiences of a Mission-Driven Innovation University Strategy

Disempowered by Leadership: Tales from the Middle of the Organisational Pyramid

In this article we explore middle-level managers’ stories of their experiences in which they were either empowered or disempowered by organisational leadership. An exploration of the stories reveals how leaders can, inadvertently, erode the power and the authority of middle-level managers. An unintended consequence of leadership’s involvement in decisions that are middle mangers’ domain, disempowerment at the middle management level in an organisation arising out of leadership decisions offers an alternate way to explore and understand leadership and middle-management disempowerment in organisations.

Empowering leadership and team change capability: the mediating effect of team PsyCap

PurposeBased on Resource Conservation (COR) theory, this study explores the antecedent of team change capability, which consists of the dimensions of learning, process and context and examines how, under the empowering leadership (EL) of middle managers, team change capability (TCC) may be built through team psychological capital (TPSyCap).Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted with 853 respondents and 55 teams from 11 leading autonomous higher education institutions (AHEIs) in Indonesia.FindingsThe results show that EL is positively related to TPsyCap, which mediates the relationship between EL and TCC, particularly for TCC learning capability. However, TPsyCap does not mediate the effect of EL on TCC process capability and TCC- context capability.Originality/valueThis study enriches existing leadership literature, which is considered relevant in building organizational change capabilities, particularly on a team level. Furthermore, the findings reveal TPsyCap is an important intervention mechanism in catalyzing the relationship between EL and TCC.

Walking the tight rope of DEI implementation: paradox mindset and emotional capabilities as preconditions for middle managers' success.

Walking the tight rope of DEI implementation: paradox mindset and emotional capabilities as preconditions for middle managers' success.

Caught in the middle: The importance of interprofessional communication between healthcare middle managers in hospitals

Caught in the middle: The importance of interprofessional communication between healthcare middle managers in hospitals

PERSONAL QUALITIES IMPORTANT FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF THE MODERN MIDDLE LEVEL MANAGER

The peculiarity of this level of management lies in the fact that the middle level manager is the organizer and supervisor of the process of implementation of decisions and actions taken by high-level managers. The modern management system, along with rapid changes in socio-economic conditions, also makes special demands on the middle level manager. In the conditions of modern imperatives, the focus of attention is on the issue of matching the characteristics of managerial activity and the psychological qualities of the manager, which can be the basis for effective activity and professional development. The professional development of middle-level managers is determined by a unique combination of important professional psychological qualities, namely: emotional intelligence, thinking, voluntary self-regulation, social-communication knowledge. The conducted research works provide an opportunity to state that conscientiousness, self-regulation of behavior, and creativity are important personal qualities for a modern middle level manager. Creativity is also characteristic of middle level managers: it is above average among middle level managers. It means that we can talk about such important professional qualities of a modern middle level manager as conscientiousness, control of behavior and creativity.

Organizational Resilience and the Attention-Based View of the Firm—Empirical Evidence from German SMEs

The need for organizations to increase resilience is still growing, not least because of economic crises, such as the 2007–2009 global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and supply shortages in raw material procurement combined with rising commodity costs and energy prices. We use an attention-based view approach as a theoretical lens to investigate the shift in management’s attention due to a crisis, with a particular focus on working capital management (WCM) as a decisive finance tool. In addition, we examine how management’s attention shifts to organizational resilience (OR). We also analyze how managers’ cognitive flexibility (CF), which reflects their ability to anticipate and quickly adapt, moderates the change in attention. By surveying 307 top and middle managers in German small- and medium-sized enterprises, we measure the crisis effect on the shift in managerial attention to WCM and OR. In addition, we measure managers’ CF and examine the contribution of these individual characteristics in the context of WCM and OR. Our mediation model reveals a positive, indirect-only effect of the crisis on the shift in management attention to OR mediated by the shift in management attention to WCM. In addition, our results show that managers’ CF negatively moderates the effect between managerial focus shifts to WCM and to OR. Our study’s results deepen the understanding of the importance of managers’ CF in times of crisis and the impact of CF on sales development, suggesting that managers’ CF may influence the link between the focal characteristics of WCM and OR.

Organizational effectiveness: the role of culture and work engagement

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of learning organizational culture on organizational effectiveness. The study also explores the role of employee work engagement as the intervening mechanism in the learning organizational culture-organizational effectiveness association.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from middle and top managers using the survey approach from the manufacturing and services sectors in India. Structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were used to analyze the data.FindingsWe found that organizational effectiveness is positively affected by learning organizational culture and that employee work engagement mediates this relationship. Our findings provide an essential building block in the research of learning organizational culture, work engagement and organizational effectiveness.Originality/valueThis study establishes linkages among the variables of interest by examining the impact of a learning organizational culture and work engagement on organizational effectiveness. It augments the existing literature on organizational effectiveness by elucidating the role of a learning organizational culture and work engagement as critical enablers of organizational effectiveness. Additionally, the study furnishes empirical evidence demonstrating the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between a learning organizational culture and organizational effectiveness.

The place of managers in the corporate governance architecture

ABSTRACT This article discusses deficiencies in existing models of the company. It outlines three immutable layers of corporate ontology and argues for a mental model of the company based on general systems theory. The model reveals that each company has at its heart a managerial hierarchy which controls corporate actions through direct and indirect means. The most important participants in the everyday life of the company are its senior and middle managers. Consequently, greater emphasis needs to be placed upon managers’ corporate governance/compliance responsibilities. The legislature should provide for an obligation on companies to engage in risk-mapping and an obligation on managers to ensure, within their areas of responsibility, compliance with the law.

CEO Personality on Strategic Agility and Organisational Performance of Selected Airlines in Kenya

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the moderating effect of CEO personality on the relationship between strategic insight, internal response orientation and external response orientation on organizational performance of selected Aviation airlines in Kenya. The study was guided by Balance score card and explanatory research dynamic capabilities theory design was used for this investigation. The study was done at eight (8) selected aviation airlines in Kenya. The study population included the top four (4) managers of each selected airlines (Executive CEO, financial manager, marketing manager and operations manager), 125 middle level managers, 160 middle level operational managers and 185 managers on ground handling ticketing/dispatching staff from the selected airline making a total target population of 502. The sample size for the study was 223 respondents. The study used simple random sampling to select respondents. This study used primary sources of data to produce quantitative information. The data were collected from the respondents’ using questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyzed by use of descriptive statistical techniques: mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentages and inferential statistics techniques: multiple regressions, and Pearson’s coefficient of correlation. The analyzed data was presented on tables. The study results showed that strategic insight had a positive and significant effect on organizational performance. Internal response orientation had a positive and significant effect on organizational performance. External response orientation had a positive and significant effect on organizational performance. CEO personality had a negative and significant moderating effect on the relationship between strategic insight and organizational performance. CEO personality has a positive and significant moderating effect on the relationship between internal response orientation and organizational performance. CEO personality has a negative and significant moderating effect on the relationship between external response orientation and organizational performance. The study reveals that CEO personality significantly affect the relationship between strategic insight, internal response orientation and organizational performance. A higher CEO personality negatively affects strategic insight, positively enhances internal response orientation, and negatively impacts external response orientation, indicating a negative effect on organizational performance. Since CEO personality have a negative moderating effect on the relationship between external response orientation and organizational performance. Organizations should consider this when evaluating the effectiveness of their external response strategies and selecting CEOs who can effectively navigate and adapt to external challenges.

Inertia, Progress, or Regress? Observing and Explaining Heterogenous Tech Firm Demographic Diversity Trajectories

Tech firms are under strong pressure to increase their demographic diversity. While activists and scholars have tended to treat the sector as homogenously hostile to women and racialized minorities, recent theory on organizational inequalities stresses heterogeneity in firm-level inequality regimes. Beginning with an inductive exploration of variation in executive, managerial, and professional workforce trajectories, we find that between 2008 and 2016 most Tech firms show little change, but that there are also significant clusters of firms that were becoming either much more or much less diverse for all three occupational levels. We model these trajectories as a function of firm visibility, the regulation of federal contractors by the U.S. Department of Labor, and leadership composition. Multinomial logistic regression models show that firms with an increasing (decreasing) diversity pattern in managerial and executive positions are also more likely to become more (less) diverse in their much more numerous professional jobs. Managers are more influential than executive in this regard. Regulatory pressure is associated with increased executive diversity trajectories, but not with managerial or professional trajectories. We conclude that increased Tech diversity is possible but requires leadership, particularly at the middle manager level. In addition, regulatory and visibility pressures primarily produce symbolic shuffles in top jobs.

Navigating Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness: Insights from Middle Managers in Norway

Middle managers play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between senior leadership and employees, often navigating competing demands and pressures. This study investigates experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness among middle managers serving as department heads in the University and University College (UUC) sector in Norway. The study adopts a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews with six participants. The findings underscore the significance of autonomy, trust, and support in facilitating the effective execution of middle managers’ roles as executive and inclusive leaders. Autonomy emerges as crucial, which aligns with the principles of the Nordic work–life model. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of internal motivation and the support provided by the immediate leadership in enhancing middle managers’ performance. Personal competence in one’s subject areas and relatedness emerge as key factors ensuring employee confidence and fostering a positive work environment. The implications of these findings suggest that nurturing autonomy, competence, and relatedness may mitigate the perceived stress associated with being a middle manager in the UUC sector. By addressing these fundamental needs, organisations can potentially enhance the well-being and effectiveness of middle managers, ultimately contributing to organisational success.

The trickle-down effect of strengths use support: examining the linkage between “support from superiors” and “support for subordinates”

PurposeAlthough strengths use support (SUS) has been shown to facilitate employee strengths use and work engagement, little is known about how senior managers’ SUS affects middle managers’ SUS. The purpose of the present research was to examine the trickle-down effect of SUS from superiors on SUS for subordinates.Design/methodology/approachA two-wave questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from middle managers (n = 228) at a global manufacturing firm in Japan.FindingsThe results of structural equation modeling indicated that (1) SUS from superiors indirectly promoted SUS for subordinates mediated through middle managers’ strength use, and (2) SUS from superiors indirectly promoted SUS for subordinates mediated through middle managers’ strength use, and subsequently through their work engagement.Research limitations/implicationsAs the respondents were middle-level managers at a manufacturing firm in Japan and were all Japanese nationals, indigenous culture and traditional work mentality may have affected the results.Practical implicationsTo create a supportive learning culture in an organization, human resource (HR) managers need to encourage senior-level managers to provide SUS for middle managers through HR systems such as training, appraisal, and survey feedback.Originality/valueThis study may be the first to clarify how SUS from superiors is linked to SUS for subordinates by identifying the mediating effects of strength use and work engagement, based on the Job-Demand Resources model, the Social Cognitive theory, and the trickle-down effect.

Artificial intelligence applications for enhancing organizational excellence: Modifying role of supply chain agility

The study’s goal was to demonstrate the modifying role of supply chain agility in the impact of artificial intelligence applications on organizational excellence in Jordanian e-commerce companies. The analytical and descriptive approach was adopted. The study population consisted of 160 companies operating in the e-commerce sector in Jordan. The sample comprised 400 respondents working in senior and middle management positions. The questionnaire was utilized to collect the data. The results showed an impact of artificial intelligence applications in all dimensions (expert systems and neural networks) on the organizational excellence of e-commerce companies in Jordan. The value of the adjusted coefficient of determination (Adj. R2) was .265%. Based on the model’s F value (4.1190) and its level of significance (P; 0.00), the impact of these techniques on organizational excellence is statistically significant. Additionally, the results displayed an impact of supply chain agility on improving the impact of artificial intelligence applications on organizational excellence. The value of the degree of influence ß after introducing the modified variable supply chain agility and the value of R Square increased by .11 at the significance level (Sig). = 0.000. This study recommended training workers to stay up to date with developments in artificial intelligence, expert systems, and neural networks in their operations, control of searching for this evidence within databases, and knowledge representation.

Scaling Up Whole Child Development Initiatives: Lessons from the Early Journey of Life Program in Vietnam

Human development programs—for example, early childhood interventions—often depend on high-quality, respectful human relationships. This creates a challenge for implementation at large scale. Here, we review how this challenge was addressed in the scale-up of the Early Journey of Life (EJOL) program, an evidence-based initiative in Vietnam that supports parents and families in the first 1,000 days of children’s lives. The program’s experience highlights the value of an approach to scaling that aims to energize stakeholders, including at the front line as well as among government leaders; rapidly learn and adapt based on new evidence; empower leadership across the delivery system; rebalance agency to the front line; and gradually but systematically embed program principles and activities in large government systems. Our findings suggest that EJOL’s work to implement scale-up along these lines was in turn grounded in high-quality relationships with those engaged in the program, from family members to frontline workers to middle managers and senior government officials. The EJOL program has successfully scaled to reach 109 rural communes in Ha Nam province and continues to expand and diversify while retaining its core focus on high-quality human relationships.