Strategy Secrets: Middle Managers Unveiled
July 2024
LSE Business Review
Introduction
Are middle managers secret strategy saboteurs? Dive into the fascinating world of strategy implementation with Annabel Christie and Esther Tippman's insights in "How middle managers derail strategy," featured in LSE Business Review. Uncover the hidden tactics middle managers use to shape company outcomes!
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Unraveling Strategy's Secret Agents
Understanding the role of middle managers in strategy implementation is crucial because it sheds light on how strategies actually unfold within companies. While senior executives design grand plans for a company's future, middle managers are the ones who bring these strategies to life—or sometimes subtly reshape them. This interaction between planned and actual outcomes can significantly affect a company's performance and adaptability. For you, understanding this dynamic helps grasp the complexities of organizational behavior and leadership. It’s like being in a game where the rules are constantly evolving, and knowing how to navigate these changes can make you a more effective player in any field you choose to pursue.
Speak like a Scholar
Strategy Implementation
This is the process of putting a planned strategy into action within an organization to achieve strategic goals.
Accrued Characteristics
Traits or qualities that middle managers gain over time, such as experience, a track record of performance, and trust from superiors, which influence how they implement strategies.
Autonomy
The degree to which an individual has the freedom to make decisions without direct oversight. In the context of middle managers, this refers to their ability to implement or deviate from the planned strategies based on their judgment.
Coalitions
Alliances formed within or outside the organization to support or enhance strategic initiatives. Middle managers may form these to implement strategies in ways that deviate from the original plan.
Deviate
To depart from an established course or norm. In strategic terms, this means implementing a strategy in a way that was not originally planned or intended by senior executives.
Organizational Levels
The layers of hierarchy in a company, typically ranging from front-line employees to top management. Strategy implementation can vary significantly across these levels.
Independent Research Ideas
Impact of Middle Manager Autonomy on Company Innovation
Investigate how the level of decision-making freedom granted to middle managers influences the rate and success of innovation within companies.
Role of Coalitions in Strategic Change
Explore how internal and external alliances formed by middle managers affect the adoption of new strategic directions in large organizations.
Comparison of Strategy Implementation in Different Cultures
Study how cultural differences impact the ways in which middle managers interpret and implement strategies in multinational corporations.
Accrued Characteristics and Strategic Success
Examine whether middle managers with more accrued characteristics (experience, performance track record, boss’ trust) are more successful at implementing strategies that lead to positive outcomes.
Organizational Levels and Strategy Perception
Analyze how strategy is communicated and perceived differently across various organizational levels and the implications for strategic success.
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