Huy (2001)

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Huy (2001) - In Praise of Middle Managers

The middle manager is rarely recognised, but they can contribute greatly to a firm. They have four crucial roles:

1. The Entrepreneur - they are close enough to the customers to know what they want and are far enough away to see the big picture, meaning their insights are more diverse. However, they rarely get recognised, due to a stereotype as a "corporate dinosaur" who does not like change. They do not get listened to and so middle managers cannot contribute
2. The Communicator - they can help facilitate change by communicating information effectively around the organisation, as they have the best social networks. since failure of a change initiative occurs at the implementation stage, good communication will help prevent failure.
3. The Therapist - radical changes in the workplace can cause emotional distress and it is the middle manager's role to help people get through this difficult time. They must do this, as production will stop otherwise
4. The Tightrope Walker - middle managers must strike a balance between maintaining continuity and initialising change. If change is too slow then organisational inertia can occur, but if the change is too fast then chaos can ensue.

Middle managers have been shown to have extraordinary commitment to their job. A sense of loyalty and importance to the social network of the firm are a couple of reasons. However, many veterans feel hurt as they have been stung by executives in the past. This means they can be mistrustful of top management.

Senior executives need to realise that their job is not to reinvent the company. They need to figure out the core values, while changing how work gets done and leading the firm into new directions. "This simply won't happen unless people throughout the organisation help make it happen". This requires the support of the middle manager.