Middle managers in ambidextrous organizations : the challenges of being led, leading others and obtaining personal support

Abstract

Purpose – Middle managers play a central role in the strategic process and current understanding of their role in ambidextrous organisational contexts is limited and does not capture the nuances and distinctions experienced by this level of management. The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges middle managers face as “followers” and “leaders” and the support measures they need in organisations that are under pressure to manage the business of today while creating a new business for tomorrow. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative, semi-structured interviews of 12 middle managers and two interviews with experts in the field of middle management were used to gather insights into (i) the challenges middle managers face as “followers” and “leaders” and (ii) the support measures they need in ambidextrous organisational contexts. Data analysis followed the “codes to theory model” qualitative inquiry in which themes were derived inductively and compared to the existing literature to draw findings. Findings – Middle managers in ambidextrous organisational contexts are ‘caught in the middle’ of the strategic tensions thus; make do without the support they need. They still have no authority in the strategy development process, and face new forms resistance from below, especially from different generations in the workforce, when trying to implement ambidextrous strategies. Research limitations / Implications - While middle managers’ perspectives are generally understudied and needed, it would be valuable to include all three levels of an organisation’s management (a 360 view) from each organisation, in order to compare and integrate the experiences. Practical implications – Middle managers in ambidextrous organisational contexts grapple with multiple challenges such as; inappropriate leadership styles of top managers and disparate insights into the emerging dynamics of managing a multi-generational and multi- cultural workforce and the support measures they need and value are important for practice. In this paper, the author offers specific considerations for top managers and Human Resource (HR) practitioners to support middle managers in ambidextrous organisational contexts. Originality/value – This study contributes to ambidexterity and middle management literature. It shows the value of a holistic framework that looks at middle managers in ambidextrous organisational contexts using multiple lenses of different academic disciplines. It examines this through the lived experiences of middle managers in organisations that are under pressure to manage the business of today while creating a new business for tomorrow.