The study was specifically designed to explore the leadership density in selected secondary schools by examining how leadership at the middle tier is conceived and implemented. This focus was predicated on the increasing demand to acknowledge the layers of leadership that exists in schools. Additionally, there is a growing need to direct attention to this tier by building their leadership capacities as the expectations regarding accountability in the educational system increases. In pursuing this investigation, a qualitative research design was used and therefore the main data collection tool was in depth semi-structured interviews. In addition, a ranking activity was done by the respondents as well as observations and review of documents were also included in the data gathering procedures. These tools while providing rich data, also served an integral function of triangulation. This provision was made possible from respondents drawn from a pool of middle managers in selected secondary schools using purposive sampling. The data revealed that both categories of middle managers saw their roles as very important to the effectiveness of the organization. Their significance was supported by the principals of the schools in which the middle managers operate. While middle managers expressed their understanding of some fundamental leadership practices through the ranking activity, the evidence of alignment in their conversations about their own practices reflected gaps between their beliefs and the description of their practices. The data further revealed that variation was evident in the conceptualization and implementation of leadership practices within and across the schools. Clear identification of a sustained plan for leadership development for the team members led by the middle managers was not easily detected. This was not surprising as it was clear that middle managers were not exposed to a preparation program to transition from classroom teacher to middle manager. Keywords: leadership practices, middle managers ’practice, and team leadership. / Educational Leadership

In July, 1974 the Social Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, awarded a grant to the School of Social Work at Portland State University to "identify and examine the skills and abilities that are utilized by middle-management personnel in the human services field." The project sought to (1) identify and prioritize the management, administrative and planning skills utilized by practitioners in a variety of urban and rural social welfare setting throughout Oregon, (2) develop a list of middle-management skills deemed important for graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Social Work, and (3) provide data upon which to redesign a curriculum for the development of management and planning skills. In essence, the project sought data to strengthen curricula in management and planning areas and link graduate and undergraduate education more closely with community practice.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva erfarenheter av socialt stöd bland mellanchefer i hälso- och sjukvården. Bakgrund Mellanchefer i hälso- och sjukvården har ett betydelsefullt och krävande uppdrag. Stöd i olika former kan reducera risken för ohälsa orsakad av stress i arbetet och organisationens stöd är viktigt. Genom att stärka mellancheferna erhålls en positiv effekt för både patienter och medarbetare. Metod Studien baserades på semi-strukturerade intervjuer med nio mellanchefer, vilka arbetade inom slutenvården vid två sjukhus i norra Sverige. Intervjuerna spelades in, skrevs ut ordagrant och analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat Analysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier; Erfarenheter av fungerande stöd inom organisationen, erfarenheter av bristande stöd inom organisationen och andra faktorer av betydelse för erfarenheter av stöd. Sammanfattning De flesta mellanchefer hade goda erfarenheter av stöd i organisationen, men påtalade behovet av en tidig och mer strukturerad introduktion när de påbörjade sitt uppdrag. För att förebygga ohälsa föreslås förbättrad introduktion och tidiga utbildningsinsatser, förbättrad feedback från överordnad, samt utvecklat mentorskap. Implikationer Studiens resultat kan användas i syfte att sträva efter att bibehålla det stöd som fungerar och förbättra bristande stöd för mellanchefer i hälso- och sjukvården.

Company A has experienced high voluntary staff turnover at middle management level between 2007 and 2009. During this period 35% of middle managers have resigned and, this has resulted in significant financial costs being incurred. This research focused on understanding what factors would make the current middle managers stay in Company A’s employment and what the financial impact has been due to these resignations. The research concluded that career development, people development by line manager, feedback of own work, a line manager who teaches and coaches subordinates, and working with a knowledgeable line manager, were the top five factors that would make the current middle managers stay in Company A’s employment. The research further concludes that there was a gap between Company A’s retention initiatives and what the middle managers actually value, thus the resignations. The research has also established that the middle managers’ resignations have had a significant financial impact on the organisation.

The general aim of this research was to investigate the phenomenon of non coping among individuals on middle management level, directed by the paradigm of salutogenesis, and more specifically, the concept of Sense of Coherence. The Sense of Coherence questionnaire of Antonovsky (1987) was applied as a measuring instrument in order to determine the various levels of respondents regarding Sense of Coherence. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with an identified case series, followed by an integration of results. Research information derived from the total scores indicated an even distribution along the continuum of the instrument's scale. During the qualitative study, all individuals representing the case series experienced similar levels of stress, though various coping strategies apply. Although all individuals representing the case series attempt to cope, a tendency towards non coping or maladaptive coping occurred due to the influence of various sources Of managerial stress such as insufficient training. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

The strategy process is viewed as a result of deliberate and emergent events, affected from different factors. Existing research in strategy making and implementation has suggested different micro-level factors affecting strategic decision making, mainly through research in single companies. Some factors include cognition, organisational learning and the roles of the top managers. This thesis attempts to gain a better understanding of the strategic decision making process through the investigation of the impact of middle managers' politics in the strategy process within international partnerships of the high tech sector. An abductive research approach is used, to investigate four case studies, combining different qualitative research methods. The research focuses on the formal and informal activities that middle managers engage in, in order to affect strategic decisions before, during and after these are made, through the different phases of a partnership. The organisational context of the study, this being international partnerships, enables the investigation of 35 decisions, 15 of which are in intra-organisational level, and 20 in inter-organisational. Findings suggest that the impact of political activity, between individual employees and groups of them in the intra-organisational environment, can be either integrative or fractious. This however appears to depend on three different factors: firstly, the tactics being applied during the decision making period; secondly, the phase of the partnership in which these decisions are being made; thirdly, the level of autonomy that middle managers enjoy during the formal and informal communications surrounding the decision making process. This study contributes in the strategy area as it suggests a coherent framework on investigating the causes and impact of political processes in organisations. Rather than using the criticised as abstract notions of 'positive/negative' impact of politics, it focuses on the way they integrate or fragment decision makers. This impact however appears to depend on the three aforementioned factors. The study contributes in strategy research, as it stretches the need for inquiry in the emerging strategic relationships area, by focusing on firm partnerships. Moreover, it stretches the need for abductive approaches, having as a departing point existing theoretical suggestions, in order to test theories and irregularities, and offer alternative explanations. The study concludes by suggesting two different frameworks to investigate the middle manager politics in firm partnerships, offering a meticulous way in investigating them through a processual approach.

Thesis (MBA) -- Stellenbosch University, 2010. / Strategy execution is a notorious challenge. Research shows that only two thirds of the employees at the best companies agree that strategic and operational decisions are quickly translated into action. Organisations have to devote as much energy into getting execution right as they spend on crafting the direction for their business. Planning and implementation are inevitably joined at the hip, with the success at both these aspects insuring the success of the business. The sphere in which private companies operate is profit driven by nature, which requires thorough planning and communication throughout the organisation. Middle management plays a central role in these companies and, if this group is the weakest link, failure is likely to occur. In order to be able to study the role of middle management in an organisation susceptible to the challenges mentioned above, a South African consulting engineering firm has been identified as a case study. Findings from this research study can prove helpful to the case study organisation and others in understanding the process of strategic translation and execution at middle management level and identifying possible areas for improvement or refinement. In developing an understanding of middle management’s perception of the strategic process, sense can be made of how they translate it into tasks and responsibilities and ultimately the role they play in unfolding strategic plans in the implementation process. The findings from the study highlight the critical role performed by middle managers within the CEF. Data collected through the interviews indicate that middle management has a broad understanding of the organisation’s strategy and that the roles of middle management within the CEF as connectors, knowledge conveyors and sense-makers in the execution of the organisation’s strategy are vital in successful strategy implementation. Lastly, the utilisation of the experience gained through the strategy implementation process is debatable. The researcher concludes with a request for further research to determine the extent to which organisations utilise the implementation roles of middle managers to provide substance to strategy plans

Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka hur manliga mellanchefer handlade, i sin strävan att förena arbetsliv och familjeliv. Två tidskrävande delar av männens liv, som båda ställer krav, och påverkar dem, i deras möjlighet till handlande. Metoden vi valt är kvalitativ och vi genomförde intervjuer med fem mellanchefer, i Stockholmsområdet. De fick under intervjun berätta om sitt liv som pappa och chef. Vi såg att samhällets normer, och företagens policys, påverkade männen i deras handlande. För att bemöta de krav som dessa yttre faktorer ställde på dem skapade de strategier. Vi såg att de hade olika många strategier att ta till, beroende på vilka krav de ställdes inför. Hur många strategier de kunde välja mellan påverkades av deras handlingsutrymme. Vi såg också att i vissa situationer agerade männen lika när de ställdes inför liknande problem, oberoende av varandra. Vi fann även stöd för att männen, i större utsträckning än sina fruar, fick betalt för det arbete de utfört. / The purpose of this study was to investigate how male middle managers acted, in their efforts to balance work and family life. These two, time-consuming, parts of men's lives, both demand and influence them, in their ability to act. The method we have chosen is qualitative and we conducted interviews with five middle managers, in the Stockholm area. During the interview they got to talk about their roles as fathers and managers. We saw that social norms and business policies affected the men in their actions. To meet the requirements that these external factors put on them, they created strategies. We saw that they had a different number of approaches to choose from, depending on the demands they faced. How many strategies they could choose from were affected by their room for maneuver. We also saw that in some situations, when they were faced with similar problems, the men acted similarly, independently. We also found support for the fact that the men, to a greater extent than their wives, got paid for the work they did.

D.Ed. (Higher Didactics) / This research has been undertaken against the background of the pursuance of effectiveness and efficacy of management at South African universities and the critical supposition that effective university management is the greatest single contributory factor towards the stimulation of an environment in which universities can excel fully ...