published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:51:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 61060100590.pdf.jpg: 19181 bytes, checksum: 7a146dfd71be5bc2b84a7540b7d46ce2 (MD5) 61060100590.pdf: 575597 bytes, checksum: 230d53c3956f24f1b74c53ff06bcd64b (MD5) 61060100590.pdf.txt: 251684 bytes, checksum: fd07307b5a477fd464abc32a2348f8ab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-21T00:00:00Z / Diante de um ambiente de mudanças organizacionais que impactam a estrutura funcional e as atividades dos trabalhadores, uma das camadas hierárquicas que mais vivencia as conseqüências são os gerentes intermediários. O objetivo deste trabalho foi compreender como os gerentes intermediários entendem suas funções. Para isso, esta dissertação apresenta uma revisão sobre temas como: o surgimento da figura do gerente, as prescrições feitas aos gerentes, as atividades cotidianas dos gerentes, a definição de gerente intermediário, o impacto das novas realidades organizacionais nas vidas dos gerentes intermediários e as ambigüidades vividas por esta camada gerencial. Estes temas também foram resgatados dentro do contexto brasileiro. Desta maneira, o objetivo da dissertação é compreender o que faz um gerente intermediário e como ele descreve suas atividades cotidianas. Para isso, foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 20 gerentes intermediários. Os gerentes intermediários entrevistados possuem uma rotina fragmentada, com escassez de tempo e forte impacto da tecnologia. Suas relações com as pessoas e com as organizações são marcadas pela experiência pessoal, bem como suas perspectivas em relação à carreira. Assumem em diversas ocasiões o discurso da empresa mas também são capazes de teceram críticas agudas. Os resultados das entrevistas estão na mesma direção dos trabalhos da escola das práticas do cotidiano. Entende-se que a maior contribuição desta dissertação está na utilização de metáforas levantadas pelos próprios entrevistados. Estas metáforas mostram que o gerente intermediário se vê como um bombeiro e como um malabarista. / Immerse an atmosphere of organizational changes that impact the functional structure and the workers' activities, one of the hierarchical layers that more lives the consequences are the middle managers. The objective of this work was to understand how the middle managers understand its functions. For this, this dissertation presents a revision on subjects as: the appearance of the figure of the manager, the prescriptions made to the managers, the managers' daily activities, middle manager's definition, the impact of the new organizational realities in the middle managers' lives and the ambiguities lived by this managerial layer. These subjects had been also rescued inside of the Brazilian context. In this way, the objective of the dissertation is to understand what does a middle manager and as him describes their daily activities. For that, interviews halfstructures with 20 middle managers had been carried through. The middle managers interviewed have a fragmented routine, with limited time and strong impact of the technology. His relations with people and organizations are marked by personal experience, as well as its perspectives to the career. They assume in several occasions the speech of the company but are also capable of had made acute critical. The results of the interviews are in the same direction of the works of the school of the practical ones of the daily one. The largest contribution of this dissertation is in the use of metaphors raised for the interviewed. These metaphors show that the middle manager sees himself as a fireman and as a juggler.

Cette thèse porte sur la gestion du changement et plus particulièrement sur le support offert aux gestionnaires par une équipe de gestion du changement lors de l'implantation d'un système de gestion intégré (SGI). Hydro-Québec nous a offert un excellent terrain de recherche par son projet Système Information Clientèle (SIC) qui consiste à l'implantation du logiciel SAP R/3. L'équipe de gestion du changement du projet nous a ouvert ses portes d'autant plus qu'elle désirait faire le point sur les services offerts aux gestionnaires durant la première phase du projet pour ensuite ajuster celles des deux phases subséquentes. La première phase, pour une livraison en mars 2005, inclut le volet mesurage. La deuxième phase regroupe les volets affaires et commercial pour une livraison en janvier 2006. Quant à la troisième phase, elle concerne le volet résidentiel pour une livraison en janvier 2008. Afin de supporter l'équipe de gestion du changement à Hydro-Québec, les connaissances théoriques relatives aux équipes de gestion du changement, aux gestionnaires en situation de changement et aux implantations de SGI ont guidé et alimenté la recherche. Bien que comportant un nombre impressionnant de références, ce champ d'études renferme toutefois peu d'études empiriques (Melkonian, 2008; Stewart et Kringas, 2003; Venkatesh, 2006, Wang, Klein et Jiang, 2006). De plus, il se dégage, d'une recension de vingt-deux modèles en gestion du changement, un manque de précision sur les activités de gestion du changement et sur les intervenants impliqués dans ces activités. Considérant ces deux constats, la présente étude doctorale vise à répondre à la question suivante : Comment une équipe de gestion du changement soutient-elle les gestionnaires lors de l'implantation d'un système de gestion intégré? Pour ce faire, les objectifs poursuivis sont, d'abord, d'identifier et de décrire les activités développées et réalisées par une équipe de gestion du changement destinées à soutenir les gestionnaires; ensuite, de rendre compte de la satisfaction des gestionnaires intermédiaires et de premier niveau à l'égard du soutien offert par l'équipe de gestion du changement et; finalement, de générer un modèle des interventions d'une équipe de gestion du changement destinées à soutenir les gestionnaires. Adhérant au paradigme épistémologique constructiviste, cette étude doctorale se distingue par ses allers-retours entre le terrain et les connaissances théoriques lui accordant un statut de recherche abductive. Mettant l'accent sur la compréhension de dynamiques se déroulant dans un environnement unique et visant l'exploration, la description et l'explication d'un phénomène pour en dégager une modélisation, l'étude de cas s'avère une méthode de recherche appropriée (Gummesson, 2000; Hlady Rispal, 2002; Nieto et Pérez, 2000; Robson, 1993; Tashakkori et Teddlie, 1998). Les quatre outils de cueillette de données se sont avérés être la recherche documentaire, les entrevues semi-structurées avec des gestionnaires intermédiaires et de premier niveau, l'observation-participation des activités de gestion du changement ainsi que des documents produits et discutés avec l'équipe de gestion du changement. L'analyse de ces données a suivi trois étapes soient une première étape de codage pendant la collecte de données, une deuxième étape d'analyse avec le logiciel d'analyse qualitative Atlas.ti et une troisième étape de modélisation. Bien qu'ayant suivi trois étapes, l'analyse de données s'est davantage présentée comme un processus itératif avec des activités concomitantes de mises à jour de la littérature, de codage, de création de catégories conceptualisantes et de modélisation. Cette façon de procéder s'appuie sur les méthodes de Hlady Rispal (2002), Laperrière (1997b), Miles et Huberman (2003) et Paillé et Mucchielli (2003). Les principaux résultats de recherche émanant de l'étude de cas sont la description et l'évaluation d'activités de gestion du changement réalisées par une équipe de gestion du changement afin de soutenir les gestionnaires intermédiaires et de premier niveau. Les entrevues avec les gestionnaires appuient le choix d'activités offert par l'équipe de gestion du changement à Hydro-Québec ainsi que celles émanant de la littérature. Le côté original issu des entrevues avec les gestionnaires consiste à l'émergence de principes opératoires. En effet, les améliorations suggérées par les gestionnaires prennent la forme de principes opératoires venant ainsi guider l'équipe de gestion du changement dans la réalisation de leurs activités. Il se dégage alors un modèle composé de six groupes d'activités et de trois principes opératoires. Les activités sont les suivantes : Implication des gestionnaires et des employés, Communication, Ateliers de préparation au changement, Ateliers et formation sur la gestion du changement, Plan de gestion du changement et Formation. Quant aux principes opératoires, il s'agit de : Activités génériques de plus en plus spécifiques, Contextualisation des activités et Intervention de la ligne hiérarchique. Lorsque cette liste d'activités est comparée aux activités communes aux équipes de gestion du changement (Collerette et ses collaborateurs, 2002, 2003a, 2003c, 2004; Fabi, Martin et Valois, 1999; Grenier et Gowigati, 2002; Prosci, 2006a, 2006b, 2006c; Rondeau, 1999; Sherer, Kohli et Baron, 2003; Victor et Franckeiss, 2002) et aux gestionnaires (Bareil, 2004; Collerette, Schneider et Legris, 2003c; Coyle-Shapiro, 1999; Doyle, 2002; Fabi et al., 1999; Prosci, 2006b) issues de la littérature, il ressort que toutes les activités de la littérature sont incluses dans celles émergentes de l'étude de cas réalisée à Hydro-Québec. De plus, le modèle provenant de l'étude de cas se démarque des autres modèles présents dans la littérature par deux principaux éléments. D'abord, les activités ne sont pas uniquement nommées, elles sont richement décrites et accompagnées d'exemples. Puis, les activités sont accompagnées de principes opératoires pour enrichir les activités de gestion du changement et guider leur réalisation. En contrepartie, les gestionnaires rencontrés à Hydro-Québec soulignent que les activités de gestion du changement réalisées par l'équipe GCC ne prennent pas suffisamment en compte les aspects humains dont la qualité de la relation établie entre l'équipe GCC et les gestionnaires ainsi que l'identification des besoins des gestionnaires suivie de l'ajustement des activités pour répondre à ces besoins. Il apparait en effet que l'équipe GCC aurait eu avantage à favoriser davantage les échanges de négociations avec les gestionnaires, aspect d'ailleurs soulevé par Collerette, Schneider et Legris (2003b) et Giroux (1998). Quant à l'identification des besoins et des ajustements aux activités, il semble que l'équipe GCC désirait s'en tenir à son programme initial. Lorsque les participants aux activités (gestionnaires et employés) émettaient des critiques, l'équipe GCC semblait peu ouverte l'état psychologique des participants. À titre illustratif, au lieu d'envisager des ajustements à une activité de formation, la décision de l'équipe GCC a plutôt été de l'annuler. Il faut toutefois mentionner, qu'en contre partie, des efforts ont été déployés par l'équipe GCC pour ajuster les activités entourant les Supers utilisateurs. Nonobstant ces améliorations possibles, le modèle émergeant de l'étude de cas à Hydro-Québec pourrait être transférable dans d'autres milieux organisationnels pour guider des équipes de gestion du changement dans le cadre de projet d'implantation de SGI. Outre le fait d'offrir un modèle d'intervention pour une équipe de gestion du changement transférable dans d'autres milieux organisationnels, cette recherche doctorale permet également d'accroître le nombre d'études empiriques dans un domaine qui en contient peu. Cette thèse offre ainsi une étude de cas portant sur le fonctionnement d'une équipe de gestion du changement dans un projet d'implantation de SGI tout en présentant une panoplie d'activités précises en gestion du changement accompagnées du niveau de satisfaction de gestionnaires intermédiaires et de premier niveau à l'égard de ces activités.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal tot watter mate waargenome leierskapvaardighede van die middelvlakbestuurders in 'n provinsiale hospitaal, 'n voorspeller is van topprestasie. Vanuit die literatuuroorsig word leierskapteoriee, die veranderende konteks van leierskap, leierskapstrategiee en -vaardighede bespreek. Die rasionaal vir topprestasie, visie in topprestasie-organisasies en die beginsels van topprestasie word ook bespreek. Die navorsingsontwerp is 'n beskrywende studie en maak gebruik van 'n gestratifiseerde ewekansige steekproef. Die leierskapvaardigheidsvraelys (Charlton, 1991) is vir die meet van die leierskapvaardighede gebruik en die PA VE-vraelys is gebruik vir die meet van die vlak van topprestasie in die organisasie-eenheid. Die resultate vertoon bemagtiging as die vemaamste voorspeller van topprestasie by die middelvlakbestuurders. Toekomstige navorsing kan temas insluit soos die rol en potensiaal van 'n gedeelde visie, volharding, en werkstevredenheid. Relevante sleutelwoorde is transformerende leierskapvaardighede, topprestasie, bemagtiging en middelvlakbestuurders. / The aim of this research is to determine to what extent perceived leadership competency of the middle level manager in a provincial hospital, is a predictor of peak performance. The literature highlights leadership theories, the changing context of leadership, leadership strategies and competencies. The rationale for peak performance, vision in peak performing organizations and the principles of peak performance are also discussed. The research design is a descriptive study which uses a stratified randomized sample. The leadership competence questionnaire (Charlton, 1991) is used to measure the leadership competencies. The PA VE questionnaire is used to measure the level of peak performance in the organizational unit. The results indicate empowerment as the most prominent predictor of peak performance of middle level managers. Future research may include the role and potential of a shared vision, determination and work satisfaction. Relevant keywords are transformational leadership competencies, peak performance, empowerment and middle level managers. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

The globalized world is acknowledged by increased competition, and since competition today is between supply chains there is an importance of controlling the supply chain. The globalization is one of the reasons for the increasing need for organizational change, and the process of implementing strategic change is affected by skills for effective leadership; conceptual, interpersonal and technical skills. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the middle manager’s skillset and how it differs through the phases of organizational change in supply chain. By focusing on middle managers, we put emphasis on the individuals involved in putting the plan for organizational change into practice. A model is developed to explain the utilization of skills in the phases of transition. For this study we used a qualitative research method with a single case study design, by interviewing seven middle managers in an international organization. The empirical data were based on semistructured interviews with respondents in middle managerial positions in supply chain. An abductive approach was applied through the process of writing the thesis. Environmental factors as a reason for organizational changes in supply chain were initially described in the theoretical framework. Change and the phases in change processes as well as the middle manager's role in the change process were further explained. Required skills for effective leadership when presenting, implementing and embedding organizational change initiatives were further described. This thesis shows that a middle manager who faces an organizational change in supply chain are required to focus on specific skills at different points of time, when operating in the different phases of transition.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Owing to the dramatic change in the South African political and economic environment during the last few years, it seems more important than ever for upper level management in organizations to be aware of the sources which encourage and discourage their middle level managers to strive to implement the organizational goals. The focus of this study is on male and female middle level managers, and as no documented South African study based on such a sample group could be found, the study is largely investigativeby nature. The general aim of the study is to investigate the different attitudes and perceptions of men and women with regard to sources of job satisfaction, sources which contribute to job dissatisfaction, and job stress. In this regard it was decided to make use of triangulation by which qualitative and quantitative research methods are used. Thematic analysis is used on the qualitative level to identify the possible sources of job satisfaction, dissatisfaction and job stress. This method is quantitatively supported by a determination of the frequencies and percentages of subject responses by means of semi structured interviews. Although certain limitations are identified in the study, significant differences were found in the quantitative data with regard to the causes of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction between men and women. The causes of job stress seems to be similar for both sexes. On a qualitative level it was found that the experience of success is rated as the most important source of job satisfaction and that interpersonal relationships are the most significant source of job dissatisfaction. Further it seems that work expectations / demands are the major source of job stress for the subjects. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Omdat die Suid-Afrikaanse politieke- en ekonomiese omgewing die afgelope paar jaar geweldig verander het, blyk dit noodsaakliker as ooit te wees dat die topbestuur van organisasies bewus sal wees wat hul werkers - in die besonder middelvlakbestuurders- aanmoedig, maar ook ontmoedig om organisatoriese doelwitte na te streef en te implementeer. Die fokus van hierdie studie is op manlike en vroulike middelvlakbestuurders. Aangesien daar geen gedokumenteerde studies rakende die bronne van werksatisfaksie én werkstres by middelvlakbestuurders in die bedryf onderneem is nie, is die studie tot 'n groot mate ondersoekend van aard. Die algemene doelstelling van die studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die verskillende houdings en persepsies van mans en dames rakende werksatisfaksie, bronne wat bydra dat werksatisfaksie nie ervaar word nie, en werkstres. In dié verband is besluit om van triangulasie gebruik te maak, dit wil sê van kwalitatiewe- en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodes. Op die kwalitatiewe vlak word tematiese analise gebruik om potensiële bronne van werksatisfaksie, dissatisfaksie en werkstres te identifiseer. Hierdie metode word verder kwantitatief ondersteun deur 'n bepaling van frekwensies en persentasies van subjekte se response wat uit semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude verkry is. Alhoewel daar heelwat beperkings in die studie geïdentifiseer is, is daar uit die kwantitatiewe data gevind dat daar 'n verskil is in die bronne van werksatisfaksie en dissatisfaksie by mans en dames. Die bronne van werkstres is egter dieselfde vir beide geslagte. Op 'n meer kwalitatiewe vlak blyk dit dat die ervaring van sukses die grootste bron van ....werksatisfaksie is en dat interpersoonlike verhoudings die bron is wat die meeste bydra tot dissatisfaksie. Verder blyk dit dat werksverwagtinge / -eise die grootste bron van werkstres vir die subjekte is.

There are many important factors that influence and even determine the work of middle and senior managers in the public and private sectors, NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN. Yet, despite this overall agreement, the study of 'managerial effectiveness' has remained relatively neglected and unexplored particularly within the developing world. The present research explores the dimensions of the managerial effectiveness of middle and senior managers who work in the Education Programme of the UN Agency in Lebanon. These managers are dedicated to refugees and their children at primary and high schools, and vocational centers. In doing so this study has adopted the framework, 'parameters of managerial effectiveness', developed by Analoui (1999) to explore and identify the factors and causal influences which form the basis for the effectiveness of these managers to develop policies and strategies for their increased effectiveness. The literature in the areas of development of management, management training and development, and recent works on managerial effectiveness confirm the importance of the parameters and interrelationship between them and the unique contextual factors, namely the personal, organizational and external factors. The Education Programme of the UNRWA in Lebanon provides a suitable case, and the middle and senior managers constitute the units of analysis. The entire cadre of senior and middle management (N= 132) were included in this first time study. The methodology adopted for collecting and generating relevant and adequate data was a combination of survey questionnaire, interviews and the use of secondary data available. The adoption of 'triangulation' as a strategy yielded adequate and relevant data which was analyzed using statistical methods. The quantitative analysis was supported by qualitative data based on senior and middle managers' own perception of their effectiveness. The results, by and large, support Anloui's (1999; 2007) theory and led to the first time discovery of the eight parameters of the managerial effectiveness in UNRWA, Lebanon. The results revealed a myriad of factors and influences concerning the middle and senior managers' perception, managerial skills and competencies, organizations criteria for effectiveness, opportunities, demands and constraints involved, as well as the inter-organizational relationship and the dominant managerial philosophy of effectiveness. The study contributes to the literature on managerial effectiveness by contextualizing the model adopted thus contributing to this neglected field of managerial studies. It also provides the basis for the formulation of policies and strategies to improved and increase managerial effectiveness in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, and the developing world as the whole where UN is actively operating to support refugees. Like any empirical investigation the study suffers from limitations which need to be considered in the future research in this field.

With rapid changes in the business environment, more acute competition and increasingly demanding clients, organisations in the construction industry have identified innovation as a means of achieving competitive advantage. Innovation provides an important avenue for firms to improve performance while differentiating their products and services. Research has identified a number of factors as influencing innovation in construction organisations. Primarily these include internal factors such as organisational climate, innovation championing, leadership and exogenous influences such as clients, regulations, technology and the economy. The role of senior management in promoting innovation is widely recognised in literature. However, in the construction and project based environment, very few studies have focused on middle management and how their day to day leadership activities impact on innovation and project performance. The purpose of this study was to improve middle management leadership behaviour in order to facilitate innovation and improve project performance in construction professional services firms. Through a combination of qualitative case study, questionnaire surveys and qualitative interviews, the research identified how the leadership behaviour exhibited by middle managers in the work place could enhance innovation and project performance. The study was undertaken in five phases to reflect the five key objectives for the research. The first phase comprised a review of the literature on innovation to identify key internal and external factors influencing innovation and ultimately, project performance. The second phase involved a case study of three different innovative projects to examine the role of middle managers in facilitating the innovations studied. Phase three of the study investigated the relationships among transformational leadership, innovation championing and organisational climate for innovation while examining how they combine to promote innovation and enhance project performance. Phase four involved qualitative validation of the relationship among the constructs examined in phase three and preparation of leadership development resource for middle managers which was subsequently trialed in phase five. Key findings from the study suggest that transformational leadership behaviour exhibited by middle managers influences innovation by developing an environment conducive to innovation which in turn fosters innovation championing behaviour and ultimately, enhances project performance. The study contributes to knowledge and adds to the understanding of the role of middle managers in facilitating innovation and improving project performance. It demonstrates that the bypass effect of transformational leadership is applicable in the project based environment since transformational leadership of middle managers directly influenced project performance, circumventing project managers. In addition, the cascading effect of transformational leadership was confirmed, as championing behaviour and climate for innovation mediated the relationship between transformational leadership of middle managers and project performance. Furthermore, it revealed that the individual dimensions of transformational leadership influenced innovation and project performance differently. The study found that individualised support was the most influential dimension impacting on innovation championing behaviour, climate for innovation and project performance. Articulating vision and fostering the acceptance of group goals both influenced climate for innovation and project performance. High performance expectation, modelling behaviour and intellectual stimulation influenced innovation championing and project performance. Beyond these the study has highlighted the particular actions which constituted each dimension of transformational leadership and how they influenced the performance of project team members. Through this study transformational leadership development resource has been developed to help middle managers cultivate the expected leadership behaviour that could facilitate innovation and improve project performance. The study also identified how transformational leadership behaviour can be engrained in the day to day working practices of middle managers. The study presents a more positive view of middle managerial role in improving organisational performance contrary to previous negative reporting on this constituency and identifies the need for greater recognition for their role. The study recommends that construction professional services firms should support middle managers to develop transformational leadership behaviour and create the kind of environment where innovation becomes a part of the normal daily work practices. In addition the study opens a new avenue for the study of transformational leadership by using both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the impact of the individual dimensions. It recommends that future research adopts the same approach in different contexts to further test the suggested relationships. The study concludes with recommendations for policy makers to give greater attention to incorporating transformational leadership behaviour into the essential set of behavioural competencies managers in the construction industry need to develop beyond their technical skills.

Många människor delar uppfattningen om att mellanchefsrollen kan vara problematisk då den är positionerad i organisationens mitt, klämd mellan ledningen och medarbetarna. Att ansvar och befogenheter bör befinna sig i jämvikt och inkluderas i chefsroller är även något som de flesta håller med om, men som vår studie förtydligar så är det dessvärre inte alltid fallet i verkligheten. Studien har även visat att det finns en stark koppling mellan synen på vår omvärld och dess karakteristiska drag, organisationsstrukturer och former, mellanchefsrollen och befogenheter för beslutsfattande. / Many people share the opinion that the role of middle management can be problematic due to that it is positioned in the middle of organizations, squeezed between the top management and the operative core. An equilibrium between responsibility and authority and that it should both be included in a management position is also something that most people find as logical, but our study clarifies that it is not always the case in reality. Our study has also shown that there is a strong connection between the perception of our environment and its characteristics, organizational structures and shapes, the middle management and decision-making authority.

Mellanchefens roll, med chefer ovan sig och medarbetare under sig, är komplex, med en stressig vardag, hög arbetsbelastning och motstridiga krav. Tidigare studier visar att arbetsmotivation är viktigt eftersom mellanchefen har många förväntningar på sig. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka hur mellanchefer upplever sin arbetsroll och vad som motiverar dem. Åtta semi-strukturerade intervjuer med mellanchefer från olika sektorer inom Sverige genomfördes och analyserades med en induktiv tematisk analys. Att arbeta med uppgifter som ledningen anser vara viktiga upplevs stå i kontrast med medarbetarnas krav på tillgänglighet. Mellancheferna drivs av att arbeta med människor, se medarbetarnas utveckling, samt möjligheterna till påverkan och delaktighet i beslut inom organisationen. Även om mellancheferna i studien har hårda krav på sig är de motiverade. Studien bidrar med ökad förståelse för mellanchefers svåra position och djupare insikt i vad som motiverar dem. Studien tillför subjektiva upplevelser och en nyanserad förståelse för mellanchefens svåra arbetssituation. / The role of middle managers is complex due to pressures from both managers above and employees under them. Stress, heavy workload, and conflicting objectives are challenges middle managers deal with on a daily basis. Previous studies show that motivation is important among middle managers, because they face high expectations. In this study, eight semi-structured interviews with middle managers from various sectors in Sweden were performed, and analysed with an inductive thematic analysis. To balance demands from senior managers and concurrently be avalible for employee as a major obstacle. These middle managers gain motivation from working with people, see employees thrive, and the opportunity to influence business growth. Despite the stress and difficult tasks, the middle managers interviewed in this study were motivated. The present study provides insights into middle managers’ tough position as well as a deeper understanding of their work motivations.