Who are the middle managers: A semi-structured literature review

Abstract

This paper represents a semi-systematic literature review on middle managers. With more than 2 600 articles published since 1956, on a topic that was conceptualized from many angles and disciplines, this approach was the most suitable research considering the volume of papers having middle managers at the core of their research.

 The research question is broad: How has research on middle managers developed over time? As a result, we can observe that the interest in middle managers is growing, with the number of articles published in 2023 reaching the highest level ever: 330 papers. This is 4.4 times higher than all-time research done on this stream. The dominant theme is on the role of middle managers: what that role is, what the role should be, what is influencing it, and how it transforms under the impact of the constant systemic changes starting in the ‘80s. The seminal work is built around the strategic contribution of middle managers. Other themes such as processes, identity, and innovation are also present and give rich perspectives on this fragile, undervalued, and miscast resource.

As per the current state of research, while the interest is obvious, the existing knowledge lacks coherence and cumulative impact. Future research has many opportunities to add knowledge because middle managers represent the structures in hierarchical organizations and their role continues to evolve along with the organizations.