The “active struggle” of the hybrid middle manager: exploring the notion of ethical resistance

IF 2.5 Q3 MANAGEMENT
Mervyn Conroy, Steve Kempster, Robyn Remke
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

This paper brings attention to the role of hybrid middle managers. In particular it explores the relationship of organisational purpose and role requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The primary research question for the original research was: What does it mean to hybrid managers to lead and deal with imposed changes (restructuring) to services? A novel narrative approach based on a synthesis of Czarniawska, Gabriel and Boje was applied. Accounts from interviews were condensed into narratives by initially using the categories defined by Gabriel (2000) as epic, tragic, comic and romantic and then further categorised into stories, themes and a serial (Czarniawska, 1997). The final stage of the three-way synthesised narrative approach incorporated Boje’s (2001) notion of “antenarrative” to include pre-emplotment elements.

Findings

Four narratives are provided that give insight to the nature of the struggles the hybrid middle managers were in the midst of. A struggle to address incongruent demands being placed on them that cause tension with their sense of purpose, organisational goals and their hybrid clinical roles and management roles. In the midst of these struggles the narratives illustrate the dynamic of ethical resistance that seeks a way forward. However, this appears to come at a health and well-being cost to the middle managers.

Originality/value

The paper offers up the notion of an added third bind to the traditional double, that of “ethical resistance”, a struggle to align organisational purpose with clinical and management role requirements. Theorising this third bind provides a new insight into understanding the context and dynamics of the hybrid middle manager role and behaviour. Indeed, the idea of ethical resistance may cause a revision of how resistance is understood.

混合型中层管理者的 "积极斗争":探索道德抵抗的概念
目的本文关注混合型中层管理人员的角色。设计/方法/途径最初研究的主要问题是:对混合型中层管理人员来说,领导和应对服务业的强加变革(重组)意味着什么?对于混合型中层管理人员来说,领导和处理强加给服务部门的变革(重组)意味着什么?在综合 Czarniawska、Gabriel 和 Boje 的基础上,采用了一种新颖的叙事方法。通过使用 Gabriel(2000 年)定义的史诗、悲剧、喜剧和浪漫等类别,将访谈中的叙述浓缩为叙事,然后进一步分为故事、主题和系列(Czarniawska,1997 年)。三向综合叙事方法的最后阶段纳入了 Boje(2001 年)的 "反叙事 "概念,以包括预演元素。他们要努力解决对他们提出的不协调要求,这些要求与他们的使命感、组织目标以及他们的混合临床角色和管理角色之间的矛盾。在这些斗争中,他们的叙述说明了寻求前进方向的道德抵制动态。原创性/价值 本文提出了在传统的双重束缚之外增加第三重束缚的概念,即 "道德抵制",这是一种将组织目标与临床和管理角色要求相结合的斗争。对这第三重束缚的理论分析为理解混合型中层管理者角色和行为的背景和动态提供了新的视角。事实上,"道德阻力 "的概念可能会导致对阻力理解方式的修正。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
7.00
自引率
9.70%
发文量
28
期刊介绍: ■Competence-based management development ■Developing leadership skills ■Developing women for management ■Global management ■The new technology of management development The Journal of Management Development draws together the thinking and research relating to the role played by managers in their immediate environment, and the ways in which they can widen their responsibilities to take on larger roles. Many companies now appreciate that investment in management development helps to reduce costs, increase sales and improve productivity - so it"s well worth investigating.
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