LEADERSHIP FUNCTIONS OF MIDDLE MANAGERS

Compares the roles and functions of middle managers to those of 1st-level supervisors and higher managers. Theory, training practices, and empirical studies disagree on the part the middle manager plays in large organizations. Recent evidence suggests that there are important differences in the functions of 1st- and 2nd-level managers and that the effect of the 2nd- or 3rd-level manager on morale and performance has been underrated. The most successful supervisor at the 1st level may not be highly successful at the 2nd level of management. The literature suggests a shift in research emphasis from the group to the organization as the unit of analysis, and from the study of managerial personality to the study of managerial functions as a means of identifying at each organizational level the combination of leadership and situational factors conducive to organizational performance. (3 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.