So much for mediocrity! – New study on middle management published

This is the conclusion reached by this year’s study, ‘Middle Management – Leadership in Times of Massive Upheaval’, conducted by the Dr. Jürgen Meyer Stiftung in collaboration with the Hamburger Stiftung für Wirtschaftsethik, under the direction of Professor Dr Matthias Fifka of the Friedrich Alexander University of Nuremberg-Erlangen.

Whilst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany enjoy an excellent reputation as the backbone of the German economy, middle management as a group is still tended to be associated with mediocrity. The findings of this year’s study, however, suggest a different perspective. They once again highlight the demanding tasks, issues, challenges and conflicts that middle management must grapple with in times of massive upheaval, such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.

The ability of middle managers to make the right decisions – in the spirit of business practices that respect human rights and are environmentally sustainable – in a volatile, complex and ambiguous world is becoming increasingly relevant both economically and socially.

The findings show that people management is increasingly regarded as a core task of middle management; that enforcing decisions made by senior management still poses the greatest challenge; that codes of conduct are increasingly becoming the norm; that moral conflicts are primarily social conflicts; and that the ability to strike a balance is an essential part of middle management.

However, the study reveals something else as well. Alongside the pandemic and legally enshrined due diligence obligations for supply chains, another significant shift is becoming apparent: the differing perspectives between the sexes and across generations on the tasks, challenges and conflicts within middle management.

The changes associated with this shift – in terms of reconciling sustainability and success, home and office, family and career, or work and life – will enable middle management to enjoy a more positive reputation in future: both as a worthwhile subject of research and as a desirable career and management position for sustainable business practices.

As the head of the study, Professor Dr Matthias Fifka, says: “This mindset of ‘I have to reach the very top, otherwise I’ve failed’ seems to be playing an increasingly minor role for younger generations. As a result, middle management is increasingly becoming an attractive career goal.”