Middle managers in a state‐controlled economy: how they implement their decisions

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to study how two different managerial environments of the state‐controlled economy in Belarus – “private small business management” and “state or privatized large enterprise management” – influence middle managers' implementation of decisions. Two kinds of data are analyzed: “should” option or presented data, and “would” option or managers' preferred in reality option of activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was completed in two stages: survey research based on open‐ended questions and face‐to‐face structured interviews based on the principle of controllable projection. A total of 193 decisions are analyzed.

Findings

Managers of large and state enterprises should present an appearance of active tactics, but in reality they would prefer tactics of delay or no‐action. Managers of small private businesses should present all varieties of tactics except a tactic of inaction. In reality, they would prefer to act directly, or less often, to wait or not act at all.

Research limitations/implications

The effect of other organizational factors than the size and form of ownership should be subjects of future research. The comparison of decision implementation tactics of mid‐level managers in large and small organizations, in state‐owned and private companies in countries with different economies should also be studied.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper have managerial implications for companies willing to open subsidiaries or establish partnership with enterprises from countries with a state‐controlled economy.

Originality/value

The paper is original research that proves the influence of the business environment and characteristics of a company on a middle manager's behavior.

Citation

Ivanova, Y.V. (2007), "Middle managers in a state‐controlled economy: how they implement their decisions", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 392-410. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710745950