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Large corporate policy changes usually take the form of a top-down approach based on a clearly envisioned routine and an implementation plan. Yet, the authors report on a study of a bottom-up approach in which key members of a service company created a new hiring routine that supported a company-wide new human resource management (HRM) hiring policy without any prior envisioned plan. We pay particularly close attention to the perspectives of this company’s HRM professionals, line managers, and middle-level managers. The authors used the literature on routine dynamics to examine in detail which actions were taken by key members in this organization to create the new hiring routine. Through in-depth interviews, the authors found that line managers, HRM professionals, and middle-level managers significantly differed in their points of view regarding their role in the new hiring routine, and how it should work best. As a result of these different points of view, the actors took different actions that nonetheless contributed to building the new routine including creating new internal and external connections, supplying expertise, and ensuring oversight of the new way of hiring. The authors also observed that the creation of this new routine also implied conflicts as a result of different points of view and actions. Nonetheless, the end result was the establishment of a new company-wide accepted hiring routine that even surpassed the expectations of top management. With this study, the authors contribute to the literature on routine dynamics by demonstrating the generative potential of multiple points of view and conflicts in creating new routines involved in large corporate policy change by showing how misalignments between the actors’ perspectives do not need to hamper the creation of new action patterns but rather support it.

This study explores in the context of the use of the balanced scorecard (BSC) by management, whether the use of both financial and nonfinancial measures by top managers in their evaluations influences middle-level managers’ evaluations of their subordinates. This study uses a 2×2 experimental design where the subjects (MBA students) were asked to evaluate the performance of two lower-level managers under two different manipulation conditions. Subjects acted as middle-level managers of a hypothetical company. They were provided with the same performance information of two low-level managers under both conditions. However, under one condition, subjects were provided with additional information: the top management's evaluation style which used both financial and nonfinancial measures in their performance evaluations. No additional information was provided to subjects under the other manipulation condition. We also manipulated two performance information patterns of the two low-level managers. We predict that if middle-level managers are aware that the top manager uses both financial and nonfinancial measures in the BSC to evaluate their performance, middle-level managers would develop a mindset in which they will evaluate subordinates in a similar style, evaluating their subordinates on the basis of both financial and nonfinancial measures. The results of this study support the hypotheses. The findings of this study suggest that the contagion effect exists in the use of the BSC in performance evaluations.

This research brings together two streams of thought applied to decision-making: lean thinking and stakeholder theory. Both have been identified as ways to improve organizational value. Previous studies disagree regarding whether they can work together. This study investigates if managers balance stakeholders and lean thinking in decision-making.

This research investigates if both lean thinking and stakeholder salience share common literature by using data mining. It surveys organizations that perceive themselves as lean and have multiple diverse stakeholders to determine whether waste and salience are considered when making decisions. An ANOVA is done to see if organization type, management level, organization size, geographic location, or lean maturity has an effect on the priority of stakeholder salience or lean thinking's waste variants when making decisions.

Findings of this research are: 1) stakeholders salience criteria are considered more often than lean thinking's waste variants in decision-making by managers as a whole and in particular by middle-level managers and senior managers. However, lean thinking's waste variants are considered as often as stakeholder salience criteria by first-line managers. 2) The ranking of stakeholder salience in making decisions is not affected by organization type, respondent position, organization size, perceived lean experience, or geographic location. The organization type, organization size, lean experience, and location do not affect the ranking of lean thinking variants either. But the ranking of lean thinking's waste variants is significantly different for first-line, middle-level, and senior managers. Middle-level managers rank lean thinking higher than that of either first-line or senior-level. Because of this, middle managers have a more balanced approach in using lean thinking and stakeholder salience than other managers. 3) Stakeholder salience criteria have a significantly higher ranking than lean thinking variants in making decisions for all organization types: manufacturing and nonmanufacturing.

This research demonstrates a significant disconnect exists between lean thinking and demands of stakeholders that impacts the value of an organization, and only middle-level managers bring balance and awareness of both streams of thought. An empirical instrument has been developed to balance the stakeholder salience criteria with the lean thinking variants.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of a previously developed model of indirect leadership (qualitative Grounded Theory case study) in a broader military context.

The model was operationalised to specific questionnaires for high‐level managers, middle‐level managers, and lower‐level employees. Data were obtained from 147 Norwegian and 134 Swedish military officers, representing all three levels, and serving in the Army and Air Force respectively.

The theoretical model of indirect leadership was partly supported. Higher importance was attributed to image‐oriented top‐down influence, rather than to action‐oriented influence via directly subordinate commanders, which may be understood using developmental, transformational, and authentic leadership formulations. Meaningful patterns of subgroup differences were obtained.

Indirect leadership is complex and bottom‐up influences were not taken into account, not all aspects of the top‐down influence process were covered, only military contexts were studied, and no meaningful analysis of possible gender‐related differences was possible in this male‐dominated context.

The obtained support of the theoretical model legitimises its use as a tool in higher military management education and coaching.

The measurement tools of indirect leadership and the quantitatively based support of a Grounded Theory model with a how‐focus on indirect leadership.

Several studies have examined the leadership styles and behaviour of managers across hierarchical levels to see whether or not the styles and behaviour are similar. The present study collected data from over 400 managers in the UK to research the topic. It found that generally there are significant differences in the leadership styles between senior and first‐level managers, but not between senior and middle‐level managers or between middle and first‐level managers. The study suggests that differences in the leadership styles practised by managers may be blurred in organisations with short chains of command, while it will tend to be pronounced in organisations with long chains of command, other things being equal. Overall, while there was a weak but statistically significant difference between the leadership styles of senior and first‐level managers, the differences in their leadership behaviour was statistically strong. The implications of these results are explored.

The present project concerned the assessment of senior and middle level managers′ training needs by self‐report questionnaire, and the link between such identified needs and managers′ preferences for training strategies. It was found that senior‐and middle‐level managers rated the degree of training they needed as less than their supervisors rated for their positions. Self‐reported training needs could be described by an overall general management dimension, whereas managers′ preferred training strategies were separate and specific. Managers′ preferred training strategies and attitudes towards training were not related to their training needs.

Much of the literature identifies the positive nature of role models in career progression. The purpose of this paper is to take the contrary perspective and explore whether role-modelling behaviour of senior female managers can be unintentionally interpreted as negative, with an associated negative impact on career progression decisions of female managers.

To address this issue the authors took a grounded theory approach and 30 in-depth interviews were conducted with female middle-level managers in a wide range of Irish organisations.

The results of the interviews illustrate that role-modelling behaviour has the potential to negatively, rather than positively affect female career progression choices.

The unintended consequences of role-modelling behaviour of senior female managers highlights both the concept of negative role-modelling behaviour and identifies its impact on female managerial career progression.

This paper offers new insights into the construction of the global role model by introducing two new elements – the realistic role model and the departed role model.

A corporate entrepreneurship (CE) strategy implies that a firm’s strategic intent is to continuously leverage entrepreneurial opportunities for growth- and advantage-seeking purposes. CE has gained greater research attention with a focus on the factors that influence an organization’s willingness to initiate and sustain a CE strategy. In the current disruptive age, firms acknowledge the importance of CE (also referred to as corporate innovation) as the critical element for sustained competitive advantage in the global economy. Yet, so many organizations struggle with the actual implementation of an innovative strategy. There are key challenges that must be addressed by today’s corporate entrepreneurial leaders in this age of disruptive innovation. These include framing the innovation, developing the internal architecture, coordinating the managerial levels, integrating design thinking, recognizing the grief associated with project failure, and demanding ethical standards. As research on corporate innovative activity has evolved, numerous researchers have acknowledged the importance of these leadership activities to enhance the effectiveness of corporate entrepreneurial activity. In this chapter, the authors discuss these critical elements confronting corporate entrepreneurial leaders.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the nature of management and leadership is related to the management and development of teaching and R&D (research and development) in higher education institutions.

The nature of management and leadership is approached by consideration of transformational and transactional leadership styles. The emergence and influence of these two styles in management of teaching and R&D are examined using an electronic questionnaire for senior and middle level managers at Finnish polytechnics.

Both transactional and transformational environments were identified in polytechnics. Senior and middle level managers did not have the same management and development preferences and their perceptions of the operational and management practices differed. Differences found between the viewpoints of these managers diminished when middle managers perceive transformational environment. In a transactional environment teaching was preferred rather than R&D, the role of personnel and students was less important and the good management practices were less common. In a transformational environment, R&D and integrating teaching and R&D had better circumstances to develop further.

This study is not concerned with how various environmental and contextual factors affect management of teaching and R&D. Nor did this study shed light on the perspectives of teachers on institutional leadership and management.

Development of operations, management and leadership is crucial to integrate and be in transformational interaction involving actors from all levels of a higher education institution. In order to implement changes and improve current practices, managers and leaders should extend the ways they approach and perceive teaching and R&D, their own management and leadership and environment. Personnel training and delegation are both needed.

The paper reports on the findings of an electronic survey distributed to senior and middle managers working in polytechnics in Finland that explores their perceptions of teaching and R&D. This paper provides a topical picture of the operative management of teaching and R&D and its extensive meaning in higher education institutions. In addition, this paper identifies a need to examine practice in Finnish polytechnics in terms of the notion of transformational leadership.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of perceived work-related stress among public sector managers.

A general questionnaire-based survey of managers at all managerial levels in Danish organizations concerning the content of their job and the way it is practiced (n=1,500, response rate 72 per cent) are applied. For the purpose of this paper only specific information related to the perception of work stress among public sector managers is analyzed (n=400).

The perception of stress are influenced by factors like gender, managerial level, work load, the influence on own job situation, if they have children living at home as well as the percentage of work-at-home.

In a general survey work stress is one among a larger number of issues. This fact may influence the validity of the information – in a positive as well as a negative way. However, the findings point to issues which call for more in-depth analyses.

The identified significant determinants influencing the perception of stress point to issues where preventive initiatives can be taken.

Since work-related stress may cause absence from work it may influence production and the health system. If preventive measures can be taken a positive impact on the economy may be the result.

Work-related stress has been studied before. But little focus has been given to the public sector and especially managers. Furthermore, including a variety of potential explanatory determinants such a work-life balance, psycho-social work characteristics, gender and managerial level – as well as the potential interaction between them – give a detailed platform for the analyses.