What about the Middle Man? The Impact of Middle Level Managers on Organizational Learning

Abstract

Researchers have explored the relationship between upper echelon leadership and organizational learning in certain settings, namely growth and consistency (Reese, 2006). Researchers continue to explore the various relationships between upper echelon leaders or top management teams (TMT) and organizational learning because the TMT are the people responsible for the allocation of resources and creating a culture that promotes employee training, employee development, teambuilding, and employee advancement. This research proposes a qualitative study in the health care and transportation fields of mid-level managers. The authors seek to understand what was communicated to mid-level managers during a time of change, how that impacted their attitudes, and in turn, what if any individual learning they gained during the time of change. We also seek to identify specific learning that the individual was able to share with their teams within the nontop management teams, and whether they observed those learning being put into policy by upper management. We conclude the perception of middle managers on improving organizational learning is vital to the overall concept