The Role of Middle Managers in Management System Evolution: A Qualitative Study of Change Implementation Processes
Keywords:
middle managers, management system evolution, organizational change, change implementation, qualitative research, sensemaking, Tehran, thematic analysisAbstract
This study aimed to explore how middle managers contribute to the evolution of management systems during organizational change implementation processes. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews with 24 middle managers working in private and public organizations in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on their direct involvement in management system change, including restructuring, digital workflow redesign, performance management reform, process standardization, and cross-functional coordination initiatives. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached after 21 interviews, followed by three additional interviews to confirm category stability. Interviews lasted between 45 and 75 minutes, were audio-recorded with informed consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. Credibility was enhanced through member checking, peer review, analytic memo writing, and systematic comparison of codes across cases. Five main categories emerged from the analysis: translating strategic intent into operational meaning, mediating vertical and horizontal tensions, reconfiguring routines through local experimentation, sustaining employee commitment during uncertainty, and institutionalizing learning through feedback loops. The findings showed that middle managers were not passive implementers of senior management decisions; rather, they acted as interpretive brokers, process translators, boundary spanners, emotional stabilizers, and learning agents. Their influence was especially visible when formal change plans were incomplete, ambiguous, or misaligned with operational realities. The study concludes that management system evolution depends substantially on the situated agency of middle managers. By converting abstract strategic priorities into workable practices, adjusting routines, managing resistance, and feeding operational knowledge back to senior decision-makers, middle managers shape both the direction and durability of change implementation.
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