Exploring the identity of middle managers as strategy practitioners within South African government department

Abstract

The traditional views in strategy research place strategising as the domain of top management. The middle management perspective has however gained prominence as middle managers are recognised as significant strategy practitioners. The current study sought to explore the identity of middle managers as strategy practitioners in a government department, through the strategy-as-practice lens. A single case study approach was followed, and data was gathered through in-depth interviews with middle managers and their immediate supervisors as the participants. Findings are presented through three main themes. The first theme describes the unique organisational context within which participating middle managers were situated. The second theme reveals the internal multi-level dynamics between participating middle managers and their immediate supervisors. The final theme highlights the diverse roles and skills of middle managers. The research findings provide insight into the multi-level dynamics present between middle managers and their immediate supervisors and expose some of the enabling and constraining practices that influenced participating middle managers in their day-to-day work environment. The findings revealed that middle managers are considered critical strategy practitioners and the link between the top management and lower-level staff. The findings also revealed that middle managers engage in identity work as a process of selfenhancement, confirming that identity is not static. The study sought to contribute to the body of knowledge within the strategy- as-practice perspective as it explored the strategy–identity nexus from a practice perspective, particularly the perception of the identity of middle managers as strategy practitioners.

Melebo ya tlwaelo mo patlisisong ya togamaano e tsaya go loga maano e le tiro ya botsamaisi jo bo kwa godimo. Fela botsamaisibogareng bo simolotse go nna botlhokwa jaaka fa batsamaisibogareng ba tswelela go lemogwa jaaka badirakatogamaano ba ba botlhokwa. Thutopatlisiso ya ga jaana e ne e batla go tlhotlhomisa boitshupo jwa baitsamaisibogareng jaaka badirakatogamaano mo lefapheng la puso, ka leitlho la togamaano-jaaka-tiragatso. Go latetswe molebo wa thutopatlisiso ya tobiso e le nngwe, mme go kokoantswe data ka dikopanopotsolotso tse di tseneletseng le bannileseabe ba batsamaisibogareng le batlhokomedi ba bona. Diphitlhelelo di tlhagisiwa go ya ka meonomegolo e le meraro: Moono wa ntlha o tlhalosa seemo se se kgethegileng sa setheo se batsamaisibogareng ba ba nnileng le seabe ba neng ba le mo go sona. Moono wa bobedi o senola diphetogo tsa magatomantsi tsa ka fa gare magareng ga batsamaisibogareng ba ba nnileng le seabe le batlhokomedi ba bona. Moono wa bofelo o senola diabe le dikgono tse di farologaneng tsa batsamaisibogareng. Diphitlhelelo tsa patlisiso di sedimosa diphetogo tsa magatomantsi tse di gona magareng ga batsamaisibogareng le batlhokomedi ba bona, mme di senola dingwe tsa ditiragatso tse di kgontshang le tse di lekanyetsang tse di ka tlhotlheletsang batsamaisibogareng ba ba nang le seabe mo seemong sa bona sa tiro ya letsatsi le letsatsi. Diphitlhelelo di bontsha gore batsamaisibogareng ba tsewa e le badirakatogamaano ba botlhokwa, le kgolagano magareng ga botsamaisi jo bo kwa godimo le badiri ba ba kwa legatong le le kwa tlase. Gape diphitlhelelo di bontsha gore batsamaisibogareng ba dira tiro ya boitshupo jaaka tirego ya go itokafatsa, ba tlhomamisa gore boitshupo ga bo a ema felo go le gongwe fela. Thutopatlisiso e ne e batla go akgela mo kitsong e e gona mo mogopolong wa togamaano-jaaka-tiragatso jaaka e ne e tlhotlhomisa ntlha ya togamaano le boitshupo go ya ka tiragatso, bogolo segolo mogopolo wa boitshupo jwa batsamaisibogareng jaaka badirakatogamaano.

Maitele a kale kha ṱhoḓisiso ya tshiṱirathedzhi a dzhia u bveledza tshiṱirathedzhi sa sia ḽa vhulanguli vhuhulwane. Mbonalo ya vhulanguli ha vhukati naho zwo ralo yo vhuelwa nga u dzhielwa nṱha musi vhalanguli vha vhukati vha tshi khou engedzea u dzhielwa nṱha sa vhabveledzi vha tshiṱirathedzhi vha ndeme. Ṱhoḓisiso ya zwino yo ṱoḓa u wanulusa vhuvha ha vhalanguli vha vhukati sa vhabveledzi vha tshiṱirathedzhi kha muhasho wa muvhuso, nga kha maitele a tshiṱirathedzhi tsha nyito. Ho tevhedzwa kuitele kwa ṱhoḓisiso nthihi, data yo kuvhanganyiwa nga kha inthaviwu dzo ṱanḓavhuwaho na vhalanguli vha vhukati na vhaṱoli vhavho vhane vha lavhelesa mushumo wa vhatholiwa sa vhadzheneli. Mawanwa o kumedzwa u ya nga thero tharu khulwane: Thero ya u thoma i ṱalusa nyimele yo fhambanaho ya tshiimiswa hune vhadzheneli vha vhulanguli ha vhukati vha wanala hone. Thero ya vhuvhili i dzumbulula tshanduko ya nga ngomu ya ḽeveḽe nnzhi vhukati ha vhadzheneli vha vhalanguli vha vhukati na vhaṱoli vhavho vhane vha lavhelesa mushumo wa vhatholiwa. Thero ya u fhedzisela i ombedzela mishumo yo fhambanaho na zwikili zwa vhalanguli vha vhukati. Mawanwa a ṱhoḓisiso a ṋetshedza kupfesesele kha tshanduko dza ḽeveḽe nnzhi dzi re hone vhukati ha vhalanguli vha vhukati na vhaṱoli vhavho vhane vha lavhelesa mushumo wavho, na u ṱana vhuṅwe vhukoni na maitele a zwithivheli ane a ṱuṱuwedza u dzhenelela nga vhalanguli vha vhukati kha vhupo ha mushumo wavho wa ḓuvha nga ḓuvha. Mawanwa o dzumbulula uri vhalanguli vha vhukati vha dzhiwa sa vhabveledzi vha tshiṱirathedzhi vha ndeme, na vhuṱumani vhukati ha vhulanguli ha nṱha na vhashumi vha ḽeveḽe ya fhasi. Mawanwa o dovha a wanulusa uri vhalanguli vha vhukati hu ḓidzhenisa kha mushumo wa vhuṋe sa kuitele kwa u ḓipfumisa, u khwaṱhisedza uri vhuṋe a si tshithu tshi sa shanduki. Ngudo i ṱoḓa u shela mulenzhe kha sia ḽa nḓivho kha tshiṱirathedzhi sa mbonalo ya nyito musi hu tshi wanuluswa u ḓidzhenisa kha vhuṋe thwii u bva kha mbonalo ya nyito, nga maanḓa mbonalo ya vhuṋe kha vhalanguli vha vhukati sa vhabveledzi vha tshiṱirathedzhi.