Concept of Middle Management

Middle Management:

Middle Management is an integral and important part of the administration. In every administrative system, Middle Management plays an important role in the performance of vitally important functions. It maintains stability in the management and provides the apex of the careers to a large number of employees. In the words of L. D. White, “The importance of Middle Management is obviously great. Here it is that the substantive action of the government on behalf of the citizens comes to fruition; here, it is that the citizens deal with the government when they pass beyond their first contacts; here it is that the temper of the public service and its reputation are largely made.”

The importance of Middle Management can be judged from the fact that while performing useful and essential tasks for the administration, it provides vitally needed training and experience to the personnel by virtue of which they can hope to get elevated to top management level positions. In other words, middle management is a career in itself, and along with this, it is also a training system from which a large portion of top management emerges.

The duties of the Middle Management are to supervise, direct and control the performance of the business. Middle Management is a very wide concept and it is used to denote a very large number of personnel working in the administration. It includes the executive class in Britain and in the U.S.A., with some exceptions, bureau chiefs, heads of divisions and sections and other intermediate grades, the departmental auxiliary agencies, budget and accounting officers, personnel and purchasing officers, procedures experts, public relations officers, and the like. In India, the head clerks, section officers, office superintendents, accounts officers, labor relation officers, liaison officers, and the like come under the category of middle management.

Structure of Middle Management (L . D. White’s Analysis):

Functions of Middle Management:

Qualities of the Middle Managers:

The Middle Management covers the Bureau chief, the division and section heads, other intermediate grades, and the departmental auxiliary agencies. The budget and accounting officers, purchasing officers, personnel officers, procedure experts, public relations officers, business officers, the managers of public institutions, and other subordinate staff comprise the Middle Management. They play an important role in the working of an organization. However, their success and efficiency in the performance of their functions depend on their qualities. They must have sound qualities of head and heart for rendering these tasks effectively. Further, because of the complex nature of the tasks of middle managers, it becomes essential for them to work efficiently. For serving these purposes, they are supposed to have the following qualities:

(1) Vocational Specialists- For the successful and efficient working of Middle Management, the managers should be vocational experts. They should have professional education in the field in which they are to work.

(2) Knowledge of Rules and Regulations- Middle managers should be fully aware of the law, the rules, and regulations that govern their organizations. They have also to keep track of the amendments of these rules and regulations as well as the judicial decisions in respect of these rules.

(3) Skilful in the art of Systematic Supervision- Middle managers should also be perfect in the art of supervision. They have to be skillful supervisors. In other words, they should have the capacity for supervision and leadership.

(4) Due Training and Adequate Experience- The middle managers should be trained in their tasks. They should have adequate experience in handling the activities of the organization. They should have a good service record.

Conclusion:

To conclude our discussion of Middle Management, we have to say that no one can deny the importance of Middle Management in an administration. Due to the expansion of the activities of public administration, the work of public organizations has increased manifold. This has increased the role and importance of Middle Management.

Further, Middle Management is also important because it constitutes a training ground from which a considerable part of the top management emerges. It is a career in itself as well as it is a means for a higher career. As L. D. White says, “It is here that the substantive actions of the government on behalf of the citizens come to fruition; here it is that citizens deal with the government when they pass beyond their first contacts; here it is that the spirit and temper of public service and its reputation are largely made.”

“Middle Management provides the apex of the career to most government employees, partly because the structural pyramid narrows very sharply at the higher level and partly because top management comprises many persons selected for their representative or political character.”