Developing paradoxical thinking in middle managers
Clarke M
Journal of Management Development, (UK), Vol 17 No 3 98
Start page: 191 No of pages: 16
Summarizes the changes that have taken place in the middle managers’ role and in the way that they are expected to carry out their managerial responsibilities, reducing their role as a technical expert and increasing the need for them to possess more generalist managerial skills. Considers how these changes have affected the way that middle managers see their jobs and their position within the organization, describing the need for them to adjust to the contradictions within the new situation. Suggests that paradoxical thinking might hold the answer, explaining how it could help managers to deal with uncertainty and change. Outlines the work done in Cranfield School of Management (UK) in this area, describing their ‘general management for specialists programme’ which aims to help middle and senior managers to develop a general management perspective by introducing them to the concept of paradoxical thinking and training them in new approaches to problem solving and decision making.