Choice of an authoritative style when implementing a survival urgency-based strategic change

What is it about?

We examine if middle managers have any preference over the implementation style they choose when implementing strategic changes? Our analysis reflect that when middle managers sense need for the survival of the organization is at stake, they are likely to choose an authoritative style. Additional investigation focused on the moderating role of organizational commitment, strategic posture of the Top Management Team (TMT), and hostile business environment on the relationship between perception of survival urgency and the choice of authoritative implementation style. Only organizational commitment moderates this relationship.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Managing strategic change has become a key managerial function in today's organizations. The need to achieve strategic change arises because of major shifts in the external environment and the subsequent need for the organization to remain viable and competitive in the changed environment. In turn, adoption of strategic change can provide long-term survival of a firm. The initiation of a strategic change arises in response to either realized or anticipated changes in an organization's environment. Typically, creating and managing strategic change has been primarily considered a key function of top managers . However in recent years, the strategic role of middle managers in implementation of change has been highlighted. The strategic focus on middle managers is accentuated because in recent times the middle managers are perceived as organizational link pins, and their position allows them to initiate new strategic initiatives to be implemented or inhibit the implementation of such activities. It has been argued that the strategic importance of middle managers will continue to rise as their operational contribution to organizations reduces with increasing numbers of flat organizations, but that their strategic contribution increases as firms face higher levels of complexity in the environment and as such studying their implementation style becomes important and critical for all organization. .