Abstract: Middle managers often find themselves in a challenging position: They have to impress different audiences in somewhat incompatible ways and represent and enact managerial ideals and expectations that may be detrimental to their work identities. This study explores role distancing as an alluring coping strategy. Role distancing – acts that express separateness between the individual and the enacted role – may enable the professional to do management and give an impressive managerial performance, without becoming a manager. This may seem like the perfect strategy to impress others while escaping identity struggles. Or maybe not. In this study we take a closer look at role distancing among a group of middle managers in higher education and focus on one head of department, Manny, in particular over a period of time. We find that what first seemed to be a promising strategy applauded by a backstage audience, turns into a problem in need of its own solution, as backstage also becomes a frontstage. The paper contributes to theory about middle managers, role distancing in professional work and front−/backstage acting. It also makes a case for N = 1 studies.
Presenter: Mats Alvesson is a professor at Lund University and the University of Bath, Bayes Business School. He has published extensively on topics like qualitative and reflexive methodology, critical theory, leadership, identity, organizational culture, and functional stupidity. He is a Hans Fischer Senior Fellow from the Institute for Advanced Study of the Technical University of Munich.
Date and time: Thursday 23rd of January 2025 / 03:30 pm to 05:00 pm
Place: Professur für Forschungs- und Wissenschaftsmanagement, Arcisstraße 21, building 0505, room Z577 (https://www.msl.mgt.tum.de/en/rm/contact-information/)
Zoom link: https://tum-conf.zoom-x.de/j/69223007072?pwd=ChvbAIoOW2caPqiZamahIF6Op2AV6k.1
Meeting-ID: 692 2300 7072
Kenncode: 123307