Developing manufacturing competitiveness within South African industry: the role of middle management

Survival in highly competitive and fragmented markets requires producers to focus on both price and non-price factors such as quality, innovation, adh erence to standards and rapid response as the basis for competitive advanta ge. In an effort to meet these new demands firms are deploying a range of i nnovations including advanced equipment and reconfiguration of both their i nternal organisation and their external relationships The literature on the nature of such innovations and the competitive forces driving firms to ado pt them is extensive, but less emphasis is given to questions of how partic ular firms can choose and effectively implement them. Yet research consiste ntly highlights this area as problematic and points to many influential fac tors including manufacturing strategy (or its absence), financial, industri al relations, work organisation and project management. One area which rece ives regular attention of this kind is 'middle management' - an organisatio nal grouping which is often seen as a problem and as the source of resistan ce. It is clear that in a transition from essentially hierarchical organisa tional forms characterised by high division of labour and extensive use of bounded autonomy, decision rules and standard procedures to more fluid and flexible forms this group is likely to be extensively involved. This paper explores the role of middle management in innovation within the specific co ntext of South Africa, and develops some proposals for mechanisms which mig ht help enhance their contribution to industrial restructuring. (C) 2001 El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.