Abstract

Even though there has been a growth in literature focusing on the role middle management plays in strategy, it has been about 10 years since the last literature review. This article’s main objective is to analyze this literature and suggest opportunities for the future. To this end, we reviewed 63 studies published since 1970, classifying each according to their research questions, main variables and theoretical underpinnings. Using this information as a basis for content analysis, we identified six core categories of studies. The categories describe the different ways middle managers are involved in strategy, indicating a greater diversity for possible theoretical, methodological and contextual investigations of the theme.

middle management; strategy; literature review