City Research Online

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 manager, 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.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Management Studies published by Society for the Advancement of Management Studies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Publisher Keywords:	double front stage-backstage, meta-role distancing, escape, identity work, middle management and leadership
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Departments:	Bayes Business School Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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