The Adroit Middle Manager

Abstract

In the office of a government agency, a serious health hazard appeared, but the executive management did not think they could afford to do anything about it. One of the middle managers, Maria, was told by a group of professionals that the employees were planning a wild strike in answer to the inaction of management with regard to the safety problems. Others had been in contact with the media. In this situation, senior management demanded that middle managers inform the employees that it was a false alarm — that there was no problem, no health hazard. Maria objected by saying that it could very well be a real risk and that it was not very wise to lie to the employees. Senior management dismissed her arguments and the other middle managers did as they were ordered: ‘There is no danger,’ they told their subordinates.