They were seeking efficiency, speed and customer responsiveness, they said. They were seeking cost reductions. When the economy began to sizzle back in the mid '90s, some companies reinstalled middle managers here and there. But with the new tough times, middle managers are once again the bad guys. Check out the layoffs being announced every day.
Middle managers are always the first to go.
A new study out of the prestigious business school Enciad, eight years in the making, seems to prove that middle managers are actually a company's best ally during a downturn. They know the processes, the customers, the employees. They've got the networks to make change happen and fast. The only thing they don't have is clout. And so right now, it's off with their heads.