The Department Chair’s Troubles: Leadership Role of Middle Managers

Professor James Wang was chosen by his department colleagues to chair the university department, but he soon realized that leading his colleagues and driving departmental growth were more difficult than teaching and conducting research. Departmental student enrollment had been unsatisfactory in the past few years. Professor Wang met various difficulties executing his duties and faced pressure from senior executives. This case study focuses on the leadership behavior of the university department chair and his colleagues’ reactions. It investigates the role that middle managers play in achieving organizational goals and analyzes the managerial competencies required for them to fulfill their role