Cutting middle management kills productivity

One on one relationships key to employee commitment

Rick Hackett

Companies that cut middle managers jeopardize their productivity more than save costs, a study from McMaster University suggests.

"Middle managers are the front line communicators with employees," says Rick Hackett, Canada Research Chair in Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. "One-on-one social exchanges between bosses and their workers have a real impact on employee productivity, behaviour and commitment, and when you cut middle-management, often you lose that interaction."