Abstract:

When it comes to management and managerial skills, top-level managers are the first to come to mind. The neglected management positions of middle-level managers, who are both employees and managers in terms of their positions, constitute the scope of this study. With this study, it is aimed to look at the manager and managerial skills from the perspective of middle management. It is possible for middle-level managers to evaluate their managerial skills from two different perspectives, since they can both observe their managers as subordinates and because they are managers. The study, which aims to determine the opinions of middle level managers on management and managerial skills, was designed with the qualitative method. In the study carried out for this purpose, the data were obtained through interviews conducted through semi-structured interview form with 24 Institute/Faculty/School Secretaries working in academic units at universities. According to the findings, the participants expect their top managers to be fair the most and state that they should be equipped with human relations skills. Middle-level managers, including themselves, emphasize the need for strong communication and again focus on human relations skills. In addition, they think that they are blocked, but they state that this obstacle is caused by themselves. In this direction, while the importance of human relations skills is clear in terms of the work they do, it can be seen that they cannot improve themselves in this sense. Mid-level management needs to be strengthened with various trainings and especially manager development practices.

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