The advanced midfielder: middle managers in social work

This study examines the role and position of middle managers with respect to the changes currently affecting the social sector in The Netherlands. These changes concern, among other things, the stimulation of active... [ view full abstract ]

This study examines the role and position of middle managers with respect to the changes currently affecting the social sector in The Netherlands. These changes concern, among other things, the stimulation of active citizenship in the social field, and are taking place against the backdrop of further decentralisation, operation of market mechanisms, and public funding cutbacks. The study focuses particularly on a specific group of social professionals, namely the social-cultural professions within the social sector, which includes such occupations as community worker, social-cultural worker, youth worker, playground worker, child worker and educational worker. Their core tasks include activating and stimulating participation among their target groups.

The choice to focus on middle managers was motivated by a double objective from the very start: first, to focus on the positions and tasks of these middle managers, and second (through them), to examine the current changes taking place locally in this segment of the social sector. Throughout this study we have been interested in the possible changes in the role of the middle manager in this type of knowledge organisation. We have also sought to determine how these middle managers, 'their’ frontline professionals and directors/managers concur and/or diverge in how they manage or wish to manage the stimulation of active citizenship, and how they understand the role of middle managers in this process.

The theoretical explorations and the empirical part of the study together paint a picture of a double transition: a transition towards an appeal to active citizenship that is partly driven by a stronger localisation of the social domain, in connection with a transition in how social organisations in the public domain organise their services, and of the manner in which the playing field of these organisations is organised. The two transitions are occurring simultaneously and mutually influence each other.