The interface of the top management team and middle managers : A process model

The interaction of Top Management Team (TMT) and Middle Managers (MMs) is central to effective strategy formulation and implementation, but researchers have remained notably silent on the actual nature of this interaction. In this paper, we specify the functions of the TMT-MM interface, and formulate a series of propositions that link TMT and MMs' interaction processes, role behaviors, and trust to strategic decision quality and implementation quality. Studying the interface provides a new avenue for both TMT and MM research and enhances insight into the impact of TMTs on organizational performance.