Autonomy and Empowerment for Middle Managers in Jamaican Local (Municipal) Authorities

Abstract

The chapter explores how chief executive officers' (CEOs) leadership styles in municipal corporations (MCs) in Jamaica affect middle managers' autonomy and empowerment for change leadership in times of crises. The CEOs' leadership styles contribute to the performance of middle managers' fulfilment of their organizational mandate. Fourteen participants (senior and middle managers), with at least 10 years of working experience at the senior and middle management levels, participated in this study to explore human lived experiences using a case study approach. The qualitative case study used NVivo 12 software to analyze data collected using semi-structured interview questions on how CEOs in MCs can empower middle managers with autonomy to effectively perform their jobs. The findings reveal that when CEOs empower and give autonomy to middle managers, such an action could transform local government organizations and encourage best practices for organizational change in times of crises.