2025-Kerrie Howard

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Climbing the Public Sector Ladder: Enablers and Barriers in Middle Managers' Career Progression

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Dr Kerrie Howard (PI), Royal Holloway University of London; and Dr Maryam Zahmatkesh (Co-I), Royal Holloway University of London – Climbing the Public Sector Ladder: Enablers and Barriers in Middle Managers' Career Progression

Grant Ref: 2023-T1-528

Grant Amount: £5,536.20

Project summary: The research project will compare the career progression of middle managers in the NHS and Further Education (FE). Despite public perception of too many managers, the public sector is under managed facing a human capital crisis (Jakobsen et al., 2023), especially in the NHS (Kirkpatrick et al. 2023), and FE (AOC Report, 2022). Extant research focuses largely on middle managers’ career pathways to executive roles, overlooking middle management progression, vital for public sector functionality, continuity and effectiveness.

The proposed research will address this gap focusing on contextual factors influencing individual career progression, examining the obstacles and enablers in two sectors with varied organizational cultures and structural arrangements. To guide our research, we will use an interpretive phenomenological approach based on qualitative data gained primarily through interviews and complemented with secondary data. We will focus on the experience of middle managers to develop a rich picture of how individual agency interacts with context, how individuals respond to context and the context factors configuring career progression into managerial positions. In collaboration with national stakeholders, we will use our findings to develop policy and practitioner impact.