Analysis of Managerial Escalator Theory and the Role of Manager

This report delves into the managerial escalator theory, examining how individuals progress to managerial roles within organizations. The study investigates the transition from specialized roles to management positions, highlighting the importance of skills and experience. It explores the concept of the managerial gap and presents strategies such as training and development, individual competency assessments, management support, and informal meetings to address it. Through interviews with a manager and a sales manager, the report illustrates how their career paths align with the managerial escalator, emphasizing the significance of hard work, commitment, and support. The findings underscore the benefits of promoting employees internally and the importance of continuous development to ensure effective management and organizational success. The report recommends 360-degree feedback and communication skill development to enhance managerial effectiveness.

The role of Manager

Abstract
The main objective of this study is to examine how people apply managerial escalator
theory at their career path. As per the theory, report examined that there are many methods
through which specialized worker become a manager by fulfilling certain aspects. Also, to
minimize the managerial gap, study also provide different strategies which can be used by an
organization. Also, through finding and analysis section, it is examined that chosen interviewee
work as a small position but through their hard work and abilities, management promoted into a
senior position which clearly reflect that company complies with managerial escalator.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Theory.....................................................................................................................................1
Discussion of findings and analysis.......................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
Recommendations..................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
Appendices.......................................................................................................................................7
Appendix – 1..........................................................................................................................7
Appendix -2............................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The development of managerial expertise is considered as an essential area which
enables managers to deal with different situations. Thus, manager of a company’s gathers such
responsibilities without any preparation and such accomplishment is due to their specialist rather
than managerial expertise. Also, the present study main purpose is to identify the role of
manager within an organization by using the theory. For that, the present study will explain the
concept of Managerial Escalator and then identify the managerial gap. Along with this, report
will provide four remedial strategies which can be used by an organization to address the gap.
Also, with the help of primary research i.e. interview, study will find if the career path two
people conforms to the concept of the Managerial Escalator. Lastly, it will have recommended
the ways that can be adopt by the firm pertaining to managers.
Theory
Managerial Escalator helps employees to determine and cope with their current
managerial responsibilities and then deal with managerial gap as well. Moreover, the concept
also seeks to explain how specialist becomes manager within an organization. In other words,
the concept assists to analyze how a specialist working in a company to be shifted as a manager
because they possess desired knowledge and skills, thereafter have a responsibility to honor as
well. After occupying a certain position, different team are made who assist to attain the defined
aim and objectives of a company (Porter and Rees, 2012). In addition to this, majority of the
companies provide effective training and development sessions so that individuals can acquire
managerial skills. Along with this, companies hire specialist (trainers) that will aid the
specialized employees. Thus, with the help of such sessions employees develop leadership,
communication and critical thinking abilities which help them to become an effective manager.
Unfortunately, not every worker will have a chance to benefit from such training. The
theory also suggests that to acquire such position, employees should work for longer period.
Having a long relationship with company reflect employee's loyalty and thereafter, company
invest in training. Apart from this, Alegria (2019) gives hierarchical structure through which
company promote specialist which includes managerial responsibilities as well. Hence, a gradual
progression towards managerial position by acquiring enhanced expertise in their specialized
field is recognized as a managerial escalator.
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Beside this, Managerial gap exist when a manager finds themselves in a position where
they do not possess the defined knowledge and skills which is necessary at a particular level.
This gap is related to many areas which includes skills, knowledge and behavior. Therefore, to
meet the concept of managerial escalator, manager have to identify the gap by using many
activities which considered as a hindrance in the success path. This gap will further lead to loss
of productivity (Management gap, 2020). In addition to this, when managers are not properly
trained then it develops negative culture which generally emerge including loss of team work,
communication and increased workplace stress. Also, there are many ways through which an
organization address such managerial gap and some of them are as mentioned below:
Effective training and development session: It is the responsibility of an organization to
keep identify the gap and to meet the same, provide effective training session. In this, experts
should be hired in order to raise the skills and knowledge pertaining to any specific area. Before
this, management should perform 360-degree feedback that assist to analyze the loopholes
among managers (Kullberg, 2013). After identifying the same, conduct training session either by
using on the job or off the job training methods. Thus, if company uses this method, then it helps
to raise the leadership and management skills and aid to promote individual to specific area that
helps to attain the define aim of a company.
Assess individual management competency: As organizational needs assessment is
important to examine specific skill sets; individual need assessment is also essential because it
helps to determine competencies of individual managers. For that 360-degree feedback tool and
self-assessment can be used in order to identify managerial talent. With the help of such method,
company ascertain skills and make necessary actions as well. Also, company has to allocate
better time to train and develop managers so that they enhanced their skills that assists to take a
business at further level of success.
Proper management support and commitment: In order to minimize the gap, the
management of a company has to be committed to talent development and also take a long term
approach as well. Therefore, company also offer motivation sources which includes both
monetary and non- monetary benefits that helps to encourage them (Cousins, 2020). This
strategy further assists company to meet their specific task within a defined tenure, also
managers benefited from same. Along with this, having support from top management promote
them to perform well. In today's competitive environment, management should give serious
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attention and efforts towards training sessions so that it will assists to enhance their performance
level.
Informal meetings: One of the biggest and effective solution used by majority of a firm.
Such that they conduct unofficial meetings outside to premises in which top management asks
questions about company's environment, personal and professional issues. Through this strategy,
company is able to identify the loopholes and then take relevant actions as well (Shiri and Faraji,
2019). Therefore, organization has to provide enough time to understand their employees and
firth informal conversation, employees may easily share their issues. This in turn helps to
allocate time in addition to financial resources to minimize the gap among managers. So that,
company improve their performance and able to meet the defined aim - objectives as well.
Discussion of findings and analysis
Researcher interviewed two people, manager and Sales manager who joined firm as a
specialist. The first interviewee, Mr. Peter Brassey joined company X as an employee seven
years ago, but now he is working as a manager. Due to his hard working and commitment
towards work, company promote him last year. On the other side, another interviewee Mrs.
Jennifer Clinton who work within Company Y for four years and now promoted as a Sales
manager, where she oversees the work of fifty employees working under her guidance. Earlier
she was assigned with a team of twenty officers and after working in this position from last two
years, management analyzed that she had an ability to lead larger group of employees. Then
company immediately promoted to management position. As a Sales Manager, Mrs. Jennifer
able to organized her work effectively and tries to attain the defined aim of a company in limited
tenure.
Therefore, it is analyzed that both interviewee is currently working in management
position, although they start their career as a specialist. After interview, it has been analyzed that
their roles and responsibilities are extending and share their experience with others as well in
order to support them for enhancing their skills. Now, both only direct employees and make
proper coordination with their team so that it does not affect their working performance. While
conducting interview, researcher analyzed that they both have similar pattern of managerial
escalator, though it is difficult to find someone being assigned a senior position without having
experience in specialized department. Therefore, managerial escalation offers a systematic way
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for an individual through which they enhanced their skills to acquire a management position
(Chowdhury and Shams, 2020).
Mrs. Jennifer stated that time management and my confidence are considered the main
factors to acquire high position. Whereas, Mr. Brassey explained, support from management, my
enthusiasm, interpersonal and managerial skills help me to attain high position within a firm.
They said that step by step, he earns a strong identity in front of top management because started
career as an employee with specialization in finance does not help to be a manager. So, I learned
to be a leader and getting enough support, trust from top management that helps him to be a
manager. This pattern of career development is quite common in business. Apart from this, the
journey of Mrs. Jennifer is also reflecting that individual should not give up in any adverse
situation. Starting career from different field and having specialization in the same is not
possible with anyone.
Lukason, Vissak and Segovia-Vargas (2021) stated that top performing firms have
developed their own top managers, whereas some of them hire new employees for management
position. This in turn may discourage employees, as they might be feel undervalued by employer
that affect their performance. That is why, career escalator is considered best method to hire
people for management position and both interviewee agreed upon the same. In the context of
methods to minimize the managerial gap, Mr. Brassey stated that company uses effective
training sessions by hiring experts who helps to raise the performance. Along with this, he stated
that company always care for their employees and management taking feedback from peers,
supervisor in order to identify the performance level of employees. Also, company put efforts on
those employees who actually invest sometime within business because they think it provide
valid outcomes as well.
On the others side, Mrs. Clinton stated that their company conduct informal meetings in
order to understand views of employees pertaining to personal and professional life. With the
help of this method, management identify the competencies. Along with this, by using 360-
degree feedback system, company also analyzed the performance and essential skills which need
to be developed (Enever, 2020). Therefore, through an interview it has been determined that an
employee must be promoted through a pattern of managerial escalator, as it always beneficial for
a firm. This in turn also assist to develop trust among senior management and employee
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understand their own roles and responsibilities. Hence, individual is able to introduce change
without disrupting normal operations and take business at further level of success as well.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above report it has been concluded that using managerial escalator
within company is the best method to promote the employees because they possess special
knowledge and experience. Further by conducting an interview, it has been summarized that
both interviewee started their career from a small position and due to having strong abilities
related to management assists them to acquire the hire position. Also, it has been confirmed that
they both followed the pattern of managerial escalator which assists to be at higher management
position. Overall, it has been concluded that management is considered one of the most
important task in a firm and with proper planning and coordination, manager take a business at
further level of success.
Recommendations
 It is to be recommended that company must perform 360-degree feedback in order to
determine actual competences of employees. Through this, top management understands
skills which are required by a firm to take a business at further level of success. Also, it
assists to provide a chance to each employees to know own strength and weaknesses as
well.
 Further, it is also suggested that to implement communication skill development
strategies by using Jigsaw technique. In this, each team members shared their views
about manager or leads which in turn assist to identify the weakness or strength. With the
help of such tool, management is also express their views in good language that further
improves communication.
 CEO of a company may conduct a meeting at weekly basis in order to encourage leads so
that they raise their performance level, also keep motivate their employees so that it
affect productivity as well.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alegria, S., 2019. Escalator or step stool? Gendered labor and token processes in tech
work. Gender & Society. 33(5). pp.722-745.
Chowdhury, H. and Shams, S., 2020. Does firm life cycle have impacts on managerial
promotion tournament incentives?. Australian Journal of Management,
p.0312896220974417.
Cousins, T. A., 2020. Collegiality vs role models: gendered discourses and the ‘glass escalator’in
English primary schools. Early Years. 40(1). pp.37-51.
Enever, J., 2020. Global language policies: Moving English up the educational
escalator. Language Teaching for Young Learners. 2(2). pp.162-191.
Kullberg, K., 2013. From glass escalator to glass travelator: On the proportion of men in
managerial positions in social work in Sweden. British Journal of Social Work. 43(8).
pp.1492-1509.
Lukason, O., Vissak, T. and Segovia-Vargas, M. J., 2021. How Does Managerial Experience
Predict the Internationalization Type of a Young Firm?. IEEE Access. 9. pp.18148-18166.
Porter, C. and Rees, W. D., 2012. The Managerial Gap and how coaching can help. International
Coaching Psychology Review. 7(1). p.64.
Shiri, A. and Faraji, E., 2019. Glass Escalator: The Investigation of Gender Dominance in the
Appointments of the Education Department of Ilam. Organizational Culture
Management. 17(2). pp.255-278.
Online
Management gap. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.management-issues.com/news/6472/the-management-gap/>.
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Appendices
Appendix – 1
Interview Questions
1. How long you have been working in this firm?
2. What is your current position in the firm as an employee?
3. Which area did you specialized in during joining?
4. What are the factors that made you considered for position of management?
5. Do you think that career escalator is considered as a best method to identify right people for
management's position?
6. Does your company implement any sessions to raise your managerial skills?
Appendix -2
Interviewee 1: Mr. Peter Brassey, CEO of company X
Interviewee 2: Mrs. Jennifer Clinton, Sales manager of company Y
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