Caught In The Middle : Exploring the Impact of Return-To-Office Transitions on Middle Managers' Well-being

Background: Return-to-office (RTO) policies have emerged prominently post-COVID-19, reshaping workplace dynamics and reintroducing traditional work models after a period of remote and hybrid arrangements. While considerable attention has been given to employee and organizational impacts, the experiences of leaders, particularly middle managers tasked with implementing these policies, remain underexplored. Positioned uniquely between strategic directives and employee concerns, middle managers face distinct challenges influencing their psychological and emotional well-being during RTO transitions. Purpose: This study investigates how RTO transitions impact the well-being of middle managers, aiming to uncover how they experience, and cope with the associated demands and tensions. Method: Employing a qualitative research design, this thesis used semi-structured interviews with middle managers from knowledge-intensive organizations. A Gioia-inspired analysis within a critical realist philosophy guides the empirical exploration, enabling deep insight into structural and relational mechanisms affecting manager well-being. Conclusion: Middle managers experience significant relational and operational stress during RTO transitions. Unclear policy directives, heightened expectations, and disrupted workplace relationships are primary stressors. In response, middle managers develop adaptive coping strategies, notably enhanced self-awareness and strengthened social connectedness. These responses contribute to transformations in leadership identity, facilitating resilience and adaptability. The study synthesizes findings into a visual conceptualization illustrating the interplay of structural conditions, resulting well-being consequences, and coping strategies. Theoretically, the thesis integrates Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), Conservation of Resources (COR), and PERMA models into a unified set of theoretical lenses to view middle managers’ well-being. Practically, it emphasizes the importance of structured organizational support, recommending interventions targeting psychological resilience, adaptive leadership skills, and a supportive organizational culture. Our study provides valuable insights for scholars and practitioners interested in leadership sustainability and middle managers’ well-being within evolving workplace contexts.