The Lived Experience of University Middle Managers Facing Transformational Policies in Higher Education (Phenomenological Study)

This study employs a phenomenological approach to explore and analyze the lived experiences of middle-level university managers in the complex process of confronting, interpreting, and implementing transformative higher education policies, aiming to illuminate the gap between macro-level policymaking and daily organizational operations. The chosen research methodology is Interpretive Phenomenology, selected for its capacity to achieve the deepest understanding and interpretation of the lived experiences of these managers in their interaction with transformative higher education policies. Consequently, the primary focus centers on how middle managers, acting as frontline interpreters and implementers of top-down policies, perceive, interpret, and react to them. The target population and sample comprised middle-level managers from public universities across the country who were engaged in implementing transformative higher education policies (focusing on the period from 2020 to 2024). A purposive sampling method with maximum variation was utilized, leading to in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 to 20 managers until theoretical saturation was reached. Instrument validity was confirmed through content validation by subject matter experts. The central finding of this study is the emergence of a re-coding of professional identity among these managers, resulting in the creation of a dual language used to maintain legitimacy across two parallel worlds (formal and operational). Contrary to traditional views, this strategy is identified as a strategic political choice for survival within the power structure. In conclusion, the study’s results enrich the change management literature by demonstrating that the successful implementation of transformation is less a technical or procedural issue and more of a political-existential challenge. To resolve this predicament, specific operational suggestions are provided, focusing on redefining authority commensurate with responsibility, developing managers’ political literacy, establishing parallel structures for innovation, and addressing the mental well-being of managers at the forefront of conflicts. The ultimate goal is to elevate the role of the middle manager from a ‘wear-and-tear buffer’ to an ‘intelligent architect of transformation,’ necessitating a revision of the intra-organizational social contract.