Middle Managers and the Translation of New Ideas in Organizations: A Review of Micro‐practices and Contingencies

Translation theories argue that the transformation of new ideas is ‘in the hands of people’ and that actors at multiple organizational levels interact to affect this process. However, previous research has focused mostly on executive managers or R&D departments, while other organizational actors, who have a comparable influence on the translation process, have received little systematic analysis of their role. This study draws upon this premise to review the existing literature on middle managers’ engagement with the translation of new ideas. The findings follow middle managers throughout the translation process, i.e. from the acquisition of the new ideas to its stabilization. The authors identify the micro‐practices pursued by middle managers to affect the travel of the new idea within the organization, and the contingencies that explain when and how middle managers engage in specific translation stages. The paper concludes with discussions of the main implications and indications for middle managers and future directions for research.