Understanding Resistance to and Facilitation of Managerial and Non-Managerial Role Transitions in the Shift from Traditional Hierarchical to Agile Structures

Contemporary organizations – particularly medium-sized IT firms in Germany – operating in environments characterized by increasing change are under growing pressure to shift from traditional, hierarchical and centralized structures to more agile, virtually hierarchy-free and decentralized structures to remain effective. Consequently, managerial authority must increasingly be delegated to teams, leading to a redistribution of power and status and necessitating substantial changes in managerial and non-managerial roles. However, despite the theoretical appeal of agile structures, their implementation in practice is constrained by managerial and non-managerial resistance to role transitions – where understanding this resistance and its facilitation represent a significant research gap. To address this gap, this study employs a qualitative, phenomenological research approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with executive managers/owners, former department and deputy department managers, and non-managers within a medium-sized IT company in Germany undergoing a shift from a traditional hierarchical to an agile organizational structure. The study reveals that managers and non-managers resist role transitions in the shift from traditional hierarchical to agile structures due to perceived threats to their needs – particularly power, status, and income – and underpinning identity. Individuals resist role transitions by engaging in protective behaviours, either through struggles within the organization or by leaving it. Both managerial and non-managerial role transitions can be facilitated through differentiated organizational support that addresses individuals' perceived threats, while acknowledging that some individuals may need to leave the organization if their needs fundamentally misalign with the new structure and cannot be met within the changed role. This study contributes to theory by clarifying the impact of role transitions on power, status and identity, and how these factors drive resistance to change. It further emphasizes the practical limitations of implementing theoretical agile structures. This study’s practical contribution lies in specifying how executive managers, former managers, non-managers, and organizations should adapt their practices and actions in light of a deeper understanding of resistance to, and facilitation of, role transitions in the shift from traditional hierarchical to agile structures.