Middle managers' role in transferring person-centered management and care

This paper presents a study of the role of middle managers in the knowledge transfer related to a person-centered management and care approach at a physical rehabilitation center. This qualitative research comprises a multi-case study, representing the six middle managers of the organization studied. The main findings generated by this research indicate that despite top management's efforts to disseminate a person-centered approach throughout the organization, the knowledge transfer process mainly depends on the absorptive capacity of middle managers. When middle managers have the capacity to absorb the person-centered approach, often because it is compatible with their values and current practices, this capacity is expressed mainly through their behavioral exemplarity. The results of the study also engender an intervention model illustrating the key role of middle managers in the transfer of a person-centered management and care approach. The model includes macro- and micro-contextual elements that facilitate the transfer.