Impact of middle managers' competencies on strategy implementation in Vietnamese enterprises: a multilevel strategy approach

This research investigates the impact of constituent factors shaping the competencies of middle-level managers on the implementation of strategies and assesses variations in the influence of these factors on strategy implementation across enterprise and functional levels. Survey datas were gathered from 220 middle-level managers in Vietnamese businesses. The findings of the study reveal that competency factors encompassing traits, knowledge and skills, behaviors, and strategic competency, all exhibit statistically significant effects on strategy implementation at both enterprise and functional levels. A noteworthy contribution of this research lies in delineating the disparity in influence levels: behavioral competencies emerge as the paramount factors influencing strategy implementation at the enterprise level, while strategic competencies prove to be the most pivotal factor impacting strategy implementation at the functional level. The study also emphasizes a multi-level strategic approach, which has not been explored before. The findings of this research are poised to yield a noteworthy augmentation to the extant theoretical framework pertaining to strategy implementation, while concurrently holding pragmatic relevance in developing the competencies of mid-level managers in Vietnamese enterprises.