Our interviews with middle managers in large firms across three countries contained a range of interpretations of the changing nature of white-collar working life. Yet despite clear differences between firm type, industry sector and the institutional frameworks of the three societies, we were struck by the similarity of so much of their economic and corporate experiences. While it would be wrong to assert that the changes wrought on large organisations since the 1990s have been universally unfavourable to salaried managers, there is very strong evidence to suggest that the working lives of mid-level managerial employees are considerably more pressured and possibly more insecure than they once were. The payoffs received by some, in terms of higher salaries and bonuses, wider responsibilities and more interesting and rewarding work, may to a certain extent have offset these losses, but the overall feeling of being overwhelmed in work while the traditional promotional ladder has been largely removed was a major and widespread finding. Our findings mostly support the words of Burke and Cooper (2000: 12), in that ‘middle managers are angry, depressed and tired’.

Presenting the initial findings of our work at conferences and seminars while writing this book we were frequently asked about the sustainability of these practices. Can employers continue to enforce cutbacks and raise expectations in this manner?