Terminology correction: control over the "office environment" (meaning bossing people around directly or whatever) is something you'd expect from the lowest lev

Terminology correction: control over the "office environment" (meaning bossing people around directly or whatever) is something you'd expect from the lowest level of manager. "Middle" managers are the next tier up, the people in the middle of the corporate hierarchy between the actual groups doing work and the VP-level senior executives. Middle managers are famous for feeding off of email directives, I guess. Not control over the office environment to which they may not be local.