Midlevel student services managers (MSSMs) in higher education institutions (HEIs) are middle managers overseeing critical programs and services impacting the retention and engagement of students. Besides having to negotiate competing priorities from superiors above and subordinates below, MSSMs must also navigate HEIs with distinctive features amplifying conflict and unique cultures that are difficult to decipher. Since an organizational culture lens enables deep analysis of the richness and complexities of HEIs, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how organizational culture impacted the ways in which MSSMs in HEIs balanced simultaneous expectations from superiors and subordinates. Findings revealed that underlying assumptions of organizational culture informed MSSMs' utilization of both downward and upward influence strategies in varying combinations and at strategically beneficial moments. This study has implications for how MSSMs may deploy influence strategies to enhance their overall leadership and management effectiveness in HEIs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]