The Role of Strategic Groups in Understanding Strategic Human Resource Management

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/0048-3486. htm The role of strategic groups in understanding strategic human resource management Judie M. Gannon Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Faculty of Business, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK The role of strategic groups 513 Liz Doherty Business School, Shef? eld Hallam University, Shef? eld, UK, and Angela Roper School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK AbstractPurpose – This article aims to explore how understanding the challenges faced by companies’ attempts to create competitive advantage through their human resources and HRM practices can be enhanced by insights into the concept of strategic groups within industries. Based within the international hotel industry, this study identi? es how strategic groups emerge in the analysis of HRM practices and approaches. It sheds light on the value of strategic groups as a way of readdressing the focus on ? rm and industry level analyses.Design/methodology/approach – Senior human resource executives and their teams across eight international hotel companies (IHCs) were interviewed in corporate and regional headquarters, with observations and the collection of company documentation complementing the interviews. Findings – The ? ndings demonstrate that strategic groups emerge from analysis of the HRM practices and strategies used to develop hotel general managers (HGMs) as strategic human resources in the international hotel industry. The value of understanding industry structures and dynamics and intermediary levels of analysis are apparent where speci? industries place occupational constraints on their managerial resources and limit the range of strategies and expansion modes companies can adopt. Research limitations/implications – This study indicates that further research on strategic groups will enhance the theoretical underst anding of strategic human resource management and speci? cally the forces that act to constrain the achievement of competitive advantage through human resources. A limitation of this study is the dependence on the human resource divisions’ perspectives on realising international expansion ambitions in the hotel industry.Practical implications – This study has implications for companies’ engagement with their executives’ perceptions of opportunities and threats, and suggests companies will struggle to achieve competitive advantage where such perceptions are consistent with their competitors. Originality/value – Developments in strategic human resource management have relied on the conceptual and theoretical developments in strategic management, however, an understanding of the impact of strategic groups and their shaping of SHRM has not been previously explored.Keywords Strategic groups, Strategic human resources, Strategic human resource management , International human resource management, Hotel and catering industry, International business Paper type Research paper The authors would like to express their thanks to the organisations who participated in the research and the reviewers and Editors who provided insightful and excellent feedback on early drafts. Personnel Review Vol. 41 No. 4, 2012 pp. 513-546 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0048-3486 DOI 10. 1108/00483481211229401 PR 41,4 14 Introduction Most developments in strategic human resource management (SHRM) and international human resource management (IHRM) have drawn heavily on the strategic management literature (Becker and Huselid, 2006; Schuler and Jackson, 2007). Some of the earliest models associated with SHRM (such as Fombrun et al. , 1984; Beer et al. , 1984; Hendry and Pettigrew, 1986 and Guest’s (1989) model) provide insights into how leading HRM thinkers have approached the strategic dimensions of HRM. Such insights have focused on the links or ? be tween strategy and HRM, environmental analyses as the basis for strategic management informing (and in some cases informed by) HRM, and borrowing concepts and theories with their origins in the strategic management literature, such as organisational and product life cycles, and competitive strategies (Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Sanz-Valle et al. , 1999; Miles and Snow, 1984). Despite the advances made in both areas there has been minimal consideration of the ways that strategic groups, not only industries and ? rms, in? ence HRM strategies and practices in the pursuit of competitive advantage (Boxall, 2003). Strategic group research identi? es how groups of ? rms engage in similar strategies in order to compete effectively within industries and shape industry structure and competition. Panagiotou (2006 p. 440) de? nes strategic groups as: [. . . ] those groups of ? rms within an industry, which are characterised by similarities in their structure and competitive beliefs as well as t heir tendency to follow similar strategies along key strategic dimensions in a speci? operating environment. The performance differences between strategic groups are the focus for much of this research, but mobility between groups and the structural dimensions of industries have also received attention (Ferguson et al. , 2000; Leask and Parker, 2006; Porter, 1980; Reger and Huff, 1993). As such strategic group research has developed as a central research theme in strategic management. One of the most notable aspects of strategic groups research is that it highlights and reinforces the importance of particular industry contexts.This is an important consideration for the development of SHRM research as there is now growing recognition of the value of industry and sector speci? c SHRM research where the nuances and structural dimensions of industries are emphasized (Boselie et al. , 2009; Paauwe, 2008; Paauwe and Boselie, 2008; Tyson and Parry, 2008). The aim of this study is to explor e how the strategic group concept can inform SHRM approaches. Speci? cally it sets out to identify how strategic groups can help us understand why companies struggle to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.This aim is achieved by initially investigating the strategic group literature and evaluating where it adds insight and value to the SHRM approaches literature. Thereafter the ? ndings from an in-depth empirical study of the HRM practices and strategies deployed across a global industry are used to highlight the role of strategic groups in constraining companies’ capacities to differentiate their SHRM approaches and practices. Accordingly this article also satis? s the demand for more sector led SHRM research (Paauwe, 2008; Paauwe and Boselie, 2008; Tyson and Parry, 2008). This article unfolds as follows. Initially an evaluation of the strategic group literature is provided followed by an analysis of the contemporary debates in SHRM (Boxall and Purcell, 2000, 2003, 200 8; Boselie et al. , 2002, 2003). The limitations of the SHRM literature are re? ected on in light of the strategic group literature and the potential contribution this ? eld towards a more nuanced understanding of SIHRM approaches and practices.The research design for the study is subsequently outlined alongside an overview of the context of the research, the global hotel sector. The qualitative data analysis is then considered with the HRM practices and approaches which are found to be common across the whole industry, similar across particular strategic groups and distinctive to speci? c companies explored sequentially. The implications of these various layers of HRM practices and strategies, and speci? cally the strategic group dimension, are then discussed in relation to the extant research. Of speci? c note is the way such ? dings reinforce the challenges companies face when pursuing competitive advantage through human resources and how the national, industry and strategic grou p pressures for assimilation limit opportunities to develop idiosyncratic and integrated HRM interventions and strategic human resources. Literature review: building bridges between strategic groups and SHRM approaches Strategic groups The strategic group concept emerged within strategic management as an attempt to better understand the competitive backdrop and demands faced by companies operating in an industry (McGee et al. 1995; Porter, 1980; Short et al. , 2007). Strategic management analysis has typically taken place at the level of the ? rm and the industry, and has omitted the interface of ? rm and industry competitor behaviour. Originating from the broader ? eld of industrial organization economics in the 1970s, strategic groups were identi? ed as clusters of companies within industries (Porter, 1980). Such divisions arise because industries are not collections of heterogeneous companies but subsets of ? ms separated by mobility barriers limiting movement between groups (Fer guson et al. , 2000; McGee et al. , 1995). Strategic group research has facilitated a better understanding of how group structure can shape rivalry and ultimately performance, as well as group identities and reputations. It has also illustrated how strategic group reputations serve to reinforce mobility barriers to other industry competitors (Dranove et al. , 1998; Ferguson et al. , 2000; Leask and Parker, 2006; Peteraf and Shanley, 1997).The analysis of the business environment as an objective reality, achieved classically through cluster or factor analysis of company data (Reger and Huff, 1993), drives most investigations in this area. However, Panagiotou (2006, p. 441) summarises the problems of this prescriptive approach as leading to: [. . . ] a preoccupation by managers that strategic management is all about prescribing strategies for positioning a business in a particular industry structure, having ? rst carried out a thorough economic analysis based on the implicit notion th at industry structures are relatively stable and easily identi? ble. The role of strategic groups 515 More recently a cognitive approach to strategic group research has emerged based on the argument that managers’ simpli? cation of their complex competitive environments and perceptions of similarities and differences among their rivals will shape strategic decision-making (Panagiotou, 2006, 2007; Reger and Huff, 1993). Such managerial insights into competitive groupings offer clearer conceptions of the way decision-makers perceive their own organisations and their rivals and therefore how these determine and implement strategies.These arguments suggest that strategists’ PR 41,4 516 understand (and approach) their competitive environments in similar ways, and are related to the ideas of institutional assimilation and isomorphism (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Powell and DiMaggio, 1991). Therefore, the capacity of ? rms to pursue distinctive practices for competitive advant age may be limited by constraints, such as organisational inertia and forms of isomorphism (Reger and Huff, 1993; Boon et al. , 2009). Strategic groups are then another important aspect of the structural dimensions which foster this organisational sluggishness.These are critical insights where the pursuit of competitive advantage through human resources, HRM practices and strategies has gained substantial support in recent years (Becker and Huselid, 2006; Boxall, 2003). However, this quest for distinctive or idiosyncratic HRM practices and strategies to attain competitive advantage needs to be resolved against the pressures to conform and achieve social legitimacy within sectors. The next section evaluates the contemporary SHRM approaches and highlights where the strategic group literature contributes to their enhanced understanding.The strategic HRM approaches Three main SHRM approaches have emerged as the keystone for understanding and achieving sustained corporate success through human resources (Purcell, 1999, 2001; Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008). While the opportunities for simultaneously enacting these approaches are now well-rehearsed it is useful to revisit them brie? y as part of developing the theoretical connection with the strategic group literature. The best practice SHRM approach encourages companies to adopt sophisticated or â€Å"high performance† practices across their human resources in order to achieve competitive advantage (Pfeffer, 1998; Huselid, 1995).Considerable criticism of the best practice SHRM approach occurs in relation to what actually represents â€Å"sophisticated† HRM practices and the empirical basis on which these practices are suggested (Marchington and Grugulis, 2000; Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008). Furthermore, the conventional best practice SHRM approach suggests that these superior HRM practices should be adopted regardless of different industrial and national boundaries (Marchington and Grugulis, 2000; B oxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008).Recent evaluations of the â€Å"best practice† SHRM approach have emerged recognising that within industries there may be certain HRM practices and approaches which are obligatory (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008). The â€Å"table stake† concept suggests there are established (HRM) practices adopted by all businesses in an industry which serve to legitimise their position in that industry. This concept has thus been recognised as an adaptation of the â€Å"best practice† SHRM approach (Boon et al. , 2009; Bjorkman, 2006; Boxall and Purcell, 2003; Paauwe and Boselie, 2003).The â€Å"table stake† version of best practice SHRM approach is based on the institutional assimilation literature where organisations struggle to distinguish themselves from their industry associates while simultaneously achieving legitimacy (institutional ? t) in their sector (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Powell and DiMaggio, 1991; Oliver, 1997). Isomorphis m is the process which constrains organisations’ attempts to differentiate themselves within the same institutional context (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983).Isomorphism emerges in two broad variations; competitive isomorphism where market pressures and performance targets are emphasised and institutional isomorphism where institutional factors associated with socio-cultural, technological and economic parameters are highlighted. The adoption of best practice SHRM approach across an international setting has also been roundly critiqued (Brewster, 1999, 2006; Sparrow et al. , 2004) due to the ingrained national institutional and cultural conventions, which are seen to regulate the value of various high performance HRM practices in other countries (Brewster, 1991, 2006; Sorge, 2004).However, this does not mean that across a country all industries have the same HRM practices. Much of the IHRM literature could be seen as disproportionately focused on the parent and host country culture s and systems in light of the evidence on SHRM approaches and practices in hospitals, local government and hotels (Boselie et al. , 2002, 2003). Such studies indicate that institutional and competitive isomorphisms differ across industry contexts creating distinct table stake HRM practices in different industries within the same country (Boon et al. , 2009; DiMaggio and Powell, 1983).Furthermore, such evidence recognizes that national institutional dimensions may have less of an impact than competitive institutional dimensions on some industries and their resulting people management practices. This level of industry interplay on the best practice approach is valuable but in light of the strategic group insights it is clear that companies do not compete directly with every other company in their industry. Instead they are likely to have particularly close rivals whose practices, products, managers, innovations and initiatives will be of speci? interest to them (Panagiotou, 2006; Pete raf and Shanley, 1997). As such there may be another layer of consistency and similarity in HRM practices due to the close rivalry of strategic groups, in addition to those identi? ed by the â€Å"table stake† version of the best practice SHRM approach across an industry. The â€Å"best-? t† SHRM approach suggests a ? rm’s market position and strategies drive and shape its HRM policies and practices. Within the â€Å"best ? t† SHRM approach a range of theories have emerged from those that more simplistically link speci? strategy choices to HRM practices and policies (Delery and Doty, 1996; Miles and Snow, 1984; Schuler and Jackson, 1987) to more complex models (Fombrun et al. , 1984; Hendry and Pettigrew, 1986) which envision a range of corporate characteristics (strategies, positions, portfolio characteristics) determining people management practices. Within the IHRM area, much of the research has also focused on the in? uential nature of national differ ences as well as strategic models (Perlmutter, 1969; Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989, 2000; Edwards et al. , 1996).For example: the models of international orientation (Perlmutter, 1969; Heenan and Perlmutter, 1979); product life-cycle phases (Adler and Ghadar, 1990); and international responsiveness versus integration (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989, 2000; Edwards et al. , 1996) are all based on strategic choice arguments derived from the strategic management ? eld. The main thrust of the strategic dimension to IHRM has revolved around the question of whether HRM practices are determined by corporate or business strategies and customised or standardised across national boundaries with many authors providing detailed analyses of the contingency of speci? factors (Boselie et al. , 2002, 2003; Coller and Marginson, 1998; Easterby-Smith et al. , 1995; Ferner, 1994, 1997; Ferner and Quintanilla, 1998; Hannon et al. , 1995; Newman and Nollen, 1996; Rosenzweig and Nohria, 1994; Rosenzweig, 2006; T hompson et al. , 1998). The weaknesses of the â€Å"best ? t† SHRM approach are its distorted attention on the external context as determining strategies and practices based on market positioning, cultural and institutional factors; and its inability to secure competitive advantage where several companies within the same sector pursue similar strategies and marketThe role of strategic groups 517 PR 41,4 518 positions (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008; Kamoche, 2001; Wright and Snell, 1998). Such criticisms are similar to those voiced by contemporary strategic management researchers on the objective and prescriptive versions of strategic management being the primary in? uence on strategic thinking and decision-making at the expense of managers’ and executives perceptions of positions and rivalries (Reger and Huff, 1993).Indeed Panagiotou’s (2006, 2007) research on executives’ perceptions, as opposed to the economic analysis of the competitive terrains, compe titor strategies and industry dynamics shaping strategic groups, highlights that executives whose ? rms belong to the same strategic groups react to events and market factors in similar ways. This suggests, that not only are companies constrained by the suggested strategies and market positions they develop, but that there are limitations to the options they can take to distinguish themselves because of the added level of similarity strategic groups create.Finally, the resource based view (RBV) SHRM approach has been proffered as an alternative to the best practice and best-? t approaches due its internal focus based on creating competitive advantage through the leverage of valuable, rare, inimitable, non-substitutable and rent achieving (human) resources (Morris et al. , 2006; Wright et al. , 1994, 2004). The empirical research supporting the RBV SHRM approach (Boxall and Steeneveld, 1999; Leonard-Barton, 1995; Marchington et al. , 2003) clearly highlights that human resources can ful? l the criteria of resources which deliver competitive advantage.The most valuable human resources are those identi? ed as the â€Å"strategic human resources† or â€Å"rainmakers† who ful? l the RBV criteria of adding exponential supplementary value to companies. By developing HRM practices, which are idiosyncratic and interdependent, the RBV approach argues that companies can capitalise on their proprietary knowledge and transfer it creatively and effectively across its workforce. Several authors (Bonache and Fernandez, 1999; Harvey et al. , 1999, 2000; Taylor et al. , 1996) have adopted this approach and identi? d that capitalising on internal resources to achieve competitive advantage is quite different from the best-? t SHRM approach because it surmounts the external views of the best-? t approach. This view is neatly outlined in the frustrations of Cappelli and Singh (1992 in Wright et al. , 2004 p. 11): [. . . ] many within strategy have implicitly assumed t hat it is easier to rearrange complementary assets/resources given a choice of strategy than it is to rearrange strategy given a set of assets/resources, even though the empirical research seems to imply the opposite.The RBV SHRM approach offers speci? c insights into the value of internal resources in securing successful international operations (Bonache and Fernandez, 1999; Harvey et al. , 2000). Speci? cally particular groups of human resources are seen to have an honoured position within companies where they transfer tacit knowledge to new markets and provide sustainable competitive advantage (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990; Scullion and Starkey, 2000). Taylor et al. ’s (1996) study used the RBV approach to identify the critical role of HRM competence within international ? ms, the part senior management play in identifying the company’s potential to develop HRM competence and the different groups of human resources who constitute ? rm strategic human resources. However, the weaknesses of this SHRM approach are its omission to clearly depict the interplay between internal resources and environmental factors, and the recurring evidence that ? rms struggle with the challenges of their competitive sector to achieve distinctiveness and success through their human resources and HRM practices (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008). Once again the strategic groups literature provides speci? insights here in querying whether the pursuit of competitive advantage through the leveraging of the ? rm’s distinctive resources is restrained by the in? uence of their closest strategic group (Panagiotou, 2006, 2007). Clearly each of the SHRM approaches (table stake best practice, best-? t and RBV) have some resonance and these perspectives are summarised in Table I in terms of their initial focus and the levels of context where their attention is directed. There is an overall tendency across the SHRM literature for tensions, contradictions and imbalance (Boselie et al. 2009) as evidenced in the overly prescriptive best practice approach, the highly contingent best ? t approach (focusing on speci? c market or national context factors) and the RBV’s spotlight on the internal resources of the organisation. Individual adoption of these approaches is unlikely to provide a meaningful depiction of how companies might pursue competitive advantage via their human resources or HRM practices. Instead it is argued that companies can use a combined and simultaneous version of the three SHRM approaches in an attempt to balance the external and internal perspectives adopted by the best-? and RBV approaches, while also recognising the important in? uence industry isomorphism (table stakes) has on the creation of a set of HRM practices (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008). Even where such a combined and simultaneous model of SHRM has been advocated (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008) there appears insuf? cient understanding of, and insight into, the industry or sectoral level of analysis (Boselie et al. , 2009; Boxall, 2003; Paauwe, 2008; Paauwe and Boselie, 2008). By exploring SHRM practices and approaches across an industry, rather than across speci? national or company contexts, a better understanding of the internal and external challenges faced by competing organisations to achieving distinctive HRM strategies and practices becomes manifest. Alongside this evaluation of the SHRM approaches, the strategic groups literature highlights that these clusters of close rivals may compound the SIHRM approaches Primary focus Level Company/? rm The role of strategic groups 519 Resource based view (RBV) Competitive advantage achieved through developing resources Internal which are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, Non-substitutable and Rent achieving Best ? Based on crafting HRM practices tied to strategic management External models – typically through strategic analyses tools of market position Based on aligning HRM practices to different in ternational and domestic cultural and institutional contexts and company demand for standardisation Best practice Originally identi? ed as sophisticated practices capable of External achieving competitive advantage Now associated with HRM practices which are â€Å"table stakes† essential for operating with social legitimacy within an industry Competitive market National contexts and competitive market Industry Table I.The initial focus of SIHRM approaches PR 41,4 challenges ? rms already face in realising differentiation through their human resources and HRM practices. Indeed where industry analyses highlight the importance of conformance of industry members, to particular HRM practices and systems, strategic groups suggest another layer of orthodoxy among closest rivals which limit the pursuit of distinctive competitive advantage by ? rms. Research design Analysis of strategic groups requires an industry focus and this research was undertaken within the context of the intern ational hotel sector.This sector has been identi? ed as international by nature (Litteljohn, 2003; Litteljohn et al. , 2007) with companies achieving growth through a range of market entry modes, typically engaging with different equity partners (Whitla et al. , 2007). Managing portfolios of hotels with diverse ownership arrangements (such as the asset light options of management contracts, franchises and part equity agreements) has created challenges for international hotel companies (IHCs) (Beals, 2006; Eyster, 1997; Gannon et al. , 2010; Guilding, 2006).Traditionally hotel general managers (HGMs) have been seen as strategic human resources (Boxall and Steeneveld, 1999; Marchington et al. , 2003) responsible for creating pro? table hotel units through their leadership and operational expertise in the hotel industry (Forte, 1986; Kriegl, 2000; Ladkin and Juwaheer, 2000). However, the asset light market entry modes developed more recently as a result of IHC portfolio expansion have resulted in managers and executives experiencing different challenges and requiring enhanced skills sets.At the heart of this study was the aim to explore how IHCs have developed IHRM strategies and practices to manage their international managerial resources within the broader context of the sector’s competitive forces, growing industry concentration and in the presence of strategic groups (Curry et al. , 2001; Litteljohn, 1999; Roper, 1995). Any attempt to capture people management strategies and practices across an industry, as well as at the ? rm level, involves the adoption of a comprehensive sample of organisations. This study used an industry de? nition of global operations based on companies operating hotels across ? e out of the six economically viable continents, as a purposive sample technique (Saunders et al. , 2000). This research stage comprised substantial secondary data collection on the broader international hotel industry with information on service levels, ownership modes, brands, portfolios and geographical penetration and the information is captured in Table II. Only nine companies met these global criteria and eight of these nine companies granted access to their senior human resource executives (typically Vice Presidents of Human Resources) and administrative teams, and HR systems and materials.The ? eldwork interviews took place at the European corporate headquarters, regional of? ces and in hotel units for the eight companies. Interviews with the senior HR executives for each of the eight companies form the main part of the data. These interviews lasted around four hours on average. In addition, time was also spent with administrative teams, reading documentation and observing meetings. A checklist was developed to complement the interview questions and data, and to systemise the collection of company documentation, observations and interactions with the administrative teams (Robson, 2002).Documentation included HRM policies, pe rformance appraisal forms, training manuals, organisational charts, company communications, job descriptions, succession plans and demonstrations and hard copies of HR databases. The interview 520 International hotel companies Suggested strategy and methods of growth Differentiation strategies – based on the power of the company’s hotel brand name. Expansion in prime city centre and resort locations and the development of hotel clusters in countries or regions achieved through management contracts and joint ventures Various strategies deployed at the different market levels.Budget brands operate on a no frills strategy. International luxury properties follow a differentiation (premium price) strategy. One third of properties are owned and two-thirds are management contract arrangements. Growth through management contracting, franchising or marketing agreements and some ownership Focused differentiation strategy based on distinctive design and architectural features ass ociated with properties and attention to detail service style. Grows solely by securing management contract agreements with select investors Differentiation strategy based on developing modern and ef? ient ? rst class hotels. Growth achieved through management contracting, rather than ownership, and a global partnership with one of America’s largest international hotel corporations Operates at different market levels – particularly concerned with distinctiveness and value for money and therefore a broad hybrid strategy is identi? ed Mixed type of operation is used across portfolio; approximately 46 per cent owned, 21 per cent leased, 22. 5 per cent management contracts and 10. 5 per cent franchised (continued) 150 ? Prestige international brand National UK mid-market brand 48 Number of hotelsBrands Number of countries Anglo-American Premium Britbuyer 900 Nine brands at international and domestic levels: Upscale Mid market Budget 50 Contractman International 200 Four lu xury or upscale brands 35 Euroalliance One upscale brand 16 50 * Euromultigrow 2,500 ? Seventeen brands split into: Upscale and midscale Economy and budget Leisure hotels 73 521 The role of strategic groups Table II. Pro? les of global hotel companies in sample PR 41,4 522 International hotel companies 2,300 ? Five brands: two at mid market Prestige brand Budget brand Holiday resorts 63 FranchiseKing GlobalallianceUSBonusbranda 700 Seven brands Two at both mid market and budget levels Prestige brand Suites Holiday resorts Prestige brand Mid-market brand – North America 63 35 USmixedeconomy Note: a This company did not participate in the ? nal stages of the research Table II. Number of hotels Brands Number of countries Suggested strategy and methods of growth Hybrid strategy based on presence across a range of market sectors but competitively priced in each sector. Company documentation states the aim as â€Å"To be the preferred hotel system, hotel management company, and lo dging franchise in the world.To build on the strength of the FranchiseKing name utilising quality and consistency as the vehicle to enhance it’s perceived ‘value for money’ position in the middle market. † Focused differentiation strategy based on international exposure and expertise in the luxury hotel market. Growth through management contracting, franchising or marketing agreements and some ownership Deploys several strategies including a hybrid strategy for its domestic units and a differentiation (with premium price) strategy for most of its international properties at the prestige level.Growth through management contracting and franchising, with limited ownership Adopts a variety of strategies including a hybrid strategy for its domestic units and a differentiation (with premium price) strategy for most of its international properties. Growth through management contracting some ownership and franchising 190 Prestige brand Mid-market brand – Nor th America 70 460 transcripts, ? eldwork notes and documentation allowed cases to be written for each company which were sense-checked by industry informants and against the research team’s notes and observations.Access was granted to the eight companies on the basis of offering con? dentiality to participants and organisations. Each company was protected through the allocation of pseudonyms and all data and notes collected removed company names and trademarks to provide con? dentiality. This is in keeping with the widely acknowledged dif? culties of gaining access within this industry (Litteljohn et al. , 2007; Ropeter and Kleiner, 1997). The cases built on the interview transcripts, observations and company documentation data meant that ualitative analysis was achieved through the tools and computer aided techniques recommended by key authors (Miles and Huberman, 1994; Silverman, 1997, 1999). The process of initial coding identi? ed HRM practices, management criteria and co mpany strategies and characteristics. Descriptive coding was then used to highlight speci? c activities and relationships between HRM practices and approaches, and company characteristics. Further interpretive coding and analytic coding were highlighted through the themes presented by the respondents and the theoretical relationships arising from the data and initial coding (Silverman, 1997, 1999).Of particular importance were the themes of similar and distinctive HRM practices deployed by the companies, strategic groups and across the sample. Results Across the sample of eight IHCs evidence of common HRM interventions deployed included: a reliance on strong internal labour markets for unit management positions; training programmes with universal components; the use of performance appraisal as a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating human resources talent, the deployment of speci? c contractual agreements and conventions; the recurrent use of corporate communications channels; and speci? HRM responses to cultural and international challenges. The shared aims of these practices indicated that the IHCs were adopting the table stake version of the best practice SHRM approach across their international portfolios (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, 2008; Boselie et al. , 2003, 2009). The next stage of data examination involved the identi? cation of company speci? c HRM practices based on the best ? t and RBV SHRM approaches. However, subsequent analysis of the qualitative data began to identify another layer of similar HRM interventions centred on the appearance of strategic groups within the sample.There appeared to be similarities between the companies based on strategic variables such as parent company ownership, the scope of the hotels organisations’ activities (levels of internationalisation, geographical coverage, and market segments); resource commitments (including size, brands and market entry modes); and centric and transnational orientations. As a resul t the sample was demarcated into three strategic groups. These are labelled the Multi-branders, Mixed Portfolio Purchasers and Prestige Operators.Table III summarises the strategic similarities and differences between the three groups and their IHC members. Patterns of HRM interventions across the three strategic groups are apparent from the data supplied by the executives, their teams and the documentation. These patterns focus around six areas: The role of strategic groups 523 PR 41,4 Similarities Differences 524 Table III. International hotel company strategic groups Strategic Group 1 – The Multi-branders (two companies) National cultural origins FranchiseKing and Parent companies – related horizontally Euromultigrow diversi? d Mid-market brand dominates in Large size – 2,000 ? hotels one company while distinct High levels of internationalisation but brands used for different market strong domestic base (French and USA) segments by other Multiple brands (luxu ry to budget) Dif? culties aligning parent company, brand One company uses more names and operations franchising Hybrid strategies Range of market entry modes Ethnocentric orientation Global organisation Strategic Group 2 – The Mixed Portfolio Purchasers (two companies) Britbuyer and Similar size (between 400 and 1,000 hotels) Diversi? ation of parent companies is different USmixedeconomy Mid-position in internationalisation index Strong domestic presence and distinctive One company has more international operations ownership/partial ownership of Range of market entry modes hotels Acquisitive growth of European prestige brands One company has much smaller Brands offered at similar market levels Challenges of aligning disparate domestic budget brand domestic interests and international portfolios, corporate strategies and new acquisitions Ethnocentric orientation but with some geocentric aspirations Multinational rganisation Strategic Group 3 – The Prestige Operators (f our companies) Two companies have separate Parent companies – related diversi? ed Anglo-American domestic operations Similar size (between 50 and 202 hotels) Premium Similar levels of low internationalisation Contractman Two companies have grown Focus on luxury, ? st class hotel market International through strategic partnerships (resort and business) Euroalliance Strategies broadly differentiation and Globalalliance One company uses a broader focused differentiation range of market entry modes Growth primarily through management contracting Broadly geocentric but with some aspects of ethnocentrism Transnational organisation (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) the levels where HRM is focused; different views about management skills and transferability across brands; how international and domestic operations function; extent of owner in? ence and cultural differences; how and where managerial talent is found; and where speci? c career interventions emerge. Table IV captures some of the co mments from interviews across these six levels and the three strategic groups. The HRM interventions and features developed by the three strategic groups are outlined in Table V along with the strategic variables which distinguish the groups. Strategic group 1: Multi-branders The sheer size and scale of their multi-branded operations indicated parallels between the HRM approaches taken by the Multi-branders (see comments in Tables IV and V).Both companies boasted a critical mass of hotels in key countries or regions of the world resulting in more localised recruitment and development approaches. For example, they operated â€Å"UK only† management training schemes and then speci? c recruitment initiatives tailored to educational systems, notably the French training and German apprenticeship schemes. The size of these two companies also meant they allowed their distinct brands to develop individually which had apparently resulted in some speci? brand HRM practices. Both compan ies recognised there were few opportunities for managers to transfer between the different brands leading to bottlenecks in internal labour markets, where some brands grew more quickly and offered extensive transfer and promotion possibilities. The Multi-branders had attempted to deal with these issues in slightly different ways, though both now had structures, enabling moves between managerial levels across brands to achieve some overall parity across their company.In one company (Euromultigrow) there was a guide to the different positions within each brand to encourage internal brand transfers of human resources. This guide was based on extensive negotiations with managers across the company’s brands, although parent country nationals (PCNs) dominated among these managers and the company’s University was responsible for the roll-out training for this guide. Franchiseking had developed a competency-based HRM system designed to identify common areas of expertise across its brands and as one HR executive identi? d all managers with line responsibilities had to attend and use this framework. The competencies were developed in accordance with a HRM consultant ? rm and used existing and future â€Å"high potential† managers across the company’s portfolio to identify appropriate behaviours of successful managers. Competencies were heavily in? uenced by the company’s existing management team comprising mainly PCNs. The company then ran a series of training sessions for its senior managers so the competencies formed the basis for all selection, performance appraisal, promotion and training decisions and activities.These attempts to closely manage their large portfolios of standardised brands across geographically disparate locations meant the Multi-branders adopted an ethnocentric orientation to internationalisation with PCNs dominant in subsidiary management positions, which runs somewhat counter to their critical mass of units and attempts to localise too. The Multi-branders commented less extensively, compared with the members of the other two strategic groups, on the level of interference from property owners where management contracts were used.They argued this was probably because their highly standardised brands, even at full-service levels, meant owners knew what to expect, and they did not attempt to interfere in the day-to-day management of hotels. The selection of managers for managed properties was also less troublesome for the Multi-branders. In most cases executives could appoint whomever they wanted and The role of strategic groups 525 PR 41,4 526 The levels of focus for HRM Table IV.Responses from HR executives from the strategic groups Multibranders â€Å"Our area, regional human resource executives run national versions of our company University training and recruitment programmes to ? t with national vocational education. † Assistant HR director for Euromultigrow EAME â€Å"We have a critical mass of hotels in certain countries and have built real presence so we need to adopt some of their practices as long as they ? t now with our competences. † Corporate Training and Development Director FranchiseKing â€Å"In France, Germany, the UK and the Benelux and Scandinavian countries, where we have critical mass, they have some ? xibility for recruitment and training. It has been a bit of a struggle with our acquisition of M to get this right, though. † Britbuyer HR EAME director â€Å"Some areas, with more hotels, have a little bit more autonomy than others and we have them do their own management recruitment and training, based on our head-of? ce materials. † Vice President HR USmixedeconomy Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators â€Å"We run a graduate management programme to ensure we have our next crop of managers waiting in the wings. We also have an executive management programme which includes an MBA – both are designed to g et us the GMs of the future. Corporate Director of Human Resources Globalalliance â€Å"Our graduate management programme is being revitalised for next year and we’ll be targeting the brightest from the hotel schools in Holland and Switzerland for EAME. All our graduates must have language skills and meet speci? c knowledge requirements. † Anglo-American Premium Vice President of HRs â€Å"I don’t think graduate management schemes per se work. Instead we recruit graduates, mainly from Switzerland and the Dutch schools, into real jobs and although they’re a hotel resource, we (headquarters) monitor their progress and target them with speci? courses to try and bring them on. † HR Vice President Euroalliance (continued) Multibranders â€Å"We had to respect what was there. The predominant national culture of the newly acquired company) meant that we had a lot of communicating and educating to do within our company and within theirs. We moved managers within (names the acquired company) between units to give them a fresh start and many of them are still with us. It worked out well really. † Regional HR director USmixedeconomy Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators Views about management skills â€Å"No, not so many people transferred.It was and transferability across brands quite common between one brand and also quite common between (names two other company brands at the same market level) but not at all between the others. It was dif? cult, not good. Now we will have a stronger parent company from this new structure. † HR Vice President for Euromultigrow GMs skills needs â€Å"fall into four skill sets which†¦ one is managing myself based on the premise that if I can’t manage myself then I can’t really manage anybody else. Then managing others and then the third one is problem solving and decision making and the fourth one is pro-active achievement.Very dif? cult to measure, but the actu al achievement levels and the go for it and taking that extra risk, the entrepreneurial part. And then there is the languages and â€Å"We have been training them in the use of behavioural event interviewing to help them, â€Å"When we acquired company [M] there was cultural bit. † HR Vice President Euroalliance . . . to spot the competencies. This allows us a bit of a standoff basically because they to see where in the portfolio of brands they wanted to be acquired by somebody else†¦ It â€Å"It feels it is dif? ult to see where a young manager’s next move is in an international can move to† Corporate Training and didn’t help that the CEO of our company company without the right language skills Development Director FranchiseKing went ‘round their hotels saying ‘get rid of this’ or ‘do that’. Things have changed now, to allow widening of transfer options. †Anglo-American Premium Vice again. There’s more a ppreciation of what President of HRs [acquired company] does right on the international scene and we’re a lot more â€Å"There are core or critical parts to our open to learning from them.It’s now twobusiness; marketing and sales, managing way. † Britbuyer HR EAME director human resources, ? nancial management, creative decision –making and leadership. These need to be displayed across cultures across properties to make it as a GM. † Vice President HR Contractman International (continued) The role of strategic groups 527 Table IV. PR 41,4 528 How international and domestic operations function â€Å"For an international GM you need languages and international experience – that is why some managers from brands back home don’t make it. Vice President HR USmixedeconomy Table IV. Multibranders â€Å"Most of these potential GMs do tend still to be the same nationality as the company, but I don’t know why. We don’t necessarily want that, at all. † HR Vice President for Euromultigrow â€Å"All GMs are informed that the best way to read and become familiar with the (competency) guide is to read the English version ? rst – this is the authoritative version. † Corporate Training and Development Director FranchiseKing Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators â€Å"Why the four different parts of the world?Well each one has some strengths. I mean that States you take marketing and very different human resources. Asia you still have the luxury of being able to have a lot of employees and a far bigger budget because costs are lower. Japan because the way, the mentality of the Japanese market and customer is different, and Europe to do same thing but with a very tight budget because costs are so high. † Vice President HR EAME Contractman International â€Å"Our domestic brand managers aren’t our international mangers. There is no transfer, well ok I can think of one or two. You need international experience which creates a bit of a catch 22 – because it is the old thing of ‘you can’t get the job without the experience and you can’t get the experience without the job’. † Britbuyer HR EAME director â€Å"A future GM must have worked outside his or her home country before they can be promoted to this level. It is important for managers to have language skills not only to help them operate in particular locations but also because there are far more career opportunities for those individuals who can demonstrate language pro? ciency. Transfers are then an important aspect of developing a career. Anglo-American Premium Vice President of HRs (continued) Multibranders â€Å"Well most of the time, it depends on the case of course, most of the time, the shareholder of the hotel will be an investor but he will not be an operational actor. He is interested in the bottom line, not what goes on inside the hotel. † HR Vi ce President for Euromultigrow Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators â€Å"Usually owners interview the three candidates we put forward for each GM position and invariably, well they select the candidate preferred by the company, though Vice Presidents often have to use some powers of persuasion. Anglo-American Premium Vice President of HRs â€Å"We have to know our owners really well to give them the GMs they want and need. That’s a tough call when you’re growing so much. † Vice President HR Contractman International â€Å"Some owners are really dif? cult and have to be managed carefully. That’s where our Regional guys come in. Others are great and they are our business partners, with us for the long haul. â€Å" HR Vice President Euroalliance â€Å"Owners do have a lot of in? uence because if we give them somebody and they say ‘we don’t think this guy’s any good’, well!Although we could force them on them it isnâ⠂¬â„¢t a very sensible thing to do. So the owning company does have a big bearing on the GM slot. † Corporate Director of Human Resources Globalalliance (continued) Extent of owner in? uence and cultural differences â€Å"We have owners, for example, . . . but we have owners who are very, very clear about the people who we are likely, or more often than not, we can’t employ. Usually it’s in terms of nationalities and colours, race and sexual preferences they don’t like.It is their hotel and if they say ‘I don’t want somebody with red hair’ then you don’t put somebody â€Å"Owner interference depends on our brands, with red hair in, it’s as simple as that. † Britbuyer HR EAME director the more exclusive the brand the more in? uence but mainly we propose people ‘this candidate has our ? rm support’. â€Å"The frequency of moves our managers Obviously the quality of the relationship make are also driven by how tightly an with the owner is very important and you owner wants to hang on to them.So we’re must respect their wishes pertaining to GMs constrained by hardship factors, and but it doesn’t cause us much trouble really. † owner’s predilections and preferences. † Vice President for HR FranchiseKing Regional HR director USmixedeconomy The role of strategic groups 529 Table IV. PR 41,4 530 How and where managerial talent is found Table IV. Multibranders â€Å"We have our area, regional human resource people help our GMs identify their managers who might one day make it, who have the potential to be GMs too. The area human resource people then run some courses and do the training we have developed through our company university. HR Vice President for Euromultigrow Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators â€Å"How do we manage our GMs? Well we include all managers here – well it’s a very integrated approach to career development , or management development and the annual appraisal and it all comes together with succession planning and the work we coordinate here (gestures to the corporate head-of? ce). † Corporate Director of Human Resources Globalalliance â€Å"We’re [the executive team] in the hotels a lot, and the President was really great, yesterday he was saying ‘You know everybody whether you’re ? ance or business development or marketing, when you’re in the hotels and you spot people who are really good, notice it, you know get a note of the name, make sure that we’re also all talent spotting our own people. † HR Vice President Euroalliance â€Å"We must therefore nurture excellence in every one of our employees, especially our local nationals – the people who live in the countries where we operate hotels. † Vice President HR EAME Contractman International â€Å"At the Vice President and divisional director levels we’re always trav elling, listening to what are people are saying and telling them about what’s happening across the company.And spotting talent too. † Anglo-American Premium Vice President of HRs (continued) â€Å"I mean I am very conscious from this conversation we are not doing all we could to develop the next generation of GMs. It is partly because the number two position in some units has disappeared. So there aren’t enough opportunities for heads of departments to move on and develop their experience. We haven’t had a problem so far but as we increase (grow) we might be struggling for the right calibre of GMs in a â€Å"Some of our approach to identifying GM few years time. Britbuyer HR EAME potential is systematic, some is opportunistic. We’re trying to become more director systematic, through the new competencies process. We’ve recognised we have to have â€Å"You must realise that traditionally we have more local nationals and fewer expatriates. â €  consciously developed very good resident managers/EAMs (Executive Assistant Corporate Training and Development Managers) so when these individuals took Director FranchiseKing over their own units there was a very low risk of failure.Since our purchases and down-sizing, however, there are now some properties that no longer have a number 2 manager. Thus we have effectively stopped developing this ‘almost’ risk free human resource – it may cause us problems in the long term. † Vice President HR USmixedeconomy Multibranders â€Å"Our restructuring of brands and growth in franchising means we have to be clear about what managers do to make the hotels successful. Our company university is critical for training to our brands so all our managers know. † Assistant HR director for Euromultigrow EAME Potential GMs . . â€Å"It’s very intensive (the assessment centre) with personal counselling, tests to see where their stresses and strains are, and management skills across the board, running from 8 in the morning to 10 at night. It’s really very intensive and we have people â€Å"When we go outside, well we steal from the from across the world, with different â€Å"Performance of our business is crucial and competition and just rely on the grapevine or languages and cultures, the mix of people is seen to be the best element of these maybe on-spec applications.There’s some that is why so much investment and events. †Anglo-American Premium Vice development had been made in this area of use of executive search but that’s very President of HRs expensive. † Regional HR director competencies and performance management. There’s been a clear growth in USmixedeconomy â€Å"For the assessment centre a report is pro? ts since the competencies were ? rst written on them based on what we feel they developed. † Vice President for HR demonstrated, in the way they acted during FranchiseKing th e course.What is okay and the right way, what’s to be demonstrated and what’s to be discussed, where they feel they need development in, and from that we can more or less determine the time span its going to take so that they’ll be ready to be a GM, and what has to happen in-between so the individual development is planned. † Corporate Director of Human Resources Globalalliance â€Å"In fact it is incredibly incestuous and people just seem to appear or materialise. We wouldn’t directly poach someone, well . . . , but if someone made it clear to us they’d be interested then we’d feel ? e about calling them up. † Britbuyer HR EAME director â€Å"They all go on a leadership development programme and I design and I teach those with a co-trainer, I like to see that I’m there with them for a full week and we run an assessment process with the leadership development programme. So they’re booked for tests and exercises ba sed on the four management skills areas and they have individual feedback during the brief to let them know how they’re doing. This sets them with an individual plan for the future. † HR Vice President EuroallianceMixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators Where speci? c career interventions emerge The role of strategic groups 531 Table IV. PR 41,4 Strategic groups Strategic group variables HRM outcomes Brands and market segmentation Multi-branders Hard brands, serving several different market levels 532 Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators Allows more localisation of management talent due to standardisation and clear criteria for operating brands Movement within and between brands facilitated to prevent career bottlenecks Some soft (international) and some Dif? ult to facilitate movement hard (domestic) brands between international brands due to recent purchases, no transfer between domestic and international brands due to skills mismatch Importance of comm unication to assimilate new acquisitions Softer brands Emphasis on transfers to develop managerial experience of different countries/markets, and types of hotels Encourages and facilitates employees at all levels to gain international experience Large diverse organisations, structured on the basis of brands and some geographical factors Critical mass of units in some locations Organised on International and domestic divisions.Slow assimilation of newly purchased international brand Some critical mass of units Companies have developed guides to articulate management positions and skills across brands Critical mass allows multi-unit UGMs and more local recruitment and selection activities Some local recruitment and selection, less development through strong internal labour market and more acquisition of management talent Critical mass allows more localisation of management talent but not co-ordinated effectively throughout the companies Regional of? es co-ordinate transfers and HRM pr actices but also learn from subsidiaries to pass experience, knowledge and expertise on across other regions. IT plays an important role here Across company recruitment and development schemes rather than localised versions. Provides single ports of entry at (sub) department management level to locals (continued) Structure and organisation Multi-branders Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige OperatorsSmaller portfolios organised on regional lines Limited critical mass of units Table V. The IHC strategic groups, their strategic variables and the HRM outcomes Strategic groups Centric orientation Multi-branders Strategic group variables Primarily ethnocentric HRM outcomes The role of strategic groups Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators Highly standardised services seem to facilitate low reliance on PCNs at subsidiary level though they are prevalent at executive level Dif? ult to discern – bypassing of PCNs still mainly in place for acquired companies, some stages through acquisitions locations with HCNs (critical (McKiernan, 1992) mass) but dominated by Western nationals Aspiring geocentric Attempts to harness managerial talent from around the world regardless of nationality through co-ordinated and integrated HRM activities UGMs still primarily from Western (European and American) backgrounds, executives in particular 533 Methods of growth and market entry expertise Multi-branders Growth through hard brands and the development of suitable investors (master franchisees and owners)Mixed Portfolio Purchasers Prestige Operators UGMs have speci? c knowledge and skills in operating highly standardised hotel services and passing knowledge onto others (franchisees) HRM mechanisms de? ne performance and selection criteria for managers and employees Acquisition used alongside mixed UGMs are likely to have expertise methods of market entry (mainly in exploiting value from purchased properties management contracts) De-layering of organisational hierarchies (d isappearance of deputy UGM position) and local recruitment initiatives were seen to help realise returns on their acquisitions Managers demonstrate speci? Growth primarily through pro? ciency in managing more management contracting, some marketing agreements, and equity luxurious and culturally adapted hotels and their owners investment. Global but local More extensive and integrated outlook HRM interventions, which support extensive transfers and development opportunities, throughout human resources, not just managers Table V. PR 41,4 534 only in a few hotels or in speci? c countries and with speci? c types of owners (for example, governments) were there two or three managers presented to owners in a â€Å"beauty parade†.The Multi-branders were more concerned about the co-ordination of franchise operators and training and communication were seen to be vital mechanisms for managing these issues. These were the only companies who identi? ed mandatory training courses for manag ers and held speci? c courses that their franchise partners were obliged to attend. Constant travelling by corporate executives was seen to further reinforce company values and assist in harmonization between geographically disparate franchised, managed and owned units.Both companies showed evidence of strong similarities associated with managing their multi-branded, and multi-market entry strategies and large, diverse portfolios. Dividing their HRM interventions into areas or countries where there was a critical mass of units was appropriate given the scale of their operations. Strong values, often based on the origins of the company, ? were communicated through frequent communiques and training opportunities further reinforced the brand standards and achieved appropriate levels of corporate synergy in the face of competition from their smaller but potentially more nimble competitors.Strategic group 2: Mixed Portfolio Purchasers The Mixed Portfolio Purchasers had been through consi derable periods of change and growth prior to the researchers’ ? eldwork. In addition to acquiring smaller European hotel chains they had substantially expanded their domestic and international portfolios through other acquisitions and mixed market entry methods. Both had international and larger domestic sections which were managed almost completely separately, although

A Good Leader: Odysseus and Gilgamesh

Strength, determination and dedication are a few examples of characteristics, which a leader should possess. Characteristics of a good leader may vary in the eye of the beholder, however, I believe that overall there are a few qualities that are critically important. Throughout a person’s life, the experiences they endure shape them and build them into an individual. Like the lugals in Mesopotamia, it is a leaders obligation to protect and serve. In the Mycenaean civilization the Wanax stood at the top of their social ladder.In the Odyssey, Odysseus would be a Wanax because he owned an independent walled kingdom or palace. Both Odysseus and Gilgamesh were looked up to as leaders. When asked if they were successful leaders, I was a bit stuck. After some thought, though, I came to the conclusion that I believe both Odysseus and Gilgamesh were successful leaders. They were not always successful leaders, but their adventures and experiences molded them into reliable men. Our first glance of Odysseus is when Telemakhos speaks of him to Athena. (Odyssey 8-9).He explains that he would rather have a father who is happy and growing old in his house rather than one with a mysterious and dangerous life. This is the first example of why I believe Odysseus started out as a bad leader. Although he was off fighting, against his wishes, he lost contact with the people he cared about the most, and fell off the radar. I believe that, as a leader, he should have been able to somehow get into contact with his family and inform them that he was okay. When comparing our first impression of Gilgamesh to Odysseus, we see someone who is extremely different.Odysseus had a loving family and a loyal wife. In contrast, Gilgamesh was selfish and achieved the glory he thought he deserved. He was on the hunt for immortality and in doing so, abandoned his city or Uruk to travel with his friend Enkidu. A successful leader should never abandon his or her people. One example that contrasts Odysseus’ quality of leadership can be seen by looking at his crew. None of his members survived. A successful leader should always lead, protect and receive respect from their crew and in many ways the members of his crew were disobedient.When Odysseus and his crew traveled to the island of Helios he distinctively said to his men not to touch the cattle (Odyssey 219-220). When Odysseus fell into a sleep, Eurylokhos, Odysseus’ main member of the crew, convinced the men to kill one of the cattle for food (Odyssey 221). Disobedience shows disrespect, and when the members of your crew do not listen to what you say it shows that they do not take you seriously. A second example showing how Odysseus could not control his crew is the bag of wind (Odyssey 166).I believe that if you are a successful leader, you should be able to control all of your people, namely your crew. Although Gilgamesh does not have a crew, he proves that he lacks the characteristics of a good leader in a few instances. Gilgamesh and Enkidu steal trees from the cedar forest, which is forbidden to mortals. This is prime example of how Gilgamesh does not care about anyone else but himself. He is disrespecting the Gods by entering the forest and going even further by cutting down the trees.During this endeavor they also kill Huwawa, the monster that guards the forest. At first Gilgamesh flees when he first sees the face of Huwawa (Gilgamesh 26). Gilgamesh fleeing from the face of the demon shows that he was afraid, and no leader should ever be afraid and show it. Another example of Gilgamesh lacking the qualities of a leader is when he kills the Bull of Heaven. The goddess Ishtar was in love with Gilgamesh and wanted to be with him; when she asks him to be her husband he rejects her and she goes straight to her father and mother, Anu and Antum (Gilgamesh 29-32).Ishtar has her father send the Bull of Heaven down to kill Gilgamesh, however Enkidu and Gilgamesh conquer the Bull of Heave n and kill it. The council of Gods were enraged and demand that Enkidu must die in order to pay for the deaths of both Huwawa and the Bull (Gilgamesh 37-38). Betraying the Gods enough for them to wish death upon Enkidu shows that Gilgamesh was certainly not being a respectful mortal, let alone leader. Odysseus was a very sneaky and cunning man. He was able to defeat many monsters by out-smarting them.This was not always the best way to go about achieving victory. Odysseus came upon the Kyklops while on his journey with his crew. They were stuck in his cave, and he thought of a sneaky plan to get away. Odysseus and his crew took a large pole and poked the Kyklops in the eye. Right before they did this, however, Odysseus told the Kyklops that his name was Nohbdy. When the kyklops ran out of his cave bellowing in pain his fellow Kyklops’ asked who did this to him. â€Å"Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdys’s ruined me† (Odyssey 157) was the Kyklops’ r eply.This was extremely smart and cunning, and Odysseus would have been able to get away safe and sound. The unfortunate part occurred when Odysseus decides to brag his victory and announce his real name to the Kyklops. A leader should not feel the need to brag about victories that he or she has earned. Every leader knows that they are capable of defeat, and bragging is never something that a successful leader should do. As you can see there are several examples proving that Gilgamesh and Odysseus were not successful leaders from the start and throughout their journeys.The realization comes at the end of both novels where I believe the leaders made a change in their path for the better. When Odysseus and Telemakhos meet up they know that they must now defeat the suitors and gain the palace back as their own. Odysseus was disguised as a beggar so that he was able to go into the palace and get ready for the defeat of the suitors. You could already tell that he was starting to change w hen one of the suitors insulted him on being a beggar, and not being worthy. Normally Odysseus might have revealed whom he really was in order to prove his excellence, however he did not seem phased by it.From there Telemakhos and Odysseus defeated all of the suitors and claimed that palace, as it should be. Odysseus was back where he belonged, and ready to rule his people like he should have been doing from the start. Gilgamesh on the other hand was searching not for his way home, but for immortality. After Gilgamesh’s long journey he comes to the realization that death is inevitable. He learned from his talk with Utnapishtim that immortality cannot be earned when you are trying to get it. In his case, Utnapishtim was not looking for immortality when he built that ark.He was building the ark because he was told to and immortality was awarded to him as a reward. Death is something that cannot be avoided, and that he should just learn to accept that. Gilgamesh then finally rea lized what he had done to his people. Because he was so wrapped up in the glory, fame, and immortality he was trying to reach he gave up on something that was a part of him. Gilgamesh knew at that moment that he needed to travel back to Uruk and rule his people the way that they deserved to be ruled. In my opinion I believe that the end of both men’s journeys is the most important part.Yes, they were definitely not successful leaders for most of the story however the realizations at the end meant the most. When they realized that they let their people down they knew they needed to change. It shows that they will be there for them from now on, and be the best leaders they can be. I also believe that with the obstacles they over came along the way lessons were learned. Every champion athlete has to over come bad competitions, injuries, and bumps in the road in order for them to be at the top of the podium, and a successful leader has to do the exact same thing.

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Death Penalty - Essay Example The crimes that were punishable by death at this time were numerous unlike in the modern society, which has first degree murder as the major crime punishable by death. Under Hammurabi code, crimes such as adultery, petty robbery cases, wrongful accusation of individuals among others were regarded as capital offenses. This paper is a critical evaluation of death penalty as a component of criminal justice. Death Penalty Death penalty is a punishment in the criminal justice system, which has continued to attract criticism and support from various quarters such as human rights activists, religious groups as well as the society at large. As stated earlier, it is not a new phenomenon unique to the contemporary society as even the ancient societies applied it even though with little regard to human life. In this context, the manner in which it was applied especially in the Babylonian society under King Hammurabi showed that there was little will on the part of the authorities to offer convi cted criminals the chance to redeem themselves and reintegrate with the society (Brians, 1999). However, the contemporary society has tried to rectify this by limiting the punishable crimes to those of high gravity such as murder, genocide, treason among others. On the other hand, some of the countries around the world have decided, through legislation, to ban the death penalty altogether while others have remained adamant and still use it to date. Some of the countries that has banned it include and not limited to Argentina, Spain and Australia while those where it is still considered legal include and not limited to the US, China, Korea, Egypt, Japan among others. In total, it is believed that more than 139 countries worldwide have banned its use. The most conventional methods of execution to date include and not limited to; hanging, being shot by firing squad, electric chair, gas chamber among others (Bedau, 2004). This is in contrast with the ancient methods of execution, which can be termed as primitive, inhumane as they were more bent towards making the convicted criminal experience pain and humiliation. In fact, some sources indicate that such societies believed in the ‘tit for tat’ and the ‘an eye for an eye’ principles. Convicts were either beaten to death, burned alive, crucifixion while others were drowned in water (Brians, 1999). Recidivism is a major concern for proponents of death penalty (McCafferty, 2009). This is the habit of convicted criminals returning into crime once they are released from prison after completing their jail terms. It is for this reason that death penalty is perceived as a permanent way of incapacitating the criminals from ever committing other felonies. Opponents on the other hand claim that instead of killing the culprits, they should be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. However this may sound convincing, it does not escape the minds of the proponents that jailing a criminal only lim its his or her rights to freedom but this does not mean that they lose contact with the outside world. In this context, it is true to say that the criminals can still plan with the help of accomplices especially where criminal gangs are involved. This may turn out to

Econ 6000 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Econ 6000 - Assignment Example If it has lots of capital and/or cash-on-hand stored up, it doesn’t need to worry as much about its overall assets since it’s got liquidity. 4) Examine the net present value problem illustrated on page 46. Assume the road commissioner is certain that the value of the land will increase to $1.2 million three years from now. If the bond stays stable at 3%, is the investment still a good idea? Show your work. Even if the bond stays stable at 3%, the value of the land increasing to $1.2 million dollars will not pay off. If one divides the profit that would be gained by 3 in order to analyze how much money per year would be made in increasing land value, the investment might not be worth the time because one has to keep in mind the interest on that money cannot be made back, nor does that take into account for inflation. Overall, for the current price, it is not a good buy. 5) Examining the case of LTCM on page 53, pay attention to the characterization of the Russian default as a â€Å"sigma 9 event.† LTCM operated for a little over 60 months. If the entire month was described as a â€Å"sigma 9† event, what is the possibility of that event happening in any given month? Explain what you think might be problems in trying to estimate the likelihood of events like the Russian default. The chances of a sigma 9 default happening in LTCM on any given month depends upon the degree to which the company is trusted. An issuer will not back some organization it cannot trust. According to Png and Lehman (2007), â€Å"A major for investors is the possibility that the issuer will default. Issuers, however, have better information about their own financial condition and likelihood of... Econ 6000 Of the five theories of profit presented, explain two theories that might apply to Intel. Feel free to supplement your response with information from their annual report. The annual reports demonstrate that Intel is doing quite well financially. According to Png and Lehman, â€Å"Intel is the dominant manufacturer of IBM-compatible microprocessors†. The ability to maximize one’s profit is key. One theory is that this success might have to do with the fact that, according to Png and Lehman, â€Å"[t]he profit-maximizing scale of operation is where marginal revenue equals marginal cost†. Another possibility is that game theory might play a role because the company has exacted a certain success by banking on other factors, such as a niche market with a widening customer base. According to Png and Lehman (2007), â€Å"Game theory explains why competing sellers tend to cut price†¦sellers tend to compete on price, although collectively, they could raise profit by avoiding price competition† 3) Describe how the shareholder wealth-maximization model of the firm on page 8 of your text relates to the concept of net present value, introduced on page 45. How do you think this relationship affects current firm decisions? Relationships affects current firm decisions based upon horizontal boundaries. The way to calculate the Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand is the utilization of the formula of the percent change in the quantity of demand for RoboGizmo (10%) divided by the percent change in price for the iDoodad product (12.5%).

Introduction to accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Introduction to accounting - Essay Example The workforce of the enterprise amounts to 150,000 employees. Sainsbury has 525 supermarkets, 303 convenience stores and one bank. Its market share of 16% is the largest in the industry. â€Å"The Sainsburys brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food† (Jsainsbury, 2010). This year the company celebrated its 140th birthday. The business priorities of the company are: a) Great food at fair price; b) Accelerating the growth of complimentary non-food ranges; c) Reaching more customers through additional channels; d) Growing supermarket space; e) Active property management (Jsainsbury, 2010). The common stocks of the company are traded in the London Stock Exchange. Information concerning the prices of the stock from April 7, 2010 to April 14, 2010 is illustrated in Appendix B. The company utilized the straight line method to depreciate its assets. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. The company’s Chairman is David Tyler.The chief executive officer (CEO) is Justin King, while the chief financial officer (CFO) is Darren Shapland. Mike Coope serves as the Trading Director. The company Chairman started his position on October 1, 2009 replacing Phillip Hampton. He has extensive experience working at the managerial executive level at Experian Group, Burberry plc, and Logica plc. He is currently 56 years of age. J Sainsbury generated total sales of 18,911 million pounds in fiscal year 2009. In comparison with 2008 the firm was able to increase its revenues by 6%. Despite the fact that the company achieved higher revenues its bottom line was not as good as in 2008. In 2009 Sainsbury’s obtained a net income of 289 million pounds. In 2008 its net income was 329 million pounds. About 68% of the decrease in net income was due to higher income taxes. The total assets of the enterprise in 2009 were 10,033 million pounds.

AT&t Wireless Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

AT&t Wireless - Essay Example I have selected following Micro-environmental factors: competitors, customers, and marketing relationships. I will also evaluate the marketing strategy of the AT&T Wireless. In this paper I will try to analyze the current market trends and AT&T Wireless marketing strategy to cater these trends. The main aim behind this research is to perceive and gain an insight into the organization Micro-environmental factors and resultant marketing strategy with accordance to those organization Micro-environmental factors changes and developments This section of the paper presents a brief introduction of AT&T Wireless and its organization framework.  AT&T Wireless is the major independently traded wireless mover in the US. AT&T Wireless covers one of the biggest digital wireless networks in North America. AT&T have around 18 million subscribers, and complete-year 2001 revenues of 13.6 billion dollars, AT&T Wireless is committed to being amongst the preliminary to bring the next generation of wireless goods and services. Nowadays, AT&T Wireless presents customers high-class wireless voice and data communications facilities and services in the United States, and worldwide. AT&T Wireless consumers’ advantage is the companys assurance to make sure that customers have the correct equipment, the correct calling arrangement, and the correct customer services options these days and tomorrow.1 For additional services and information, please visit us at www.attwireless.com. The previous may hold "forward-looking statements" which are footed on managements viewpoints in addition to on an amount of suppositions regarding future actions made by and information at present obtainable to management. With greater than 1 million vigorous customers are taking part in a accounted $7 to $8 in average profits per month, AT&T Wireless Services Inc.s mMode giving is observed by a number of industry analysts as a practical accomplishment in the early on phases of wireless

History of Blacks in the Diaspora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Blacks in the Diaspora - Essay Example The coast was the focal point of trade for both goods from Europe as well as their slaves. Ultimately, the people were dumped in one of the ships meant for the slaves and deported on a transatlantic journey unaware that they will be traded and locked up as laborers. In terms of numbers the African Diaspora is unbelievable. Close to 12 million people were coerced out of Africa and deported to the New World. The key to the African Diaspora was propelled by a thriving economy. The slave trade drew investors from a host of nations such as Portugal, Spain, Brazil, England, the United States, Holland, France, Sweden and Denmark which kept the slave trade alive for a more than hundred years. (The African Diaspora: Melfisher.org) The concept of the African Diaspora considers the worldwide dispersion of Africans throughout history; the surfacing of the cultural identity abroad based on origin and social condition; and the physiological return to their own homeland i.e. Africa. Thus the African presence in Asia, Europe, and the Americas is not a recent occurrence. It had happened in ancient Greece and Rome, and it subsisted in Arabia and also in other parts of Asia prior to the rise of Islam. The growth of the global trade in African slaves by the Arabs for more than a century and half years back and the much more severe business by the Europeans and Americas from the fifteen century made that presence basically global. (Harris 27) Background & History of Blacks in the Diaspora: Spanning a period of nearly four hundred years, more than 4 million Africans were deported to N. America and also to the Caribbean Islands in the Atlantic slave trade. They were imprisoned from their motherland and estranged from the members of their groups and families and they were led to lead lives of slaves in New World where the customs and traditions in the midst they spent their lives were completely absent. The African Diaspora is the account of the manner in which Africans even through scattered and isolated were able to retain their traditions, undergo changes in their identities in a New World. Essentials of African culture such as the religion, language, and folklore lasted and also the links to their previous lives. In the course of Americanization, Africans developed yet another culture that is known as African-Americans or Creolos. The forced migration leading to the transatlantic slave trade is considered to be the largest one in the world. In its effort, it created l asting permanent linkages between Africa and N. America. (African Diaspora: Colorado College) The African populations were transported from a lot of areas of Africa, however mainly from those areas along the coast. The Bantu, lined on the Guinea coast, had the biggest uniform culture after which comes Mande, hence the culture of African-Americans was impacted in a major part by the people of these areas. In these colonies, the demand of the slaves mainly for economic factors and the demographics of the slaves left a huge impact on the development of the Afro-American culture. There was a presence of more than one Afro-American cu

Reflective journal entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective journal entry - Essay Example Goals set competition bases within the organization and in external environments. Missions are set based on the firms goal attainment strategies. A firms mission also acts as a base for attracting customers since it is linked to its activities and products. Controlling, Planning and organizing are tools of management that contribute to most of the internal decisions made by managers and departmental heads. Cost drivers are also tools used in decision-making processes. They include structural, activity and organizational drivers. Structural costs are linked to product delivery and include technologies and scope of operations. Organizational costs are incurred during the relay of information between departments and chain of command. Additionally, they are also involved in the connection between the firm and its external environments such as suppliers and other contractors. Activity costs are incurred while enhancing customer service and catering for their needs. Firms invest in these costs with the aim of customer satisfaction and profit maximization. Ethics is part of the decision-making tools that a firm has to adopt to ensure success. Ethics is linked to the social life of customers and various impacts that the firm has caused to the society. Code of ethics includes various behavioral approaches that a firm exercises with its customers. The chapter has provided in-depth information on the approaches that firms have to follow to ensure success and competency. Decision-making processes in firms are not just made abruptly, but managers have to put different principles into consideration. The tools have covered all principles and sectors that make a business unique. The chapter specializes in cost behavior analysis and estimation and their relation to the performance of the firm. The cost behavior consists of four patterns that include mixed, variable, step and fixed costs. They are

Negotiations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Negotiations - Essay Example The requirement to move the opponents from their preferred solution could motivate individuals involved to go against contemporary ethical standards; they could employ inappropriate influence tactics so as to gain compliance from the other. Guasco and Robinson put the ethical argument in context noting that â€Å"what is one negotiator’s appropriate tactic is another’s unethical trick† (2007, p. 135). Approaches to ethical reasoning In business negotiation, various standards have been used to evaluate tactics, as identified by Lewicki, Barry and Saunders (2007). The end result tactic would be applied where the negotiator chooses to adopt an action based on the expected results. Duty ethics would cause the negotiator to choose a course of action based on such person’s duty to uphold suitable rules and principles. The third standard referred to the fact social contract would cause one to choose a specific course of action based on the strategy, values and no rms of an organization or community they exist in. Finally, personality ethics would cause one to choose to follow a specific course of action based on personal convictions. ... Here, the negotiator aims at distorting the settlement point. For example, a buyer willing to spend up to $10,000 on machinery could indicate to the buyer the willingness not to spend more than $8,000. This tactic has been noted to be necessary in creating a rationale that would make the opponent make concessions. According to Lewicki, Barry and Saunders (2007), negotiators who make extreme demands and have the opponents give in achieve favorable settlements. In bluffing negotiation tactic, the negotiator would falsely state the intention to perform an act. These have been described by Lewicki, Barry and Saunders (2007) as false threats and acts. For example, a negotiator could threaten to undertake a specific course of action should the opponent fail to perform a specific task. But this would be said without any intention to live up to the stated consequences. Guasco and Robinson (2007) argue about the unethical form of bluffing such as the one where a seller lies to a buyer of a pr ospect who has bid a higher price for a car, yet in real sense no one else has participated in negotiations. Therefore, the scholars liken bluffing in negotiation to poker. With falsification, erroneous or incorrect information would be introduced as if it were true (Lewicki, Barry & Saunders, 2007). Some examples include erroneous financial information, false guarantees and warranties. Falsification could be printed or spoken and would be aimed at using erroneous information to distort actual facts, thus changing the position of the opponent. The fourth negotiation tactic, as identified by Lewicki, Barry and Saunders (2007), is known as deception. Here, the tactic would attempt to manipulate the logical and inferential processes of the opponent so as to cause incorrect deduction or

Discusion board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discusion board - Assignment Example The applications also enable management identify and correct any unforeseen challenges that may arise. Business processes are sources of competitive advantage. Business processes need to be unique and strategic to offer a competitive advantage. For instance, a business with processes focused on the creation of innovative products and services or those that portray a high sensitivity to customer queries and concerns tend to create a competitive advantage over their rivals. 2-How does Porters five forces shape industry competition and strategy? What are the implications? Do you agree with these five forces? Is there any other force that affects competition and strategy? What is the role of MIS in this framework? Understanding one’s business, specifically the strengths and weaknesses, is very important in facing rival competition. This is the basis in Porter’s five forces that shape industry competition and strategy. According to Porter, these five are; supplier power, buyer power, competitive rivalry, threat of substitution and threat of new entry. The five are centered in understanding the power that lies in a business and very useful in the analysis of the current positioning of a business, from a competitive point of view. Understanding this power, according to Porter, enables one to gain an advantage position by capitalizing on the strengths and improving weaknesses. For instance, in threat of new entry, the knowledge that competitors can easily penetrate the market and bring competition enables a business create barriers strong enough to keep off competitors thus maintain a competitive position. These forces shape the markets and industries businesses operate in. For inst ance, in competitive rivalry, having very few or no competitors at all offers a business competitive advantage in the industry it operates in. I agree with these five

Pocahontas Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pocahontas Analysis Essay Pocahontas Analysis I believe that the disney movie Pocahontas is very inaccurate because of all the details that dont match up with the actual story. Parts involving Pocahontas age, the relationship between John smith and Pocahontas, John Smiths capture and the method of communication between Pocahontas and John Smith are told differently in the movie than in the sources Ive read from. The purpose of this analysis is to inform the reader of all the mistruths in the movie that some people may have perceived as true. Some of the only accurate parts in the movie are that John Smith was indeed about to be executed by the Powhatan and that Jamestown was founded in 1607. Besides these two facts, I believe that the rest of the movie is too warped from the real version. In the movie, John Smith first meets Pocahontas, falls in love with her and is then captured by the Powhatan, but according to the article, he meets Pocahontas after he is captured leading an expedition in search of food on December of 1607. In the movie, Kocoum is shot dead by Thomas after Kocoum attacks John Smith, but in actuality, Kocoum went on to marry Pocahontas. Also in the movie, John Smith is about to be executed because he supposedly killed Kocoum, but the the article says that the execution was just a ritual performed by the Powhatan. The Pocahontas article talks about how John Smith was injured by a gunpowder explosion, whereas in the movie, the Governor shoots John Smith while aiming for the Powhatan chief. The movie ends when John Smith must go back to England to be treated for his wound inflicted upon him by the Governor. This first source already unveils many of the inaccuracies in the movie. The Pocahontas letter, which is from John Smiths point of view, greatly favors Pocahontas. John Smith even calls her an instrument of God. In the letter though, John Smith describes his execution as real and that Pocahontas hazarded the beating out of her own body to save his own. In the article, Smith was first welcomed by the great chief and offered a feast. Then he was grabbed and forced to stretch out on two large, flat stones, but in the letter, John Smith says that he was ordered to be executed by the chief after eating with the savages for six weeks. Both of these situations were said to be told by John Smith himself, but we may never know the truth. The three portraits of Pocahontas that I saw, were very different from what Pocahontas looked like in the movie. In the engraving portrait, Pocahontas almost looked like a man. In the other two portraits, she at least looked like a woman, but it was nothing close to how she was portrayed in the Disney Movie. As you can see, there are many more inaccurate events in the movie than accurate ones. Many kids may grow up believing that the Disney story of Pocahontas is the true story of Pocahontas. What they dont know is that although Pocahontas is based on a true story, barely anything about the movie is true. Overall, the Disney version of Pocahontas seems like a work of fiction to me, whose sole purpose is to entertain young audiences.

The Power Of Words English Literature Essay

The Power Of Words English Literature Essay My presentation is about Angel-Writer and his extraordinary writing. Not just any writer, but he or she belongs to the class of experts who tug at the heartstrings of people and leave their mark on the world. Power of words Words are amazing. Words can be powerful, influential and persuasive. Buddha said, Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. Same applies to written words. Let me give you an example of the power of such angelic words and their good or ill influence. A Blind Man was begging with a board in his hand. I am Blind please help me A Guy took the board and changed the statement from that day he started Receiving More Charity.. He wrote: Today is a beautiful Day but I can not see it That is the power of words, If expressed in a right way..can change many things..! You just saw that when the girl changed the words on the signboard, people read it, felt it and started giving more charity to the blind man. Perhaps, its the ability of such a writer, through his or her words, to change the way the world thinks. Another example can be that of The Joker James Holmes is the perpetrator of a mass shooting that occurred on July 20, 2012 at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. Holmes allegedly set off several gas or smoke canisters and then opened fire on the theatre audience, killing 12 and wounding 58. According to two federal authorities, Holmes had dyed his hair red and called himself The Joker. Question is, Could someone really be so cold, calculating and bloodthirsty? Well certainly Holmess inspiration, the Joker, was just that. Joker is the character in Christopher Nolans Blockbuster, The Dark Knight. When Christopher Nolan wrote the screenplay, he never thought that his writing and script will have such a negative influence on someone. Brief Account of the topic Open a book and start reading it or listen carefully to the dialogues of the movie while watching it. In any piece of writing youll find words, of course, but examine by your senses and youll also find art, crafted, in detail, by a writer proud enough to sign his or her name to the work. In a book or a poem, a play or a short story, a script or even a song, everything is there for a reason: to show, to tell, to convey a message. Most works of writing are simply meant for reading. The great ones, those of Angel-Writers, are for learning. Learning to smile, to react, to get inspired and make life beautiful. Features of Angel-Writer Self- Actualization A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.   What a man  can  be, he  must  be.   He must be true to his own nature. Self-actualization is a term used in various psychology theories, often in slightly different ways. The psychologist Abraham Maslow created the term self-actualizing in the 1960s which was based on his assumptions about human potential and partially on his case studies of historical figures whom he believed to be self-actualized. He found that these individuals were very accepting of themselves and of their life circumstances; were focussed on finding solutions to cultural problems rather than to personal problems; were open to others opinions and ideas; had strong senses of privacy, autonomy, human values and appreciation of life. The term can be defined as the full realization of ones potential. As a writer one is of course good at writing but the intrinsic growth of this skill, which is already in him can lead him to become what he is actually capable of. A self-actualized writer is someone who is living creatively and fully using his or her potentials. Most of the similarities that he found in self-actualizers are the key attributes of an Angel-Writer such as: Realistic Problem-Centered Peak Experiences Solitude and Privacy Philosophical Sense of Humour Spontaneity Trust Yourself Once you know that writing is your life a bit of self-trust can make you unleash the writing skills most truthfully. The lady who won 30000 pounds in a short story competition laid emphasis on trusting oneself as a writer. Johann Wolfgang once said, As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live and that is when a writer can make the most of himself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement. Listen to your inner wisdom. Turn negative emotional energy into a positive Never let yourself feel condemned Write and write again Eventually words worth inspiring will come out Implement Inspiration Implement the inspiring thoughts and ideas of yours and those of exemplary people in your written work. Germinate your own seeds of inspiration to harvest a sapling of epic literature. Give your thoughts a way to stand amidst the most hilarious of works. You need not to copy them but develop a mindset that could interpret thoughts in a way your ideal does. This could be done by reading them or having much of communication with them. 4) Eloquence Over the years, authors have described eloquence in various ways. Shakespeare said, words sweetly placed and modestly directed. Cicero, the roman philosopher most notably stated, Eloquence has the power to sway mans mind and move them in every possible way. In particular, eloquent writing usually has a few properties: Deeply  persuasive: This doesnt necessarily mean that it is a an argumentative piece simple narration or description in fiction can be persuasive too, in the sense that it pulls you into a world and convinces you that that place is real and immediate Structured very carefully Structure is always a very important property of a piece of writing, and the structure you choose can vary based on the goal (clarity, brevity, persuasion, etc.) But writing that people describe as eloquent often has an unusually strong sense of rising action, climax, and denouement. This is  the reason that people talk about eloquent writing as something that flows. Effective use of literary devices It often makes  effective use of literary devices, such as metaphor, imagery, allusion, symbolism, and personification.  These devices can be hard to master but are very effective when used properly: just think how strong of an impression is left by Robert Frosts classic poem, The Road Not Taken. When read aloud, such writing leaves an impression beyond what is on the page. Ethos, Pathos and Logos The  Greek philosopher Aristotle  divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categoriesEthos, Pathos, and Logos. One philosopher who startles me with his ideas is Aristotle. He draws his philosophies from understanding the simplest things in life that happens daily, with pure sensibility. That alone explains how he has his ideas in myriads of subjects ranging from physics to poetry, music to politics, metaphysics to ethics, theatre to logic, rhetoric to biology, government and zoology. According to Aristotle, rhetoric is the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion, that can be described in 3 main form, namely Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Ethos (Credibility),  or  ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author or speaker. Pathos (Emotional)  means persuading by appealing to the readers emotions. Logos  (Logical)  means persuading by the use of reasoning. Example of Pursuit of Happiness The Pursuit of Happiness is a film directed by Gabrielle Muccino and starring Will Smith. This movie tells the story of a man, who because of inevitable circumstances becomes homeless when he is participating in an exclusive unpaid internship at a brokerage company. His character must balance the demands of internship with keeping up with his old salesman job so that he may support him and his young son as they struggle to survive. Smiths character uses a healthy dose of logos, ethos, and pathos to appeal to superiors, landlords, and others to help him in his journey to chase after his dream. The audience goes through his difficult journey and comes out the other side just as excited as the main characters. This can be clearly explained with the help of this clip. There are a lot of people who got inspired after watching this scene and hearing this little speech and were motivated to achieve what they can. While reading the YouTube comments about this movie I realized how people got influenced to do well in life by the effect of such influential writing. Example of the Alchemist A living example of an Angel Writer is Paulo Coelho. One of the books he wrote was The Alchemist. It is one of the best- selling books in history and has been translated into 71 languages as of 2011.   The books main theme is about finding ones destiny. The Alchemist follows a young Andalusia shepherd boy named Santiago in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there. Along the way, he encounters love, danger, opportunity and learns a lot about himself and the ways of the world. He realizes that if he follows his heart, he shall find what it is he seeks. Coelho wrote The Alchemist in only two weeks in 1987. He said he was able to write at this pace because the story was already written in his soul. The Alchemist has inspired numerous bands and directors. It will soon be filmed by Harvey Weinstein. For me this book has a special importance. Ill tell you why. When I was in the middle of nowhere and was lost without a goal in life, one night, I by chance read this book in 4 hours and slept. The very next morning I felt so inspired that thoughts and ideas flung into my mind. I got stick to them and started writing. Journey to Destiny From the eyes of those There world is what I see But I have my own dreams to follow, To realize my destiny At times when the desert seemed nowhere close to far I sensed an oasis as I sighted that star This is when the omens played their part A wish, a blessing and a desire to start I flew with the wind, On that deserted land The song it sang, the music it had, Was the one that only I could understand. The quest for my treasure Began with the dreams in my mind As I looked for myself, I knew what I wanted in life. Wherever my heart lies There my treasure is supposed to be This is when the universe conspired, And I realized my destiny. This is how he inspired me to feelto write and most importantlyto discover. Conclusion Everyones life is governed by an internal code of conduct. Words, when skilfully controlled by a master, carries with them the power to alter this code. In simple words, Writers are those who are Good at Writing. They use experiences, knowledge and skill to pen down words. There are writers who with the power of their imagination, kidnap me and take me in a different world altogether, a world full of adventures, ghosts, princesses, elves, superheroes and what not. Then there are writers who give me the most wonderful learning experiences with the beauty of their writing. The songs, written with such great feel, bring me back to life in times of despair and also bless me with extra ounces of happiness when I am whooping with joy. The graph of my thoughts and emotions has shown significant variations by the impact of those words I listen. From that little fifty- second life-changing scene from Pursuit of Happiness to the much controversial last three lines of the last stanza of Robert Frosts Road not Taken, I have witnessed a change in myself every time I read and hear. I read their booksI watch their moviesI hear their songsand I learn their poems by heart. In return, I am entertained to a point where I tend to forget all my worries and touched so deep inside that I get the rare zeal to help others. Not only this, I also feel the guilt that stops me from doing bad deeds. I am a reader and I coin all such Master of Words as Angel Writers cause they change lives for better.