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“Please don't make me a hero”: A re‐examination of corporate heroes
Author(s) -
Wilkins Alan L.,
Perry Lee Tom,
Checketts Alan G.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
human resource management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.888
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-050X
pISSN - 0090-4848
DOI - 10.1002/hrm.3930290307
Subject(s) - praise , hero , set (abstract data type) , meaning (existential) , perspective (graphical) , natural (archaeology) , foundation (evidence) , public relations , perception , psychology , sociology , aesthetics , social psychology , management , political science , law , history , literature , computer science , economics , philosophy , art , archaeology , artificial intelligence , programming language , neuroscience , psychotherapist
Recent discussions of corporate heroes focus on benefits without examining costs. Although our perceptions are not entirely negative, we have discovered several reasons to be cautious about corporate heroes. We present some of the potential problems associated with creating heroes, and another set of dysfunctions occurring once heroes have been created. Our intention is not to debunk heroes, but to attach a cautionary note to their use in organizations. We fully expect the natural emergence of heroes in many organizations, but also propose that managers can accomplish as much, and often less hazardously, by working on perspective, praise, and trying to influence daily practice in their organizations. This approach is both more explicit and direct in infusing organizations with the same benefits of motivation and meaning derived from having heroes. Moreover, it can lay a foundation of values that ultimately determines what kinds of individuals emerge as heroes.