Talent Management and Leadership: The Erin Brockovich Case Study

This report delves into the realm of talent management, using the movie "Erin Brockovich" as a case study to analyze various aspects of workplace practices and leadership. The report begins with an executive summary that highlights the relevance of talent management in anticipating employee skill requirements, and then proceeds to discuss Erin's emotional intelligence, drawing on Goleman's framework to assess her growth and development. It examines employee management, including the challenges and benefits of managing unconventional employees, or "mavericks", and provides strategies for effective management. Furthermore, the report explores Erin's personality traits using the Big Five model, investigates her levels of motivation and relevant theories, and discusses her career development, including job descriptions, specifications, and behavioral interviews. The report also covers performance agreements, the Job Characteristics Model, locus of control, work-life balance, work engagement theory, and organizational culture, comparing the cultures of different law firms. Finally, the report examines employee relationships and development phases, providing a comprehensive analysis of talent management concepts through the lens of the movie.

Running head: TALENT MANAGEMENT
Talent Management
Student’s name:
University:
Author’s note:

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Executive summary
The following paper answers a range of questions related to the field of talent management. The
concept of talent management is a rising issue in the field of management, through which
organizations could anticipate their requirement of employee skills, knowledge and expertise. To
understand the concept better, the issue is discussed in the context of a famous Hollywood movie
“Erin Brockovich”. The movie is an excellent example of workplace theories and practices. This
is based on true events, where a woman named Erin enters the professional arena with almost no
experience or knowledge relevant to the job. However, through hard work, resilience and
dedication she manages to prove her as an indispensable asset to the organization. The following
paper deals with different aspects of talent management and workplace practices following the
case study of Erin Brockovich.

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................5
Emotional Intelligence..................................................................................................................5
Analyzing Erin’s Growth and Development of Emotional Intelligence..............................6
Employee Management...............................................................................................................7
Managing Erin............................................................................................................................7
Erin’s adverse influence on other employees.......................................................................8
Affording a Maverick.................................................................................................................8
Not having a Maverick in the organization............................................................................8
Managing the Maverick............................................................................................................9
Strategies for Managing a Maverick......................................................................................9
Personality......................................................................................................................................9
Erin’s Personality Characteristics.........................................................................................10
Big Five Personality Traits.....................................................................................................10
Strengths and Weaknesses..................................................................................................11
Erin’s Character Development..............................................................................................11
Motivation.....................................................................................................................................12
Erin’s levels of motivation......................................................................................................12
Changes in Erin’s motivational level....................................................................................12
Motivation theories..................................................................................................................13

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Career development...................................................................................................................13
Job Description and Job Specification.....................................................................................14
Job Description for Legal Assistant......................................................................................14
Job Specification.....................................................................................................................15
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and other Personal Requirements for the Job...................15
Behavioural Interview.................................................................................................................17
Interview Template......................................................................................................................17
Importance of behavioral type interview..............................................................................17
Performance Agreement............................................................................................................18
Performance Assessment Template........................................................................................19
Five dimensions of the Job Characteristics Model of Hackman and Oldham...................20
Locus of control...........................................................................................................................21
Work-Life Balance.......................................................................................................................22
Work Engagement Theory.........................................................................................................23
Erin’s level of engagement as per the work engagement theory....................................23
Organizational Culture................................................................................................................24
Comparing the organizational culture of the two law firms...............................................24
Employee relationship and development phases..................................................................25
References...................................................................................................................................26

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Introduction
Talent management is the process of anticipating the requirements of the human
resource of an organization and strategizing accordingly to meet those needs. The
notion of talent management emerged from the McKinsey’s research (Cappelli and
Keller 2017), followed by then popularity of the scholarly literature The War for Talent
(Ulrich 2015). The practice of talent management involves various aspects of
psychology, sociology and management. The following paper tries to explore different
aspects of talent management through the exploration of the movie Erin Brockovich.
This movie is a classic example of workplace practices, theories and management.
Therefore, by identifying the key components of talent management in the plot, the
paper will try to provide a comprehensive account of various questions pertaining to the
field.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is described as an individual’s capability of recognizing his
or her own emotion and that of the others, distinguishing different emotions and identify
them appropriately, using various emotions to guide behavior and thoughts, as well as
adjusting those emotions to adapt to difficult environments and achieve personal and
professional goals (Serrat 2017).
The theory of emotional intelligence was developed and popularized by Daniel
Goleman. He propounded that non-cognitive skills such as emotional intelligence (EI),
also have a significant role in professional success. As described in his work, Goleman

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identified five key characteristics to achieve professional success, namely, self-
awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills (Serrat 2017).
Analyzing Erin’s Growth and Development of Emotional Intelligence
According to Goleman’s theory. Erin should be considered as a person with high
emotional intelligence. Although she had some areas to improve, her character showed
a lot of maturity and resilience.
First of all, Erin was very much aware of her situation and her reactions towards
them. In the beginning of the movie, she was depicted as vulnerable, bitter and
desperate to secure a source of earning. She was also aware of her shortcomings as a
candidate in the interview. As the movie proceeded, her character developed as a
confident, strong and focused individual, who never backed down at any cost. Even
when approached by George, she articulated her insecurities and difficulties quiet well
(Peña-Sarrionandia, Mikolajczak and Gross 2015).
The highlight of her character was her motivation. At the beginning, she needed
to have a job for her children. As she found her right position at the firm, she started to
work for building her credibility as an employee and earning respects from her
colleagues. However, in the end, all of her effort focused on doing the right thing for the
Hinkley residents. Despite all the obstructions and challenges, she pursued her course
of action. She was also empathetic to people around her.
Self-regulation and is one area that she could improve on. In many instances in
the movie, it was shown that Erin could not resist her temper. Neither in the courtroom,
nor dealing with the rival law firm during their negotiations. However, she managed to
use this trait of hers to her advantage by the end of the movie. (Peña-Sarrionandia,
Mikolajczak and Gross 2015).
Erin’s people skill developed gradually during the course of the movie. In the
beginning, she lacked the ability to communicate politely with anyone around her. She
misbehaved with strangers on the road, the people in the courtroom, her colleagues at
the new office, Ed and even with George, who was extremely helpful and interested in

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her. Although, she gradually picked up the skill. Using positive attitude and resilience,
she won over her colleagues (Serrat 2017). Ed was also impressed by her work. Also,
she succeeded to earn the confidence and trust of the people in Hinkley by being
friendly and empathetic to them. She even managed to convince them to sign the
papers against PG&E.
Employee Management
Employee management is the task to guide and motivate the employee to achieve
the highest of their competence and perform, so that the organization could reach its
goals (Shields et al. 2015). To ensure that the employees give their best to everyday
work, there are several tasks that a manager hast to perform. These tasks, however,
can be categorized into the following 5 types (Noe et al. 2017):
1. Selection
2. Monitoring
3. Interaction
4. Reward
5. Discipline
Managing Erin
At first, Ed did not manage Erin well. Erin was a strong-willed person who worked
on her own terms and condition. First of all, Ed did not even have the chance or
opportunity to choose Erin. She managed her way in into the firm. He even tried to fire
her from her job several times due to her eccentric and out-of-the box ways, although
he failed to keep her away. He even failed to ensure the discipline in the workplace,
which resulted in an unhealthy competitive and bitter relationship between Erin and
other employees. Later in the movie, it was seen that Ed gradually realized the value of
Erin’s work. And by her headstrong personality and dedication towards the job, Erin won
everyone’s respect and recognition, including Ed.
If I were at Ed’s place, I would not have fired Erin. It is important to monitor an
employee and assess his or her potential. And as a manager, the potential and skill
could be used in the favor if the organization if channelized properly. Moreover,

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communication is an important aspect in employee management. If Erin was
communicated properly regarding the organizational values, goals and culture, it would
have been easier to maintain the discipline in the firm (Shields et al. 2015).
Erin’s adverse influence on other employees
It is always difficult to manage an unconventional and eccentric employee in a
traditional workplace. Erin was definitely not the average woman that worked for Masry
& Vititoe. First, her wardrobe choices were a shock to the other women at the firm. Her
bold attitude while interacting with Ed was not deemed appropriate. Neither her
sarcastic remarks were taken in good humor. As a result, there were a lot of gossips
and negative attitude towards her prevalent in the firm. There was a lack of trust as the
employees regarded that Erin was being given undue advantages. It even gave rise to
an unhealthy competition among the women of the firm to attract Ed’s attention. None of
the employees helped or cooperated with Erin. They were even happy to see her fired.
This attitude was quiet harmful for an organization as it hampers the organizational
values and performance.
Affording a Maverick
Experts of the field opine that it is rather beneficial to have a rebel in the workforce.
They may identify innovative ways to achieve the goals by questioning the existing
system and breaking the status quo. They may offer new ideas to address the
challenges and improve the practice of the organization. Therefore, instead of
considering mavericks as troublemakers or enemies, a competent manager can utilize
the rebel spirit for identifying risks and solving problems with innovative methods (Turk
2017).
Not having a Maverick in the organization
Having a maverick in the organization may be difficult and challenging. However,
the presence of such disruptive and spirited employees in the workforce can add
momentum and innovation in the employee performance. Employees who do not

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question the existing system and tend to maintain the status quo, are often found to
be apathetic towards achieving the goals. Besides, it is also found that the presence
of an innovative and creative employee makes the working environment exciting and
bring about healthy competition among the others. This in turn adds to the
performance of the organization in a constructive way. Therefore, not having a
maverick in the workforce is rather disadvantageous (Baracskai 2018).
Managing the Maverick
Mavericks are not necessarily valuable or innovative in all cases. Some may be
really unskilled and problematic. In such cases, strict actions are to be taken against
their disruptive attitude. Otherwise, in case of a competent and skilled maverick, clear
communication is the key to manage such employees. Communicating the company
values and goals, setting standards for performance and delegating them with valuable
responsibilities may guide them towards achieving a desired outcome (Turk 2017).
Strategies for Managing a Maverick
To manage a maverick employee in the organization, a manager must adopt the
following strategies (Turk 2017):
i) Clearly communicating the organizational values, goals and expectations
ii) Identifying the potential of the employee and channelizing their disruption into
constructive alternatives
iii) Listening and prioritizing their feedbacks
iv) Not compelling him/her to adhere to a group that he/she is unwilling to
v) Identifying and monitoring the unskilled maverick and take strict
counteractions
vi) Establishing a relationship of respect rather than of authority
Personality
Personality denotes the individual cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns
(Kline 2015). Psychologists define personality as the traits by which human behavior

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can be predicted (Catell as cited by Fajkowska 2018). These traits are usually
permanent and consistent in an individual.
Erin’s Personality Characteristics
The most prominent characteristics of Erin’s personality is her self-awareness.
She knows what she feels and what she wants from life. She has the resilience to fight
every obstacle that come in her way to achieve a goal. Her determination is another
quality that shines through. Bold, straightforward, headstrong and empathetic at the
same time, Erin Brockovich depicts the perfect example of a leader. Her leadership skill
shows in her ability to motivate people, inspire them and to work towards achieving a
vision. Her integrity is unquestionable. Besides, she is charismatic and intelligent.
Big Five Personality Traits
Adhering to the trait-based personality theory, there are five parameters that
define an individual’s personality. These five parameters, developed by Costa and
McCrae (2007), are also known as Big Five model or Five Factor model. The
parameters are as following:
i) Openness to experience
ii) Conscientiousness
iii) Extraversion and Introversion
iv) Agreeableness
v) Neuroticism
Examining Erin’s personality following the Big Five model, it can be said that she
is quiet open to new experiences. She keenly follows her instincts and a fast learner.
She also very active. Erin is definitely on the high scale of extraversion. She is
talkative, lively and often found to steal the limelight. She also shows great concern
to the incidents and people around her. She is quiet agreeable too. She can adjust in
diverse situations and embrace change in unfaltering spirit. However, she is prone to
anxiety and negative thoughts. She is often apprehensive about herself as well.
Thus, it may be said that she is neurotic. Besides, she is not very conscientious. She

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is neither cautious nor self-disciplined. She follows her impulses and instincts, rather
than acting meticulously.
Strengths and Weaknesses
According to the Big Five model, Erin’s character’s strengths are her traits of
openness and agreeableness. She can use these traits to her advantage. Besides, her
determination and strong will give her additional benefits to achieve her goals.
Conscientiousness and neuroticism, on the other hand, are her weakness. However,
her character trait of extraversion makes Erin vulnerable. Her straightforward,
headstrong and out-of-the box nature and behavior sometimes gives her advantage,
although many a times, she is at a disadvantageous position because of them.
Erin’s Character Development
In the movie, there are two simultaneous character arcs presented for Erin. One
that depicts her as a fierce and unconventional employee, another depicts her as a
struggling single mother and emotionally vulnerable individual. However, as the story
progresses, Erin’s character developed in both the aspects.
Initially, Erin was portrayed as a short-tempered, headstrong, desperate woman who
was eager to secure a job so that she can provide for her children. She was talkative,
adventurous, assertive and outgoing. Although she was ambitious, she lacked proper
skill and education to acquire a job. Therefore, her desperation gave way to self-doubt,
lack of confidence and rudeness. Gradually, as she started to find success and
recognition, her character showed great motivation, confidence, resilience and
determination. As a result, her behavior towards other people also changed. She did not
succumb under any pressure, neither did she compromise. Rather, she dealt hostility
with sarcasm and wit.
Erin’s arc as a mother and an individual, too, was complicated. Although, her
behavior changed in this front as well. In the beginning, her children occupied all her
attention. She went to great lengths to manage the kids. However, as she shifted her
attention to her profession, she started giving herself some respect and attention as an