Running head: ACQUIRING THE GOLDEN FLEECE1 Acquiring the Golden Fleece: A Comparison of Dell and Intel CEOs Successful Strategies to Increase Market Share and Profit Foundations for Doctoral Study in Business BTM7101 -8 M. Voris, Ph.D August 31, 2014 ACQUIRING THE GOLDEN FLEECE2 Abstract In the financial world, market share can make or break a corporation. Since the 1990s two corporations were able to acquire and sustain dominant market share and high profits.The competitive advantage is because of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michael Dell at Dell and Andy Grove at Intel. The CEOs are transformative leaders able to translate intention into reality and sustain it (Caldwell et al., 2012, p 176).Both leaders sought ways requiring employees to reconsider current strategies and not focus on old ways to tackle new issues with the products or services (Caldwell et al., 2012). The CEOs transformative leadership motivates employees to embrace new ways to achieve high market shares and profits (Eghdamy, 2013). One could say the companies found the mythical Golden Fleece. Why? Because both companies took risk using new strategies or technology to become industrial giants in the global economy.Both CEOs develop ways to beat the risks and develop a unique competitive advantage and create value for the corporations. This paper will reveal the CEOs contributions to the companys industry, the use of strategies to offset resistance to the companys goals, the leaders professional similarities and differences, and discuss factors impacting the corporations success. ACQUIRING THE GOLDEN FLEECE3 Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Michael Dell, CEO of Dell, Inc. from a young age understood the importance of building intimate customer relationships (Krames, J . A., 2003). The leader of Dell has a successful Internet online business using direct model to sell computer preference to an individual customer at low prices and provide quality customer service (Krames, J . A., 2003, p 59).Dells decision to build computers only after a customer places an order, eliminates the middleman resulting in lower prices, no bottleneck of inventory or problems with cash flow (Krames, J . A., 2003).According to Riley (1999), Dell has almost reached his goal of 50% of market share on Dells Web order system. Resistance Michael Dell had to address was within the company. Employees were not as knowledgeable about the online process to order and distribute computers and were not understanding customers preference or need (Krames, J .A., 2003) The CEO develop ways for all employees to understand the online system of the company including managers to form a more intimate customer relationship (Krames, J . A., 2003).Whereas, Michael Dell focus was on technology using the Internet to increase market share, Andy Grove at Intel strategy was focusing on preparing Intels employees to be ready for extreme change. Andy Grove, CEO of Intel As the CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, has the ability to strategize and wade through severe changes that took place with the company. Upon realization J apans takeover of the memory chip industry was a solid foundation, under the direction of Andy Grove, Intel left the memory business and because dominant market share holders in the microprocessor chips (Krames, J .A., 2003). According to Andy Grove ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE (Levy 1996, p. 63). The CEO believes in keeping his employees thinking this way to keep a vigil watch for strategic ACQUIRING THE GOLDEN FLEECE4 inflection points or 10x changes (Krames, J . A., 2003, p. 140).Andy Grover lesson to keep his employees on their toes comes from the resistance of managers at the company not wanting to leave the memory chip market or when staff support did not aggressively look at the result end of the flaw in the microprocessor chip that Grover eventually had the company recalled. According to Kraemer (2003), Grover learned how to minimize strategic inflection points and turn it around to create positive goals for Intel.The result is Intel continues to be an influential player in the microprocessor chip industry gaining market share and at the same time the prices are remaining inexpensive (Levy, 1996). Both Dell and Intel CEOs were able to use different strategies but with similar results to increase market share and keep the product prices low for consumers. The leaders similarities include being transformative leaders with the ability to convert visionary goals to competitive advantages and increase the market share (Eghdamy, 2013). The difference in the company leaders is Michael Dell focus is on customer relationships, quality customer service, low prices, and elimination of the middleman, Andy Grove focus is on Intel employees being paranoid in preparation of future strategic inflection points of change (Kraemer, J .A., 2003). The factors impacting Dells success was the ability of Michael Dell to see the future in using technology, the Internet to provide online quality products services for customers at lower prices and elimination of the middleman, bottleneck inventory, and cash flow problems (Kraemer, J . A., 2003). Factor impacting Intels success has to take into consideration the personal opinion of Any Grove to keep all employees paranoid and stay alert to identify and minimize drastic changes and at the same time turn major changes around to positive goals for Intel. The ability to convert companies into obtaining major market share is because of the transformative leadership of both CEOs. The result is acquisition of the Golden Fleece and high market shares and profits.ACQUIRING THE GOLDEN FLEECE5 References Caldwell, C., Dixon, R. D., Floyd, L. A., Chaudoin, J ., Post, J ., & Cheokas, G. (2012, December 21, 2011). Transformative Leadership: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence. J. Bus. Ethics, 109: 175-187. http://dx.doi.org/DOI 10.1007/s10551-011-1116-2 Eghdamy, H. (2013). Transformative Leadership. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 4((9)), 93-98. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1316271480?accountid=458. Eghdamy, H. (2013). Transformative leadership. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 4(9), 93-98. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1316271480?accountid=458Krames, J . A. (2003). Place the customer at the epicenter of the business model. Blacklick, OH In What the best CEOs know: 7 exceptional leaders and their lessons for transforming any business, 55-77. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ncent/docDetail.action?docID=10045327&p00. Krames, J .A. (2003). Prepare the organization for drastic change. Blacklick, OH In What the best CEOs know: 7 exceptional leaders and their lessons for transforming any business. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ncent/docDetail.action?docID=10045327&p00. Levy, S. (1966). Intels Andy Grove, Inside. Newsweek, 128(10), 63. Riley, J . (1999) Michael Dell. Computer Bulletin, 41(2). 14-15.