Prior to examining line managers’ views on their human resource role, it is important to ascertain whether their views on Esprit align with the corporate intention. It is evident, from the questionnaire results, that the managers in this sample do not universally share the corporate understanding of Esprit. The majority of line managers (87%) perceive Esprit as a club for employees. This majority view is represented across all levels of management, and is not dependent on length of service, age or gender. Only 26% of the respondents indicate that Esprit is a concept directing the way employees work, with a further 14% indicating that it is a way of working practices. Ten percent of the respondents indicate that it is both a club and a concept, with a further 8% viewing it as a concept directing the way employees work, a club for employees and a way of working practices. Other views expressed, by 7% of the respondents, focused on Esprit being a reward / benefit package and an incentive or motivational scheme. For example Esprit is‘ an incentive for employees to achieve a company standard resulting in membership of Esprit’. Only four respondents indicated understanding of the beliefs and values underpinning Esprit, as expressed in these responses ‘a belief/ culture system’ and ‘positive enforcement of Hilton as a group in the minds of our employees’.