Countries also differ sharply with regard to the hierarchical position of the managers engaged in strategy. In many countries strategic problems are largely defined and solved by the upper echelons of management. To reach this hierarchical position requires many years of hands-on experience and climbing through the ranks Therefore, by the time managers are in the position of being a strategist they are middle-aged and thoroughly familiar with their business - with the danger of being set in their ways. They will also have been promoted several times by senior managers who believe that they will function well within the organization. In general, the effect is that the competent and conformist managers are promoted to strategy positions, while innovative dissidents are selected out along the way. In such countries, intuitive strategic reasoning often does not take place within large organizations, but within small start-ups to which the creatively inclined flee.