20 Sep Apple Leadership Strategies

On the following dissertation I will need a fully-detailed research on Apple’s leadership strategy. It will need to focus on the case study comparison between the two leadership styles of Apple’s CEOs, Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. The chapter will have to demonstrate extensive knowledge of the two leadership styles, the charsimatic one of Steve Jobs and the post-heroic (shared leadership) of Tim Cook.

Hereby you can find in detail what the dissertation will talk about alongside with its table of contents.

In the first chapter, this master- thesis aims to analyse the concept of leadership with the intent to explore the leaderships role and the influence on the organizational context in which companies operate. It focuses on defining leadership form an analysis of the literature, and in particular it describes the concept of leadership and management, which are two concepts very interrelated, but which present many differences. In order to better understand this concept, it is drawn a general framework of the most salient leaderships theories, it is given a special attention to two latest and modern ones, the charismatic leadership and the post-heroic theory that will be the theories that characterize the following case study of Apple company that it will be analysed.

In the second chapter there will be an exploration and investigation of leadership relevant to the case study of this IT company. It will focus on Super-Hero and Post-Heroic leadership theories which represent Steve Jobs and Tim Cook leadership model respectively, it analyses the change implemented to the company by its new leader. First of all, the company and its new leader will be briefly introduced, then it will be investigated the change enhanced by Cook to the company, also comparing his work to his predecessors one, and pertinent theories will be applied to the topic.

Overall, the thesis explored and investigate leadership and change theories relevant to the case study. It focused on Super Hero and Post-Heroic leadership theories which represent Steve Jobs and Tim Cook leadership model respectively. The former theory bases its doctrine on Charisma and unitary control, the latter one on shared leadership.
Within Cooks mandate, the American multinational improved its relationship with shareholders and other companies previously considered competitors, achieved significant financial results and upgraded business control. Cook accomplished these objectives by empowering middle and top managers as it is commonly done by post hero leaders. Moreover, he followed some suggestions made by Turner in order to achieve change effectively. Indeed, he has always been more open to external experts and even to shareholders. On the other hand, the former CEO used to administrate a company as a private fiefdom without accepting external (and probably also internal) advice sympathetically.