Assignment:
In this assignment, you will review an article analyzing the personal and positional sources of power of a famous businessman, Steve Jobs. His innovation, creativity, and boldness have earned Apple Computers worldwide success. You will write an analysis covering the following requirements.
Background Overview:
Steve Jobs created the Apple Computer in 1976 with his friend, Stephen Wozniak. From day one, the Apple Computer Company differentiated itself from similar companies with its unconventional business ideas that constantly redefined the standards for products, marketing, and industry innovation techniques. Steve Jobs was criticized many times, labeled "eccentric," and said to be hard to work with.
What was the real force behind the success?
Markoff, J. (2011, October 5). Apple's visionary redefined digital age. New York Times.
Write an essay that covers the following:
1. Identify Steve Jobs' sources of personal and position power. Justify your reasoning.
2. Assess the implications of Steve Jobs' influence inside and outside the company.
3. Utilizing your previous knowledge/experience with different organizations, compare Jobs with at least two other business leaders, analyzing the relationship between each leader's power and influence inside and outside of their organizations.
4. Analyze the Apple case within the political frame presented (The political frame is based on a variety of assumptions that affect leadership following this frame. Political leaders believe that managers and leaders live in a world of conflict and scarce resources. The central task of management is to assemble power and mobilize the resources needed to advocate and fight for the unit's or the organization's goals and objectives. Political leaders emphasize the importance of building a power base: allies, networks, and coalitions. A good leader is an advocate and negotiator who understands politics and is comfortable with conflict (Bolman & Deal, 2009, pp. 194-195).
Power can be viewed from multiple perspectives. Under the political frame, power is connected to the relationship between two antagonists: partisans and authorities. Authorities being agents of social control, seek to maintain their position of power. Hence, they make binding decisions. Partisans, on the other side, are subject to authorities' decisions (therefore recipients of control), and will support or question authority depending on how the decisions made by that other group affect their interests.
Power can come from different sources, individually or from a combination of some of the following:
- Position of power
- Control of rewards
- Coercive power
- Information and expertise
- Reputation
- Personal power
- Alliances and networks
- Access and control of agenda
- Framing, i.e., control of meaning and symbols
Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2009). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. , considering its main characteristics.
Write a 3 -page paper in Word format Resources on seperate page. Utilize at least two scholarly sources in support. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.