Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology iLEADERSHIP: THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF STEVE JOBS A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership by Christopher J. Valentine August, 2014 June Schmieder-Ramirez, Ed.- Dissertation Chairperson UMI Number: 3636238 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
UMI 3636238 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.
This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 This dissertation, written by Christopher J. Valentine under the guidance of a Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been submitted to and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Doctoral Committee June Schmieder-Ramirez, Ph., Chairperson Kent Rhodes, Ed.
© Copyright by Christopher J. Valentine (2014) All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES. vi LIST OF FIGURES .3 Statement of the Problem .6 Purpose and Importance of the Study .8 Scope of the Study .9 Definition of Terms.9 Limitations and Assumptions of the Study .13 Chapter II: Review of the Literature .15 Key Characteristics of Leadership .24 Key Characteristics of Transformational Leadership .28 Why Transformational Leadership? .36 The Story of Steve Jobs .55 Chapter III: Methodology .56 Restatement of the Purpose .56 Restatement of Research Questions .57 v Nature of the Study .58 Analysis of the Data .62 Institutional Review Board .64 Significance of the Study .65 CHAPTER IV: iLeadership: The Leadership Style of Steve Jobs.67 Stage I: The Beginning .68 Stage II: Growing Apple .71 Stage III: Departure.74 Stage IV: Return .77 Stage IV: Legacy.82 Profitable Innovative Growth .85 Research Question One .87 Research Question Two .106 CHAPTER V: Conclusion and Recommendations.108 Summary of Research Study.111 Summary of Procedures .114 Research Question One .114 Research Question Two .117 Recommendations for Future Research .119 APPENDIX A: List of EDOL Courses .128 APPENDIX B: Apple's Products Since 1997 .130 APPENDIX C: Institutional Review Board Exemption Notice .131 vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Process for Answering Each Research Question .104 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.
The ileadership model .111 viii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my mother and father. To my mother, Joanne, your support and faith in me mean the world to me. I am eternally grateful for the qualities of tenacity, hard work, dedication and perseverance that you have bestowed upon me. Thank you for helping me become the person I am today.
To my father, Christopher, whom I wish were alive today to see me complete this major goal my life. Your strength to the very end will always be an inspiration to me and serve as a reminder to me to never take life’s opportunities for granted. Thank you for impressing upon me the importance of having a sense of humor and the mental strength to endure when times are tough. You are forever missed.
Love you both. ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. June Schmieder-Ramirez for her advice and support. I would also like to thank the rest of my dissertation committee; Dr.
Kent Rhodes and Dr. Joseph Cutcliffe for their insights, guidance and dedication in helping me succeed in this effort. I would also like to thank my family for their continued encouragement in this process. This has been a long road and they were with me every step of the way.
Thank you for all the love, support and encouragement along the way on this long journey. Last, but not least, I owe the completion of this program and degree to the unyielding, unwavering love from my best friend and love of my life, my amazing wife Karen. It is Karen that should receive credit for helping me more than words can describe. From the gentle nudges to the bold reminders, Karen challenged my thinking and helped me move forward.
When life got in the way of this dissertation she helped me stay the course and I will be eternally grateful for all her inspiration, enduring patience, empathy, and faith in me as this has been a process I could not have imagined finishing without her support. As we continue to learn and grow from one another, I am a better person because of her and her love for me. I look forward to each and every day with you in my life as we continue our journey. You are my everything.
Valentine EDUCATION 2014 Pepperdine University Irvine, CA Doctor of Education, Organizational Leadership 2003 Pepperdine University Irvine, CA Masters of Business Administration, Global Business 1997 University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Minor Psychology CERTIFICATES European Union Business Strategy: University of Antwerp, Belgium Global Enterprise Management in Asia: Hong Kong University Science and Technology, Six Sigma Greenbelt: Honeywell International Dale Carnegie Leadership and Management Courses Human Resources Management: The Employer’s Group EMPLOYMENT United Health Group, OptumRx Division, Irvine, CA 2013- Present Human Capital Partner Provide leadership and guidance in the areas of human capital change management and workforce planning. 3M, Irvine, CA 2010- 2013 Field Human Resources Manager 3M, Transportation Systems and Security Division Acquired Federal Signal Technologies Federal Signal Technologies, Irvine, CA Director Human Resources A $100M Intelligent Transportations Systems Division of $800M Federal Signal Corp. Led HR for sites in the US (CA, TX, NC, TN, MI, IL), Hong Kong, Canada & UK for $110M software and hardware division of Federal Signal. Managed four direct reports., Los Angeles, CA 2005- 2010 Director Human Resources A $45M Industrial Controls Division of $2.
Led HR for employees in US, Germany, and China with five direct reports Honeywell, Los Angeles, CA 2002-2005 Senior Human Resources Generalist A $9B Aerospace Division of $46B Honeywell International Led HR for 1300 engineers across nine sites in the US, Mexico, Canada, England, and France. Valentine & Associates, Newport Beach, CA 2000 – 2002 xi Human Resources Consultant Conducted recruitment, compensation analysis, benefit costing and plan design, policies & training for Fortune 1000 and start-up clients in technology, pharmaceutical, and professional services. Alcoa, Torrance, CA 1997 - 2000 Corporate Human Resources Development and Consulting Manager 1999 - 2000 Corporate Human Resources Development Consultant 1997 - 1999 A $750M Aerospace Division of $10B Alcoa International Supported HR for 6,000 employees at 19 sites in the U., England, France, and Germany LANGUAGES Proficient in Spanish PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) National Human Resources Association (NHRA) Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity National Eagle Scout Association PUBLICATIONS Fischer, C. Common threads of excellence in municipal leadership.
Scholar and Educator: The Journal of Educators and Scholars, 27(2), 177-188. Successful teaching models for effective political leadership in today’s diverse municipalities. Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Society of Educators and Scholars. Leadership of a city: secrets of successful Southern California mayors.
Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education. Successful teaching models for effective political leadership in today’s diverse municipalities. Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Society of Educators and Scholars. Paper presented at the Twenty Ninth Annual Conference of the Society of Educators and Scholars, Long Beach, CA.
Leadership of a city: Secrets of successful Southern California mayors. Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education. Paper presented at the Fourth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI. xii Guest Speaker: Sierra Nevada Region Soroptimist, Leadership Seminar, “Finding Your Leadership Voice.” Atlantis Hotel & Spa Casino, Reno, NV 7/30/11 Guest Speaker: 31st Annual Conference of Society of Educators and Scholars, “Leadership in a Transforming World.” Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA3/21/07 Panelist: “Insuring the Uninsured- How Different Approaches will Impact Employers and Employees.” Center for Health Care Management and Policy- The Paul Mirage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, CA 5/31/07 Presenter: “Engaging and Rewarding Employees through Health Management” Corporate Wellness Conference, Los Angeles, CA10/28/09 Co-Presenter: “Mitigating the Financial Risk in Your Health Plans” 21st Annual Benefits Forum and Expo, Washington, DC9/22/08 Co-Presenter: “How You Can Engage and Reward Employees through Health Management” Orange County Compensation and Benefits Association (OCCABA) 7/26/07 DOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECTS Cultural Assessment Profile, Department of Homeland Security, Los Angeles, CA.
(2004) Co-Created Leadership Assessment System for St. Joseph’s Health System, Orange, CA. (2006) xiii ABSTRACT In a technology-driven society, the global hunger for innovative products has put increased pressure on organizations to think differently. The pressure from shareholders on management to drive innovation and deliver financial results has forced leaders to adapt and look for new solutions to meet this demand.
The solutions for which organizations are searching may reside in a new form of leadership required to achieve this expectation of performance. The purpose of this dissertation was to discover what leadership characteristics are required to achieve a high-performance technology organization. The primary goal was to review and decode archival scholarly and contemporary literature to understand the key elements of effective leadership in modern leadership theory. After establishing a general understanding of leadership, the next goal was to learn the main characteristics that comprise transformational leadership.
The next focus was to review a variety of secondary sources to provide insight into the leadership of Steve Jobs: a leader with a proven track record for driving profitable technology innovation. This dissertation then looked to discover the main components of Jobs’ leadership style. After an extensive leadership theory review to create a baseline of understanding of effective leader concepts, the study examined the leadership style of a dynamic and influential leader in history, Steve Jobs. This study then explored the significance of a new leadership model for other technology based organizations to develop their leaders to stimulate profitable growth and innovation.
1 Chapter I In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell (2008) referenced a biological term called an action potential, defined as: A momentary change in electrical potential on the surface of a nerve or muscle cell that takes place when it is stimulated, especially by the transmission of a nerve impulse: Stimulating a nerve fiber causes an action potential to spread across the nerve cell, making it contract. Synergy of thousands of nerve impulses traveling a superhighway to make a connection is what organizations should strive to do. 23) Gladwell’s description of an electrical impulse needed to create movement is analogous to the type of leadership needed to flex the muscle of an organization, including the hearts and minds of the people in it. The challenge for many chief executive officers (CEOs) of Fortune 500 companies is accessing that action potential and creating a corporate culture that balances an investment in people and innovation, while satisfying the profitability requirements of the Wall Street investor community.
The challenge facing technology leaders today is aligning the organization with the proper leadership to turn creative power into profitable, breakthrough innovation, while creating a company culture as its strategic competitive advantage. Steel baron and founder of Carnegie Steel, Andrew Carnegie (as cited in Berg, 2010), once claimed, “The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people. The productivity of that capital depends on how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it” (para. Once that relationship is established and information and ideas can flow, leaders can then produce synergies in the organization.
By finding these synergies, organizations can adapt and respond to the changes in the global marketplace (Schweiger, 2002).