Strategic Leadership Report: Analyzing Twitter's Strategic Approach

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Twitter's strategic leadership, focusing on the application of the Ashridge Mission Model to understand the company's purpose, strategy, employee values, and standards. The report examines Twitter's mission to facilitate global communication, its strategies for maintaining market position, and the standards and behaviors it enforces, including ethical practices and safety policies. Furthermore, it explores the employee values that foster a positive workplace environment and how these values contribute to the company's growth. The report also delves into Twitter's emergent strategy, highlighting how the company has achieved competitive advantage through differentiation, cost leadership, and focus, with specific examples such as the launch of "promoted tweets" and the expansion of its user base. The report concludes by discussing the importance of strategic planning in systematizing business activities and achieving long-term goals.

Running head: STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Answer to question 1
The identification of the different key elements of the changes in the systems of the
organization is dependent on the understanding of the purpose and the manner in which the
strategies of the organization are framed. The understanding of the Ashridge Mission model
helps in identifying the purpose, strategy, employee values and the different standards that helps
in the proper functioning of the systems of the business. In this connection, the application of the
model on the position of Twitter will be facilitating a lucid understanding of the policies and the
manner in which they are applicable to the present scenario of the organization. As a matter of
fact, it can be argued that managers and the employees are dedicated to search the purpose and
intend to develop a sense of identity. Therefore, in the Ashridge Mission Model the mission
statement can be used to analyze the mission and purpose of the communication.
Figure 1: Ashridge Mission model
(Source: Austin and Pinkleton 2015)
1) Purpose

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The organization, Twitter, exists with the view of making communication more viable to
the different users around the world. The major objective of the organization is to create a
platform where the people will be inter- connected for discussing the news, entertainment,
sports, music and the like. It helps in keeping the users updated with the different news that are
trending in the world. The differences in the product and service offerings of the organization are
dependent on the identification of the demands of the customers while operating in the
international markets. It has helped the organization to gain sustainability in the processes and
thereby make innovations in the same.
2) Strategy of Twitter
The identification of the social media platform has helped in maintaining the different
levels of change in the systems of the business. The identification of the competition in the
market has helped Twitter in understanding their standpoint in the international markets. The
major strategy that is utilized by the organization while marketing their product and service
offerings in the relevant operating markets has helped the same in maintaining a clear
understanding of the trends that affects the functioning of the business (Kimble and Milolidakis
2015). Engagement with the audience of the organization helps the business in understanding
the different needs of the people and thereby brings in changes in the systems of the operations.
The different strategies that are undertaken by the organization, Twitter are based on the
identification of the needs of the business to bring in changes in the systems and operations of
the same. Twitter has taken steps to market its product and service offerings as per the
identification of the demand of the customers while operating in the international markets

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(Gneezy and Imas 2014). The strategy that is undertaken by the organization is based on the
market involvement of the different elements of the change in the systems of the business. The
marketing strategies that are undertaken by the organization while operating in the international
markets are based on the identification of the different constrains that are faced by the same due
to the legislative changes (Austin and Pinkleton 2015). Digitalization of the different concurrent
media has helped in the static growth of the business as per the objectives of the same while
operating in the different respective market structures.
3) Standards and Behavior that exist in Twitter
The standards and behaviors that exist in the organization, Twitter, are based on adhering
to the ethical practices as per the objectives of the business while operating as per the objectives.
The Hateful Conduct Policy that is adhered by the organization has helped the same in fostering
a positive approach as per the activities that are undertaken by the same. On the other hand, the
different safety and security policies that are implemented by the organization have helped in
relentlessly promoting and supporting the different policies that are famed by the business. The
creation of different standards by the organization has helped in fostering the benchmark and
thereby planning their activities relating to the objectives of the business.
4) Employee Values
The organization holds a proper organizational framework, which helps in maintaining a
suitable workplace environment. It has helped the organization in keeping the employees
motivated to their respective functions as per the common objective of the business (West, Ford
and Ibrahim 2015). On the other hand, the equal employment opportunities and the fitting

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treatment to the employees has supported the organization in retaining the skilled workforce.
Retention of the skilled workforce facilitated the continuous growth of the organization while
operating in the different international markets. The involvement of the workforce in the
activities and the decision making systems of the organization has supported the continuous
growth of the firm through the continuous development.
5) Employee's Personal Values
The personal values of the people working in the workforce have helped the organization
in maintaining the smooth performance of the same. Fostering a positive workplace culture and
the policies relating to the safety and the security of the employees working for the organization
has facilitated the improvement in the functioning as per the processes that are framed by the
business. The different internal policies of the organization has helped in maintaining the
different changes the policies against abusive behavior has helped in maintaining the different
changes in the operations of the business.
Answer to question 2.
Brief overview
A strategy is considered to be emergent in accordance to the changes, which takes place
in the workplace environment. This is exempted from the conditions of conscious intentions or
deliberate expressions. As a matter of specification, a strategy emerges as a result of the
emerging needs. These needs and changes are dependent on the organizational requirements
(West, Ford and Ibrahim 2015). All these aspects can be related with the business activities of
Twitter. This segment of the assignment delves into the strategic approach of Twitter for
achieving competitive advantage. The following are the sources:

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Differentiation
Differentiation relates to the creation of unique products and services for attracting more
and more customers. Typical components of this include features, functionality, durability,
support and brand image. Herein lays the appropriateness of the innovation, which lures more
and more customers towards the products and services. eBay can be considered to have
capability towards delivering quality products to the clients and the customers. nel to achieve the
value of $3.7 billion by February 2011. Major drive behind this is the initiatives towards raising
the revenues. Mention can be made of “promoted tweets”, which helped the companies to
strategize the activities through the means of keyword search. The reports suggested that the
personnel began commercial exploitation of the user base.
The changes, which took place in the workplace adversely affected the management
team. “Revolving door” can be related with the round and transformational characters. Herein
lays the correlation of the Transformational Leadership Theory, which highlights the behavioural
change of the Twitter managers (Kane et al. 2015). This is in terms of gaining large scale
customer satisfaction. Typical example of this is the search regarding the business model, which
can be adopted for increasing the profit margin. Launching the “Twitter Beta” in 2006 reflected
valuation for the opinions possessed by the employees. However, shortlived success of “Twitter
Beta” indicated the absence of realized strategy. This is in terms of failure to understand the need
for progressing after due consideration of the external pressures.
Cost leadership
Cost leadership is the attempt towards achieving competitive advantage through the
means of low operational cost. This includes efficiency, size, scale, scope and the cumulative

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experience of the employees. By the end of 2009, the number of Twitter users encountered
drastic reduction. This was in spite of 29 million growth in the mid 2009. This compelled the
marketing critics to put on their thinking caps regarding the strategy used by Twitter. This was
followed by the media coverage and third party intervention. From the mid 2009, the number of
users increased for Twitter. Numerically, it was 29 million to 200 million. This was not the end;
rather the brand personnel planned how to expand the scope and arena of the business (Dubey et
al. 2016). December 2010 was the time when Twitter received $200 million in the last round for
capital venturing. This enabled the personnel to achieve the value of $3.7 billion by February
2011.
Focus
This refers to the provision of specialized services in the niche market. Specific reference
can be made of the plan for disseminating information to more and more customers. Strategic
approach helped in reaching one million customers. This was the turning point for the company,
as it started to achieve growth and development. After some time, the Google offered to take
charge of Twitter, which was formally accepted. Belief and confidence in the planned strategy
reflected the determination towards achieving positive outcomes in the business activities
(Austin and Pinkleton 2015). Mention can be made of the proposal, which came from one of the
employees. The idea of promotion was apt in terms of upgrading the standards and quality of the
services. Targeting the audience in the festivals is an innovative marketing mix technique.
Twitter became an autonomous company in March 2007. This achievement increased the
number of tweets per day. Indulging in partnership with the small companies increased the scope
and arena of Twitter’s business. As a matter of specification, the focus was on the companies,
which were looking for expansion (Gneezy and Imas 2014). Notable expansion of Twitter was

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during the attacks, which took place in Mumbai. Along with this, Iranian presidential elections
were one of the other platforms, which resulted in the growth of Twitter business. Investments of
$155 million by Google and Facebook altered the fate of Twitter in 2009.
The main focus of the personnel was on extending support to the users, so that their
needs, demands and requirements are fulfilled. Sharing the vision preserved the core values of
the brand. Commitment towards the provision of quality services to the customers strengthened
the efforts of the staffs towards the achievement of sustainable growth. 2009 was the era, which
increased the revenue to 600 million US dollars. This was because of Skype, which allowed the
users to enjoy free internet calls (Kimble and Milolidakis 2015).
Along with this, theoretical considerations were one of the other focuses of the eBay
personnel. The revenue models adopted by Twitter were business to business and e-commerce.
Here, the focus was on advertising the products. Pressures regarding the investment returns
reflected the absence of planning. Herein lays the necessity of the emergent planning in terms of
dealing with the emergency situational crisis. Keeping large vision seemed wise in terms of
fulfilling the essential requirements. While seeking efficient ways of increasing the revenue, the
personnel indulged themselves in thinking of the ways in which “something big” can be
achieved. Rolling free services enabled Twitter to accumulate greater market share. Adopting
effective communication network enabled the personnel to reach more and more clients. This
expanded the scope and arena of the business (Hirt and Willmott 2014). Consciousness regarding
the activities and their effectiveness resulted in the achievement of large scale customer
satisfaction.

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The personnel, at this phase, encountered a dilemma regarding maintaining the balance
between the proper utilization of the business model and preserving the potential values.
Awareness regarding the diminution of the perceived value, upon the selection of one business
model, can be considered advantageous. Under such a situation, strategic planning is helpful in
terms of dealing the matters in a tactful manner (Itani, Agnihotri and Dingus 2017). Reference
can be cited of the “ambitious goal of reaching to 1 billion and earning the income of $1 billion
by 2013. Now, the question lies how Twitter attained success in fulfilling the identified goals and
objectives.
Conclusion
Strategic planning helped the Twitter personnel in systematizing the business activities.
Investments through Google and Facebook were the points, which formed core points of
Twitter’s journey. CEO’s leadership assisted the staffs to execute the activities efficiently and
effectively. Innovative technology lured the customers towards the brand image. Tactful
approach of the employees, during the crisis period relates with emergent and intended strategy.
This is in terms of coping up with the potential risks and difficulties, which emerged with the rise
of the competitors. Consciousness towards fulfilling the needs of the customers enabled the staffs
to achieve sustainable growth.

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References
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015. Strategic public relations management: Planning and
managing effective communication campaigns. Routledge.
Dubey, R., Gunasekaran, A., Childe, S.J., Wamba, S.F. and Papadopoulos, T., 2016. The impact
of big data on world-class sustainable manufacturing. The International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing Technology, 84(1-4), pp.631-645.
Gneezy, U. and Imas, A., 2014. Materazzi effect and the strategic use of anger in competitive
interactions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(4), pp.1334-1337.
Hirt, M. and Willmott, P., 2014. Strategic principles for competing in the digital age. McKinsey
Quarterly, 5(1).
Itani, O.S., Agnihotri, R. and Dingus, R., 2017. Social media use in B2b sales and its impact on
competitive intelligence collection and adaptive selling: Examining the role of learning
orientation as an enabler. Industrial Marketing Management, 66, pp.64-79.
Kane, G.C., Palmer, D., Phillips, A.N., Kiron, D. and Buckley, N., 2015. Strategy, not
technology, drives digital transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte
University Press, 14, pp.1-25.
Kimble, C. and Milolidakis, G., 2015. Big data and business intelligence: Debunking the
myths. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 35(1), pp.23-34.
West, D.C., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015. Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage.
Oxford University Press, USA.

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