How are Apple and Non-Apple consumers aged between 20-30 affected by Steve Jobs' death and what is the affect of his death on the brand's future identity?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts. I am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. Their works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon, also served as examples to emulate.

DECLARATION

I, (your name), would like to declare that all the contents written in this research are my personal efforts and I have not taken any external help from any outside body to complete this research. Moreover, this research has not previously been submitted at any academic level, examination or institute. Furthermore, this research represents my personal views and opinions, and they do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of my university.

ABSTRACT

Since the 1970s, management scholars have been captivated by the emotional and symbolic aspects of leadership, particularly charismatic leadership — a form of influence independent of tradition and formal authority. More recently, dramaturgical scholars have sought to augment orthodox understandings of charisma by examining leadership as a 'performing art': a 'front stage' social interaction between 'actor' (leader) and 'audience' (followers). Whereas existing research has examined the nature of charismatic leadership through, for example, impression management and social constructionism, this thesis suggests that dramaturgical scholars have largely neglected to demonstrate the value of the theatrical metaphor by testing, evaluating and building on extant theory through a case study leader. The thesis seeks to augment extant theory by revealing the importance of i) 'narrative and storytelling', and ii) the 'stage management' of leader performance to the audience's attribution and maintenance of what constitutes a 'charismatic' leader. Accordingly, this thesis develops a narratologically informed dramaturgical framework of analysis to examine six public performance texts by a case study 'charismatic leader' — Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. The framework is tendered as a useful device through which narrative and storytelling, impression management, organisational outcomes, and the social construction of charismatic leadership may be further examined.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background to the Study1

Problem statement2

Apple Company4

Aims and Objectives6

Research Questions6

Significance of the Study7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW8

Steve Jobs' Charismatic Leadership 'Narrative'8

'Beginnings'9

Dismissal from Apple10

Brand loyalty11

Visionary leader death and consumer behaviour12

Awareness of the brand name and trademark symbol13

Apple's Brand Strategy13

Leadership16

Apple Culture18

Leading the Desktop Future19

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY21

Introduction21

The Questionnaire21

Focus Group22

Rationale for the Chosen methodology23

Instrument for data collection26

Data analysis26

Participants26

Survey26

Focus Group27

Approaching the Participants27

Reliability/Dependability27

Validity29

Ethical Considerations30

Limitations of Research31

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION33

Findings of the Research Study33

Analysis of the Focus Group discussion42

Overview of the discussion42

Details of the Focus Group Sessions42

Results42

Overall analysis43

Conclusion43

Brand perception44

Attitudes and beliefs46

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION48

REFERENCES55

Books55

Journals57

APPENDIX59

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The charismatic leader captivates the audience like a masterful thespian who graces the stage to deliver a virtuoso performance. An inspiring performance can temporarily 'suspend' reality, animating belief ...