As the global market becomes more dynamic and competitive
The need to develop a strong customer experience and satisfaction has grown extra demanding and a basic move to achieve global competitiveness and suitability. [U1] In this regard, Twitter as one of the global companies ought to develop a strong mission statement and strategy to secure their passion in the market.
The core mission motivation for companies is to develop peculiar platforms over which individuals can not only develop and share information; but in addition, share their ideas without any barriers. Importantly, is to note that the Twitter has developed a unique social media platform over which the users are free to use, share and discover new content. Its mission statement is designed to enhance their service delivery and promote access to global news and social network (Mark and Parker 377). In so doing, the company seeks to promote service delivery, its quality, and the general accessibility of the information to steer business growth. The basic approach is to democratize their content creation as well as dissemination control via management of quality, well-organized operations in key operations management. [U2] Precisely, this paper aims to evaluate twitters strategy using the Ashridge model. Moreover, the paper will present Twitter’s strategic decision using different decision-making models.
The Ashridge Sense of Mission Model
Frequently, the model is utilized by different companies to develop and define their mission statements through its[U3] main dimensions that majorly include purpose, strategy, values, and behavioural standards. Mark and Parker (371) recommend that for an organization to be successful, it has to ensure that it integrates all the dimensions in mission and vision formulation process. Primarily, all the four aspects defined by the model can be used in the evaluation the strengths and weakness of Twitter’s mission and strategic decision. Based on Twitter’s mission statement, it is clear that it has one of the best and strongest missions.
Application and Discussion of the Four Features of the Ashridge Model to Twitter
Purpose
The being of any company is defined by the impression of its purpose. The twitters purpose is enshrined [U4] in its objective of providing a peculiar international platform over which users are free to share their self-expression in real time; this has remained achievable. Pragmatically, to sustain this mission, Twitter ought to ensure that it remains at all time the basic social platform medial for loyal users globally as the firm has focused on delivering an incomparable experience to all its users. The purpose for the company has been portrayed in the way in which the business has creatively innovated and distributed their contents to satisfy consumer’s unique needs; through their mission statement that promotes the dissemination of information meritoriously and efficiently without any technological or geographical barriers (Twitter, 2014).
While being evaluated against Ashridge mission Model, it is highly recommended for Twitter to re-evaluate the purpose that makes it exist in the market. Suggestively, the company should develop a better understanding of their main purpose in the internet industry. [U5] For instance, according to the Twitter's official published reports in 2014,[U6] the company had attained more value in maximizing shareholders wealth compared to giving more emphasis on internet as the essential platform to transfer and share information effectively without barriers. The company [U7] should reposition the company by coming up with a clear purpose of trade enshrined in its mission statement. This will be in line with its core purpose of ensuring that they provide excellent and self-expression mode of communication in real time. Additionally, the mission purpose statement should be designed to enhance customer satisfaction by providing real-time interactions and exchange of information; conversely to what has been happening whereby the purpose of existence has shifted from value creation to revenue growth and maximization which has been exposed by its published reports.
Additionally, the purpose is to maximize their shareholder's wealth as this is the only one classic way of attracting employees ‘commitment and decisions towards the achievement of the set objectives. Customer needs have to be well addressed as they from the key issues of revenue that the company gets;[U8] basing on the fact that it has recently intensified its revenue generation by incorporating external data partners, besides their core service of enhancing the sharing information (Twitter 2014). Arguably, the company reports have to be clearer about the original purpose of its existence, although the fact that the corporation with external parties to advertisers and other secondary activities bring in more revenues with help it to meet the stakeholders’ needs[U9] , there is still a great need for the company to be clear as to the reason why its purpose is gradually changing from information sharing to profit making avenues to promote shareholders interests; other its primary purpose grounded upon discovering and the sharing of the information[U10] [U11] (Twitter, 2013,
Strategy
A strategy fundamentally offers the company with an imports aspect of the organizational component that ought to be integrated into its mission (Twitter, 2016). For a company to be successful there are some key factors that ought to be focused on during the strategy preparation. For instance, during the formulation stage, the corporation should ensure that the strategy highlights how the market will be accessed, placing, pricing, position, promotion as well as positioning [U12] its products in the market to attract more customers by fundamentally satisfying their needs. In comparison with Ashridge Sense of Mission model, the company has achieved some considerable milestones in developing innovative technologies, through research and development to outwit competitor in regard to social networking and information sharing. The focus on innovative strategy for competitive advantage has been promoted within the organization. Twitter has enhanced efficiency by way of installing real-time data sharing and transfer structural designs which between the servers [U13] (Mark and Parker 272). In addition, the installation of the real-time data transferring architecture has allowed the instantaneous information sharing among different users. To enhance their innovation strategy, as one way of enhancing business growth, Twitter has developed an automatic software upgrade tool as a part of improving their system and data protection.
Conversely, for an aspiring company that seeks to obtain global leadership in social media, it further evaluation based on the Ashridge Mission Model reveals that for Twitter to continue being effective, it has to ensure that its mission statement is restructured. For example, the firm has shifted its focus to offering services like Twitter card, promoted accounts among other services which have increased their general performance and productivity. The overriding purpose of the company has been to develop real-time information sharing platform for all global users; as a result, this has been achieved through the upgrading and innovations that are spearheaded by a strong research and development to offer customer satisfaction (Twitter, 2016). Nevertheless, with an increase in competition and need to enhance complexity and convenience of business, there is a great requisite for the company to change the strategy from being focused on a social platform that is deprived of barriers to more profit-making undertakings within the confinement of its primary activities.
Values
The different values define the numerous moral principles and beliefs that strengthen the Twitter's cultural strengths. From Ashridge Mission Model perspective, twitter commonly has a strong art of collaboration and corporation between its departments. Furthermore, the company has embraced a strong sense of loyalty and honesty (Twitter, 2014). The strong ethical values have promoted a sound teamwork within the organization.
Behavioral Standards
Numerous policies, standards, principles, and guidelines have been established by the company to promote behavior uprightness. Customer service has been revamped at the company for friendly online services. Ethical business practices have been upheld at the company through practical implementation of the policies by customers (Twitter, 2014).
Analysis of the Case Evidence on Mission, Values, and Strategy
Case evidence for the mission: The giant social media firm has come up with an ambitious mission of reaching approximately 1 billion online users globally to give it the leeway of raising nearly $1 billion (Twitter, 2013). According to the recent reports published by Twitter, the company intends to put in place an especially message within their mission that will not only attract new clients but also significantly retain the existing customer base. Several and new advertisers have been brought on the board as one of the strategies to broaden their mission which will help it to increase its spending, generate more revenue (Mark and Parker 376). The augmented revenue generated will be used to promote efficient performance, maintaining the company financially stable, promote asset acquisition, and revamp the technology innovation base within the organization.
Similarly, the case evidence for Twitter values can be extracted from the official reports published by the firm. Among the values which have been supported include focussing on the development of an effective company, ethical financial control as well as its reporting standards that are in compliance with GAAP gaudiness. Secondly, all employees are required to base their action of company’s mission, vision and core values which define the reason for its existence they are to promote ethical conducts with the customers a, be loyal and at all-time maintain honesty (Twitter, 2016). Professional operational by the management of the various activities have been promoted.
The mission focus has been the innovation of stronger business models and platform which can be used to meet the changing customer needs. Employee personal values have been realigned to contribute to the success of the company. There four main roles that the management has to do including the formulation as well the implementation of mission values, enforcement and lastly the assimilation of social standards and values within the business through employee actions. Customers
are expected at all-time to promote premium customer service and experience initiatives; similar, a 2013 report by the company shows that the management is in the front line of promoting acceptable ethical business conduits which can help to realize the mission statement (Twitter, 2013). All practices are executed within the legal and prescribed standards. A specialist team has also been contracted to enhance web designing. Such activities are to essentially enhance customer satisfaction which helps in the realization of the mission set forth.
Twitter’s Mission Evaluation in Regard to Four Recently Developed Expansion Strategies
In regard to above analysis that has been aided by Ashridge model, it is strategically right to conclude that Twitter has not satisfactory promoted and thus achieved a strong sense of mission. Many hitches still exist in the mission purpose. Whereas in the recent past the company has changed its mission to target a maximum of $1 billion users [U14] by 2030 (Mark and Parker 374), the vision seems to be highly achievable based on the current structure that is characterized with improved financial performance that has shown a positive increase in revenue collection, improved accessibility to different areas that have not yet been reached and increased asset acquisition strategic plan; the achievement and realization of a strong strategic mission is yet to be resized in regard to global net customer accessibility, modification of income projections and performance and the total inclusion of more users on the platform, remain a cardinal thing to do to strengthen their mission (Twitter, 2016).
Snyder’s Theory of Decision-Making
To well understand the strategic decision in the Twitter case study provided, the use of different strategic decision-making models and theories will be used. In this case, the best theory to analyse Twitter’s strategic decision-making process would be Snyder’s theory of Decision-making. Through this theory, the company analyses all the relevant information, encompassing all critical information and situations prior coming up with the best decisions. Moreover, the theory recommends the provision of a dynamic process through which decision-making tools are fully utilized (Twitter, 2016). In doing so, the theory underscores the need of not overlooking all aspects before making decisions within an organization. The Twitter strategic decision, Foremost, the company has a through process put in place that helps in gathering all the supportive information and the involvement of all arms and parties in the organization before finalizing on a decision or a certain policy. The prospect to transform the firm into the future can be achieved through sound decision-making process through a consultative approach as advocated by the theory. Lastly, to promote expansion ambitions, the company will have to engage all managers to capitalize on their wide experience and ideologies. However, the strategic decision making at the company remains deliberate. A deliberate strategy is used to ensure that consumers use information out of their choice and thus the need to keep on changing to promote their needs.
The Sources of Twitter’s Competitive Advantage and If They Have Been Sustained
Cost Leadership
Twitter customers are freely allowed to sign up for accounts on their websites as no subscription fee is required. Customers access their accounts freely and no monthly payment to sustain the account. As a result, this has enhanced the accessibility of the social media platform and thus allowing more users to use it. Moreover, compared to another competitor, advertises on Twitter are only charged a small amount of money which promoter online advertiser who wish to reach a large market at lower cost (Mark and Parker 375). By maintaining such status in the market, Twitter has achieved the cost leadership as its core competitive advantage.
Differentiation
At the core of Twitter innovation, is product and service differentiation. The aim of their competitive advantage is to make the company distinctive and unique from competitors by providing unique services which strategically satisfies customer’s needs (Twitter, 2013), For instance, people, the use of Twitter cards, ads advertisement and promoted accounts offer a wider arranger of services from which users can select from. Such form of competitive advantage has been achieved and sustained fully.
Creativity and Innovation
Innovation has been used as one of the core competitive advantages that Twitter has used to develop design architecture which has allowed real-time information sharing and automatic updates which periodically automate customer security features. The aspect has been sustained through frequent research and development that is aimed at promoting the access to Tweeter hand page. The move has increased user subscription rate to the websites and thus able to boot revenues through the ads that accompany their pages.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The analysis of twitter strategic mission using Ashridge Sense of Mission model reveals that the company has not yet achieved a strong mission sense in the market. From the analysis using the model, it appears that the primary mission purpose that the company had upon its establishment; which is to promote global information sharing by traversing geographical barriers, has not been achieved satisfactorily but the firm has highly focused on revenue generation activities which the main aim of promoting shareholders wealth. As a result, customer need has not been well addressed and, therefore a big hitch in the mission statement. However, in regard to strategy, the company has a well-designed strategy that has enabled the marketing of its services through different product mix methods. Innovation has been coined as the sole drive of the company development. Values have been well defined and implemented in the company. However, due to week strategic mission, the following recommendations are made: the company should focus on its primary activities before focusing on shareholders wealth maximization. Secondly, there is need to focus on business purpose by focusing on a strong brand loyalty. Of great importance is to ensure that the company to precisely define their purpose, strategy, value and related behavior standards and define act ways through which they can be achieved. Among the competitive advantage that the company has sustained include, cost leadership innovation, and differentiation.
Works Cited
Mark, K. & Parker, S. (2011) Twitter, extracted from:
Ireland, R.D., Hoskisson, R. E., & Hitt, M.A. (2013) The Management of
Strategy: Concepts and Cases, 10th International Edition, South-Western,
Cengage Learning, pages 371-377
Twitter (2013) Annual Report 2013, Twitter, Inc.
Twitter (2014) Annual Report 2014, Twitter, Inc.
Twitter (2016) Annual Report 2015, Twitter, Inc.
