Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2018

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Conclusion

Musk’s charismatic persona allows him to perceive himself to the public, as the driving force behind SpaceX, thus, the central focus is to answer the question, “To what extent does the leadership of Elon Musk impact the corporate culture in SpaceX?” Mintzberg’s framework identified that the power is centralized within SpaceX. However, SpaceX being a private company, limits the information. But it is highly unlikely that Musk is the only key decision maker who influences the corporate culture, as it is unrealistic that one can control an organisation with over 6000 employees. Referring back to the central question, Musk’s style of leadership does heavily influence the corporate culture in SpaceX. Through adapting a situational leadership style, Musk is able to balance the motivation within the organisation, despite his harsh expectations. He implements a style of communication which is both effective and efficient. Musk also possess one of Steve Jobs’ incredible ability, which is to change an employee’s perspective of what is achievable. By doing so, it allows SpaceX to manufacture cost-effectively compared their competitors. It is these all of these factors which Musk implements that impacts the corporate culture in SpaceX, which allows it to be where it is a today.