1. Introduction
The 4th November 2008 was an important day for the US citizens and the entire world. This day proved for many that the American dream is still possible. For the first time in history an Afro-American candidate became President of the United States of America. Barrack Hussein Obama, a man with an uncommon background, has managed to win the election clearly with 365 electoral votes against his republican counterpart John McCain, who ended his campaign with 173 votes. Who is this man and how did he realize his goal to become president despite the strong competition and the fact that just 40 years ago, racial segregation still was a major problem in the US?
Clearly, he was different compared to his rivals in many ways and this finally accounted for his overwhelming result. The following paper shall identify and analyze these success drivers from an organizational behavior perspective. To what extent did he make use of theories discussed in class, like effective leadership and organizational structure? To begin with, the authors will provide a brief overview in regard to the US American election system, a major reason, why the nation was ready for reconsiderations and change. An initial descriptive discussion of Obama’s election campaign as well as those of his competitors shall serve as a basis for the following integrative analysis, linking both theory and practice in a comparative manner. What made Barack Obama, his campaign and his operations so unique and successful? The subsequent work will provide answers this central question.
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND THE TIME FOR CHANGE
3. THE OBAMA ELECTION CAMPAIGN
3.1. HISTORY & BACKGROUND
3.2. ORGANIZATION & CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE
4. HILLARY DIANE RODHAM CLINTON
4.1. HISTORY & BACKGROUND
4.2. ORGANIZATION & CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE
5. JOHN SIDNEY MCCAIN III
5.1. HISTORY & BACKGROUND
5.2. ORGANISATION & CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE
6. OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN
7. LEADERSHIP ANALYSES
8. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This analysis examines the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama through the lens of organizational behavior. It explores how specific leadership strategies, innovative campaign structures, and the utilization of technology served as key drivers for his success compared to his competitors, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
- Organizational structure and grassroots mobilization
- Leadership styles and comparative political analysis
- Digital communication strategies and Web 2.0 integration
- Fundraising mechanics and volunteer management
- The influence of Zeitgeist on political success
Excerpt from the Book
Organizational Structure of Obama’s Campaign
As described by Mintzberg, it’s the force for direction or strategic vision, which decides the path of an organization as an integrated entity. Obama successfully incorporated this idea, from the beginning. He made it clear that he wanted a tight-knit group of people to run the campaign, in his words an “island of tranquility”. He wanted a drama free campaign, without any involvement of blame-game politics and competing views to detract from the campaign. Thus, in a way this was going to be a “different” election campaign from the previous ones. He desired a close relationship between the colleagues to ensure proper functionality and picked a cohesive unit, which shared similar zeal and temperament to achieve the improbable.
"When people submerge their egos for a "larger goal" they can achieve enormous things”
He opted for a flexible structure, built on a solid platform. This was a flat but an extensive organizational form, with some key leaders. Thus, it created an extremely coordinated and cooperative party system. Due to this, various initiatives like: large-scale donation efforts, phone-your bank program and other just-in-time contributions continued to roll up right until the very end. His planning was backed by a clear and logical thought process, which simplified the tasks on hand. His campaign stuck to the initial plan, without giving up under constant pressure from the opposition as well as the supporters, who urged him to get tough and use personal attacks. This strategy served him well during the crucial stages, when the offensive policy of the opposition backfired.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of the historic 2008 election and defines the paper's goal to analyze the success of the Obama campaign using organizational behavior theories.
2. SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND THE TIME FOR CHANGE: Outlines the complex US election system and the socio-political climate that created a public desire for massive change.
3. THE OBAMA ELECTION CAMPAIGN: Details Obama’s background as a community organizer and his early development of an energetic, coalition-building political vision.
4. HILLARY DIANE RODHAM CLINTON: Examines Clinton's background, her confrontational yet experienced political style, and the challenges she faced in managing her organization.
5. JOHN SIDNEY MCCAIN III: Analyzes McCain's military background, his reputation as a political maverick, and the specific difficulties he encountered during his campaign.
6. OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN: Focuses on the structural advantages of the Obama campaign, highlighting its grassroots mobilization, effective use of technology, and emphasis on youth empowerment.
7. LEADERSHIP ANALYSES: Compares the leadership styles of Obama, Clinton, and McCain, relating them to the concept of "Zeitgeist leadership" in a crisis environment.
8. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, concluding that Obama’s victory was rooted in a potent combination of visionary leadership, adaptive organizational structure, and strategic situational analysis.
Keywords
Barack Obama, Presidential Election, Organizational Behavior, Leadership, Campaign Strategy, Grassroots Movement, Fundraising, Digital Communication, Political Analysis, Organizational Structure, Zeitgeist, Voter Mobilization, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Change Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on an organizational behavior analysis of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, comparing his strategies with those of Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include leadership styles, organizational structures, the use of modern communication technologies, and how political campaigns mobilize grassroots support.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to identify and analyze the success drivers of the Obama campaign from an organizational perspective, specifically looking at effective leadership and structural design.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The authors apply organizational theories, such as those by Mintzberg and Schein, alongside a comparative descriptive analysis of the primary election campaigns.
What does the main body cover?
It covers the US electoral system, historical backgrounds and organizational structures of the three main candidates, and a detailed look at Obama’s campaign techniques.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include organizational behavior, grassroots mobilization, visionary leadership, digital networking, and electoral strategy.
How did Obama’s approach to technology differ from his rivals?
Obama leveraged Web 2.0 and digital networking extensively to build a unique identity, widen his reach, and manage millions of user contacts, which gave him a significant advantage in branding and data collection.
Why did the authors conclude that McCain struggled compared to Obama?
The authors suggest McCain failed to analyze the system correctly, overestimated his influence, and suffered from a perceived lack of creativity and vision during the financial crisis.
What role did the "Zeitgeist" play in the election?
The Zeitgeist reflected a period of public dissatisfaction with the status quo, making "change" a necessary leadership quality, which Obama successfully projected compared to his competitors.
- Quote paper
- Christian Baumann et al. (Author), 2009, Barack Obama’s presidential election from an organisational perspective - an integrative analysis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/134006
