Summary Of Axel Springer: Strategic Leadership Of The Digital Media Transformation

Axel Springer: Strategic Leadership of the Digital Media Transformation

Executive Summary
Technological innovation constantly forces industry to rapidly adjust to change. The emergence of the Internet and the resulting digital consumption of information have hit the print industry particularly hard . Among the traditional media outlets forced to navigate the new landscape was Axel Springer. Under the leadership of its CEO, Mathias Dopfner, the company implemented a two-stage digital transformation strategy that is now celebrated as a visionary approach to a daunting challenge.
Even with the transformation, the company faces obstacles that include new media technology experts that are using their monetary and infrastructural might to disrupt

Moreover, there was a difference in the view of technology. Rather than fear emerging technology, the professionals in Silicon Valley largely celebrated innovation, even if it meant they would someday be contending with it. The three discovered a difference in organizational structure in Silicon Valley as well. Most of the organizations in Silicon Valley used a “less hierarchical start-up cultures with more fluid communication” (Case 12). The purpose of the less hierarchical structure was to avoid the difficulties in agreeing upon enacting decisions, common in bulky, bureaucratic, traditional organizations.
Diekman, Wurtenberger, and Sinner also discovered Germany was at least two years behind in media technology compared with Silicon Valley (Case 12). Fast-paced trends toward digital technology were the norm in the Valley’s publishing industry, moving far more rapidly than they anticipated. Given the discoveries, the three sought to incorporate the lessons learned in Silicon Valley to their organization. They saw these as an opportunity for the company to move towards a more integrated and digital-centric