Analysis of Apple Inc

Introduction

Apple Inc is a multinational organization based in America. The corporation, whose headquarters is in California, is famous for designing, selling and in developing various products for the market. The corporation products include electronics, software, and personal computers or even transact online services. Of all the products of Apple Inc, perhaps IPad tablets rank highest. Other products that the company produce include iPhone Smartphone, Mac line of computers and Ipod media players. On the service provision sector, Apple Inc is formidable in providing services on its Icloud, App store and iTunes store platforms (Apple Inc, 2014). The company came into existence under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Roland Wayne and Steve Wozniak.

The year of its birth was 1977 under the name Apple Computer, Inc. However, it became Apple Inc in the year 2007 following a rebranding exercise. The company’s customer base covers over many countries in the world (Apple Inc, 2014). By value, Apple Inc is the second largest company in the information Technology on the globe. In terms of brand, the corporation’s activities have made it Valuable in the world; previously Coca Cola held this position.

Human Resource Challenges

Human resource management practices at Apple Inc assists it maintain a competitive edge in the market. The corporation has come under the management of different Executives. The diversity of Executive has in turn transformed the organization as well as employee relations. According to Steve Jobs’ ideology, the corporation efforts are towards recruiting customer-centered employees (Apple Inc, 2014). It is a perception that the company recruits employees who are committed to satisfying customers’ request. Apple has a unique program for rewarding employees with respect to their contribution. Concerning such rewards, the corporation has special rewards for rewarding contributions of employees on the Technical or leadership fronts.

Even as Apple is a success in the market, it company faces numerous challenges on its human resource branch. For the past decade, organizations’ human resource management has faced various challenges. Organization face high labor turnover than before, there is competition for employees in the market and costs of employing have been a hurdle for companies. Apple’s Human resource management team faces the challenge from competitive firms in the market. The corporation faces the challenge of managing change (Armstrong, 2009). On the other hand, then company faces the challenge of managing talent and in embracing new technology. Further, the corporation faces ethical and cultural influences while transacting in foreign nations.

Challenge of Recruiting and staffing Globally

On the technology market, in order for one’s organization to grow underpinning competition is a challenge. Organizations such as Apple face stiff competition from other companies providing similar products. This means that the employee market is competitive. On the wake of this fact, organizations have to survive by recruiting competent employees (Apple Inc, 2014). However, with the entrance of Apple on a global scale meant that they face challenges from other foreign companies. The company also faces challenging cultural perspective while transacting in such countries (Armstrong, 2009). In relation to competition from other firms, Apple faces competition from Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon. Another corporation that competes with Apple Inc for the employee market is Google.

In respect to global staffing and recruitment, Apple recruits from diverse nationalities. These forms of recruitment therefore, lead to diversity of culture an influence that affects productivity. In the past decades, American organizations have been venturing on global markets. This strategy has made it necessary for cooperation with foreign companies (Armstrong, 2009). However, this cooperation has its challenges when it comes to managing human resources. In respect to this China becomes the focal point for the corporation employees’ problems. This work related problem relates to its subsidiary Foxconn. The year 2006, the world caught the attention of Apples’ employee mistreatment claims in China. The report pointed out that Foxconn and its subsidiaries employees’ worked in extreme work conditions.

The report further explains as to how its subsidiary employee committed suicide in response to the conditions. It is also a presumption that employees at Foxonn work under stressing environment, living in deplorable conditions. The report further states that the company employs underage employees as well as instituting involuntary labor. There is always the challenge of employees leaving. The industry where Apple Inc is a giant faces stiff challenges from other players. Because of this competition, the corporation faces the challenge of retaining employees. This turnover of employees means that the organization faces additional costs of recruiting.

 Change Management

In the year 2012, Apple Executive team announced that it would change its management. The management change will see the company’s hardware and software collaborate. Change management involves transition of teams or activities in an organization (Apple Inc, 2014). Sometimes such changes might encourage turnover of employees. However, for an organization as Apple Inc change is constantly expanding. The factor of such changes is the constant drift of globalization and the growth of technology. Such aspects have evolved the business environment making social media business tool.

Organizations are now shifting from adaptability to computer interfaces into mobile devices. These changes might affect the operation of the organization. The secondary influence of such changes the employee turnover rate in organizations. There is a possibility of employees retiring into private practice or others working for other organizations (Armstrong, 2009). Technology and other influences have influenced today’s organizations in various perspectives. For example, technology is the key driver of modern organizations; it would sound untrue in the past.

Modern organizations’ change motivation comes from exterior forces. Technology and innovation changes organizations activities, which might influence employees. The extent of the change on the status quo of an organization might stimulate increased turnover rates. This change has a direct influence of the designing teams of Apple Inc. The same team that was instrumental in building App store and icloud will continue rebranding products. Other important teams in the organization are the “semiconductors” a team instrumental in designing today’s innovation, as well as future.

Ethical, Cultural and legal Aspects

Ethical aspects have an influence on the management of organizations. Apple’s ethical aspect in terms of employee management includes the provision of educational resources. Employees have the right to free college classes in computers and language skills. Further employees have the opportunity to earn associate, as well as bachelor’s degrees (Apple Inc, 2014). Therefore, through these programs, the corporation has trained over 1.5 million workers on the globe. Such programs cost the organization funds and person-hours. Then the challenge will be converting such programs into profit. The culture of Apple is associated to its innovations. The culture aspect at Apple comes by a passion for developing new products. This then became a culture at times referred to as “ Work Hard Play Hard” (Apple Inc, 2014).

Then the work came in the format instilling intensive work ethics in the organization. Commitment to deadlines was the mode of operation now for Apple Inc. Workers at the organization had their mode of operations depending on their creativity. However, the most disturbing aspect of culture for Apple Inc relates to its maintenance of secrecy. Such influences have an impact on the performance of employees as well as the organization. This incident forced stakeholders to threaten pulling off. Apple benefit from patenting their products, however, the U.S patent authority provided inconsistent protections of Apple’s products. This lapse in patent application has seen war ensue between Apple and their competitors.

International Status Influence

The international status of Apple has an influence on its employment systems. The company’s Human resource team concentrates on informing workers of their rights. Global standards illustrate that organizations need to respect rights of employees. These includes educational rights and compensation. Global standards additionally border on informing organizations on environment protection rules (Backer, 2013). Globalization, on the other hand has an influence on the operation of the organization (Armstrong, 2009). Globalization is he mother of technologies and innovations. These changes then influence organization change and culture. The world has become a global village.

Apple Inc is now able to contract a designer as far as Africa due to the improvement of the internet. The organization’s international status means that their practice conforms to international Human Rights and labor legislations. Apple’s international presence illustrates its commitment in maintaining safety and health standards. In respect to maintaining the environment, Apple’s global spectrum illustrates the need to respect nation’s laws on environment conservation (Backer, 2013). Organizations need to respect international standards on conservation. On the part of the employees in the organization, accountability will be of the essence. Organizations need to give account to communities (Backer, 2013). If an organization sells faulty products to customers and defects are high, callbacks are necessary. The latest case; where Toyota recalled some of its vehicles because of brake defects.

Strategies on Overcoming Challenges

In the technology industry such as that of Apple, there is the need for corporations to maintain and attain a competitive advantage. The best strategy that the organization might use is a strategic initiative. The form a scheme; where the organization defines the strategic behaviors of its competitors. Organizations may use the innovation strategy, strategy on the enhancement of quality and the reduction of cost. Quality enhancement and cost reduction strategies therefore, relate to organizations gaining a competitive through its lowest producer status (Devadas, Silong & Krauss, 2011). On the innovation strategy, which Apple favors most reveals the need of organizations to produce products different to competitors. Apple employs these strategies to some degree.

The organization teams of designers focus on enhancing the quality of their products. Concerning the innovation strategy at Apple Inc, company management team encourages employees to innovate their products. Innovation also includes contributions by employees on as a suggestion to meeting a certain problem. This strategy encourages organizations to profile individual employees on their abilities. Such behaviors that will be on the profile details includes long-term focus, degree of observing a quality and high degree of risk taking. This strategy for of innovation may involve selecting employees with high-quality skills. Some would include giving certain employees more control, investing on human resources as well as appraising performance (Devadas et al 2011). The effectiveness of the strategy would improve the feeling of morale. Employees will be motivated to commit themselves as professionals.

References

Devadas, U., Silong, A., & Krauss, S. (2011). Human Resource Development and the Contemporary Challenges of the World. Journal Of Management Policy & Practice, 12(5), 128-141.

Apple Inc. SWOT Analysis. (2014). Company Profile Apple, Inc. SWOT Analysis,Market line 1-10

Backer, L. (2013). Transnational Corporations’ Outward Expression of Inward Self-Constitution: The Enforcement of Human Rights by Apple, Inc. Indiana Journal Of Global Legal Studies, 20(2), 805-879.

Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page.