APPLE COMPANY 3
Do you think Apple now needs to engage more systematically with its stakeholders [remember the list of different stakeholders we discussed in class] on various issues?
Use the Case Outline that was on the board in class:
1. Problem in the question.
2. Background: a few sentences about Apple's reputation, popularity over the past 10 years
3. Solution: Here you would describe your idea or ideas for a solution to the question you chose
4. Results or Outcome: what would you project into the future if Apple decided on your Solution from the question.
Case Draft: Apple
Based on the communication challenges for Apple, I think Apple now needs to engage more systematically with its stakeholders on different issues. One of the key risks that Apple is facing is that a continuing lack of engagement and transparency with the customers and, indeed, with the rest of the stakeholders in different ways might have negative impacts on the company. A recent example of such lack of engagement with the stakeholders involves the tax returns of Apple and the lack of engagement with the stakeholders in the financial affairs. The majority of the stakeholder groups in Apple impose some demand towards the corporate social responsibilities that might eventually influence the performance of the company (Cornelissen, 2013). Apple should prioritize the customers as its top stakeholders when devising any strategies on social responsibilities by ensuring that they have informed them of the different strategies that the company plans to impose.
The investors, who are another group of the key stakeholders for Apple, need to be systematically engaged, especially in its recent case in 2016, that involved Apple from paying its fair share of corporation tax. Engaging the investors on such an issue will greatly help them in making investment decisions that are informed. Instead of the CEO Tim Cook writing a letter to only the customers illustrating why the case had wider repercussions in both security and safety of storing private information on iPhones, the company should instead have included all investors. To ensure there is a systematic engagement of all stakeholders, Tim Cook should not only have educated the customers through his transparent communication about why the company was unwilling to do what the FBI was asking, but he should have engaged all other stakeholders in the communication (Vanian, 2016). Stakeholders form a significant group that can affect the performance of a business, and therefore Apple should ensure that it systematically engages them for its success.
Work Cited
Cornelissen, J. P. (2013). Portrait of an entrepreneur: Vincent van Gogh, Steve Jobs, and the entrepreneurial imagination.
Vanian, Jonathan (2016) ‘Cracked Apple iPhone by FBI puts spotlight on Apple security’, Fortune, 28 March.