Need by Tomorrow Night. No Later.

Apple Inc. is a well-known company with plenty of positives but it has several areas it needs to improve. Quantitative research generates numerical data, and qualitative research does not generate numerical data. With Apple Inc. being one of the largest technology companies in the world, much of their data is quantitative because of the numerous products and features they offer. When Apple conducts research of any kind, its main ethical goal should be to protect the personal data of its customers.

When Apple Inc. announced its development of the iPhone in January 2007 and then released the product in June. This was a full year and half before the world would see the first android phone. (German, 2011). The management at Apple Inc. decided that in order to control the market they had to win over a small segment of consumers. This segment was considered the early adapters, and would consist of a group of people who would try the new technology first, before the mainstream. This was a great risk, but they ended up helping Apple create a brand new product and market.

Quantitative or Qualitative

To keep up with sales and what products customers like the most, Apple can use the quantitative research to determine which product was sold most. This will help generate numbers based off sales revenue, and which products were chosen the most by consumers. Many people have iPads, iPhones, and Mac Books which are currently the most popular products Apple Inc. offers. Apple has sold over 500 million iPhones throughout the world, making over a billion dollars in revenue.

According to Forbes (2013), “the 600 millionth iPhone will arrive very near the end of Apple’s fiscal year and around what would be the typical launch window” (para. 7). Many times, in order for companies to determine how well a product or service is doing on the market, they will send surveys to people to get a more personal viewpoint of what current users truly feel about their product of services offered. This is done in order to help determine product value, identify which products sell the most, and provide improved customer satisfaction.

The Quantitative approach benefits Apple because it allows for the company to study their market by learning what their consumers like, and what works best for them. The information gathered from consumer behavior, opinions, and attitudes can lead Apple to think of new innovative ways it can create products for its market base. Another benefit of gathering information from consumers is that it can lead to fixing current issues like the iCloud dilemma, and finding ways of improving and making it better more useful for its customers.

Effectively Use the Power of Both Designs

One of the reasons Apple Inc. is able to stay ahead of its competition is because it effectively utilizes quantitative and qualitative research methods. Apple is a company that is not afraid of taking chances or following its own path. Qualitative research can be used through focus groups to help Apple develop new technology like it has done in the past with the iPhone. This type of qualitative research is often used by many different companies, but Apple is known for using these focus groups in all aspects of its work, thus setting Apple apart from its competitors. Quantitative research can help Apple continue to improve on their new and existing technology by gathering new, up-to-date information from its consumers. By conducting surveys from its consumers, collecting the data presented, and then using this information to improve Apple Inc., quantitative research is a real leg up for them.

Drawbacks of Using One Design to Research

A major drawback of using one design of research is that too much focus is put into one area, or attempt at finding a certain desired result. At the moment, Apple is putting all of its focus on Quantitative research methods in attempt to come up with improvements to its already existing products and software. By doing so, this narrow-minded type of focus may be allowing Apple’s competition sneak up a few spots closer to releasing the new ‘top product.’ Qualitative research is considered to be unstable for expensive critical business decisions. This belief may have led to Apple Inc. to allow its competition to close the gap between their products and services and others on the market. It seems that Apple Inc. has gotten away from its roots of taking chances, being the most innovative, and living up to its motto of “Think Different”.

Conclusion

The success of the company is merely based on the sale of its products as well as the satisfaction of the customers. With the use of Quantitative research, Apple has been able to track the sales and revenue of their products to measure their success of products. This method of business research can be deemed successful in the eyes of Apple, considering that they are able to track where exactly they are lacking instead of hoping a customer will send in a survey. With Apple remaining in the top five of the fortune 500 list, their methods of business research and resolution can be considered as being successful in all aspects.

Reference: