hr

Running head: PROJECT 2

PROJECT 2 2

The changes that were first seen at Apple were in 1997 when Steve Jobs returned to the company. He generally changes the course of the company by simplifying things through his collaboration with Jonathan Ives. They generally grafted a very special design aesthetic for Apple(Daft& Sandburg, 2000).In a period of 4 years after coming back to the company‚ he was able to distill the company’s product matrix into pro desktop‚ pro notebook‚ consumer notebook‚ and consumer desk top. He also eliminated competitions in the company’s management that existed in product development process. This played a very important part in enabling the company to change its course in a quick manner in response to technological changes‚ changes in users‚ changes in markets‚ and the general changes that were going on around the world at that time. He generally changed the company’s hardware strategy. It was through his leadership that the company was able to bring products such as iPod‚ iPhone‚ and the iPad. However‚ under the leadership of Tim Cook the company has also undergone some remarkable changes.

Apple‚ Inc. has undergone considerable amount of change since the time when Tim Cook took over as the CEO from the former CEO Steve Jobs. It is important to note that Cook has tried as much as possible to maintain the unique corporate culture of Apple while taking the company through a term of organizational change.In general terms‚ under the leadership of Cook‚ Apple has become more corporate compared to the time when it was under the leadership of Steve jobs. It is also important to point out that since the time that Cook took over the leadership of the company the company has generally gone up by a market value the is approximately $140 billion.

One of the areas where Cook has stressed in the company is the enhancement of operational efficiency. The company’s has been faced with a breakage of the warehouses‚ factories‚ and suppliers when he joined the company in 1998. He generally strengthened the company’s corporation with the contract manufacturers aboard and mainly the ones in China. The other important organizational changes that have been stressed on by the company’s CEO are the ones that would aid in increasing collaboration across software‚ hardware‚ and services. In the year 2012‚ the company made executive management changes that were aimed at increasing collaboration between its world-class software‚ hardware‚ and service teams. Part of those changes involved some members of the executive management‚ such asCraig Fderrighi‚ Eddy Cue‚ Bob Mansfield‚ and Jony Ive adding more responsibilities to their various roles in the company.It is important to point out that most of these changes that were brought into the company’s executive management and their teams were aimed at strengthening the services and products of the company to meet and even exceed the high needs of the company’s customers(Myers et al.‚ 2012).

For the case of Wal-Mart‚ the most remarkable changes were the ones that were announced in 2010. These changes were to be done across the company’s business in order to align the company’s structure with its three priorities that are returns‚ leverage‚ and growth.These changes were aimed at ensuring that more value is generally delivered to the company’s shareholders and customers(Worley et al.‚ 2013). The changes that were made in the company’s business were designed mainly to ensure that every part of the company’s business becomes increasingly global‚ leverages the company’s scale‚ and could enable the company to move closer to the customers. The changes were also aimed at ensuring that the company’s associates succeed and advance at the company and in their lives.

Generally‚ Wal-Mart has faced positive and innovative change in its store management structure‚ scheduling system‚ and some improvements in the company’s inventory management.The company’s merchandise clarity and store remodels have generally allowed its customers to thrive better in an economy that is difficult to live by. It is important to note that the company is well aware of the fact that the customers need are generally changing in a rapid manner around the globe and have high expectations of the company. The company therefore needed to make changes in order to cope with the changes being experienced in the global market. The main change that was done was to change the company’s management team through restructuring and terminating the services of some of the employees.

Comparing the changes that were carried out in the two companies‚ it can be seen that they both have similarities and differences. One of the similarities is that the changes are done in order to meet and even exceed the expectations of the customers of the company’s products. The second similarity is that some changes in the management were carried out for the two companies. One difference that s apparent is that for the Case of Apple‚ Cook has been working to bring about change that will make the company more corporate‚ while for Wal-Mart most of the changes carried out have been intended to leverage the sale of the company and to ensure that the company goes global.

Below is a comparison of the three selected images that include director change image‚ navigator change image‚ and coach change image.For the director change image‚ the managers involved in the change process designs the change process and also directs the people involved in the change process to comply with the change in order for that change to be achieved. For the navigator change image‚ control is generally the heart of the action by the management in bringing the required change. The change manager generally designs the process in a way that best fits the conditions that the company is facing. The coach change image‚ on the other hand‚ involves change managers ensuring that the people involved in bringing the intended changes are equipped with the capabilities that are required to accomplish the intended outcomes. For the case of Apple‚ the achievement of an increased market value by $140 billion is a good indicator that the change was successful. Similarly‚ the ability of Wal-Mart to enter new markets globally is a proof of the success of its change process. The director change image is the one that most contributed to the success of the change process in both companies. This is because both the two companies re-organized their management teams to align them with the intended organizational outcomes(Palmer et al.‚ 2008).

References

Daft, R. L., & Sandburg, E. (2000). Management. Fort Worth, Tex. [u.a.: Dryden Press.

Myers, P., Hulks, S., & Wiggins, L. (2012). Organizational change: Perspectives on theory and practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Palmer, I., Akin, G., & Dunford, R. (2008). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Worley, C. G., Porras, J., & Lawler, E. E. (2013). Built to change: How to achieve sustained organizational effectiveness. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.