OL125 Milestone 2

Final Project One

Davilyn Swanson

Southern New Hampshire University

December 4, 2016

Communicating the Mission and Vision

Apple Inc. envisions remaining the best designer and producer of the various pieces of technology both in the short as well as the long-term. Apple Inc. communicates its mission statement to the employees in a number of ways, either being direct or indirect. For instance, the computer logo, monitors and screens place strategically around the organization, and also the frequent meetings between the management and the employees, to discuss issues facing them. Communication takes place in the form of emails at times. Once an employee receives an official email, it proposes a position for them to reply, and thus, offer feedback (Business Insider, 2016; Jobs, 2010).

Executing the Strategic Management Plan

The management has been keen on ensuring that every employee feels valued and that their contributions matter. Managing innovation is tricky since there are a lot of changes in the industry. Nonetheless, C.E.O. Tim Cook insists that Apple must “do things because they are just and right”. He hopes to create an environment that places humanity above all else, so that the employees can feel as comfortable as possible (Hill, Schilling, & Jones, 2016). Working in this manner serves to create a motivated working force, which is then able to think on its feet, and create products that are relevant for the kind of market that is being served.

Positive Influence in Organizational Culture

The management has appreciated that for the stakeholders to feel a sense of ownership, they have to make contributions in the mission and vision statements. There are opportunities for feedback as well as chatting during conferences to ensure that their views on various aspects are put into consideration right from the onset. Even though much of the feedback is anonymous, the stakeholders are still encouraged to share them in the timeliest manner possible (Jobs, 2010). For example, there are speculations of the existence of a secret army out there, responsible for the kind of products that apple produces. Such people are thought to be spread out across the countries, and they test the apple products, and give feedback on what should be changed to make the products even better ("Inside ‘Apple Anonymous’: The Secret Society of Apple’s Retail Army | 9to5Mac," n.d.). The secret group is a branch of apple employees.

Management and Decision Making

Apple has a strong organizational culture, and changes are rarely drastic and unexpected. This is important since it avoids unnecessary instability within the organization. For instance, the decision to launch the iTunes for Windows way back in 2003 was taken after in-depth consultations (Jobs, 2010). Even though the public thought it was surprising that the company was bound to create products which could work beyond the Apple computers, the internal stakeholders were totally prepared for it. Consequently, it was easy to launch and avail to the market since the feasibility study had already been concluded (Yarow, 2012). The management at Apple Inc. is a strong one, capable of making the right decisions at the right time, in order to see to it that the right activities are done. With the CEO being at the start of the list, the organization is able to enjoy good and abled leadership. The kind of decisions made start from the very top, and affect all aspects of the organization.

Adherence to the Principles of Ethics

Apple’s principle goal is to “use good judgment”. This is the kind of judgment that is both legal and ethical, and one that is not aimed at unnecessarily exploiting the clients or even the employees. In fact, Apple insists that the employees must be honest and avoid conflict of interest continuously. There is also the value of honoring confidentiality of the employees and only use the data they have approved an in the means of serving only their interests (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2014). For example, even in the design of their products, Apple creates the kind of products that are relevant, and products which are better than older version. For instance, looking at their iPad Air 2, it is better than the other version of the iPad that came before it, with the advancements being across the board, on all the design and specifications of the product. This has made the iPad Air 2 one of the best products created by apple, something which shows the good judgment at work.

Strategic Use of Human Resources

Apple insists on hiring the most qualified workers, and then they facilitate mutual and respectful feedback mechanism among all the key stakeholders. The survey of the company’s 115,000 employees has indicated that the level of satisfaction is one of the highest in the market. Most people argue that they tend to have encouraging experiences right from their first year on the job (Hitt et al., 2014; Yarow, 2012). The employees are put into good use, with no time being wasted. One employee is matched with the right kind of a job, thus saving on time and ensuring employees perform to the best of their ability. In addition, the working teams around the organization are composed of different people, with different abilities. Working together to create different products ensures they bond, and that cultural integration takes place.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Apple Inc. has been able to do a number of things, to ensure that it is able to move on in the highly competitive world. Notably, Apple products are one of the most prestigious in the market, with close competitors not being as classy or as specialized. Part of the success that Apple Inc. has enjoyed over the years can be attributed to the superior brand quality. However, a good management team, dedicated employees, and the right policies also have an important role to play in ensuring that the company is able to succeed. Making the right decisions, following the right channels for the execution of such decisions, as well as ensuring employees feel valued, is one of the ways of ensuring that their input is valued, and that they are always motivated at all times to work hard.

References

Business Insider (2016). 8 management lessons I learned working at Apple. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/management-lessons-i-learned-working-at-apple-2010-7#build-a-culture-of-respect-between-managers-and-employees-2

Hill, C.W.L., Schilling, M.A., & Jones, G.R. (2016). Strategic management: Theory: An integrated approach. Boston, US: Cengage Learning

Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., & Hoskisson, R.E. (2014). Strategic management: Concepts and cases: Competitiveness and globalization. Boston, US: Cengage Learning

Jobs, S. (2010, June 12). Steve Jobs talks about managing people. You Tube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f60dheI4ARg

Yarow, J. (2012, Feb. 15). Apple management lessons every company should steal. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-run-your-company-like-apple-2012-2

Inside ‘Apple Anonymous’: The Secret Society of Apple’s Retail Army | 9to5Mac. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://9to5mac.com/2013/03/21/inside-apple-anonymous-the-secret-society-of-apples-retail-army/