Apple: Organizational Theory

Both these challenges fall under the organizational theory concept. The essay will outline the organizational profile and provide secondary research on the various problems Apple is facing. One challenge will then be picked for further analysis in the academic research section. Finally, an action plan will be developed to try and come up with solutions that Apple can consider resolving the challenge.

Organizational Profile

As stated previously, the organization that has been selected for this assignment is Apple. Apple is one of the largest technology companies in the world. The company has a keen interest in mobile phone manufacturing and technology, computer and software manufacturing, and other personal consumer electronics (Williams, 2015).

Mission

According to Pinder (2014), Apple’s mission statement is “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad”. It is important to note that the company has changed its mission statement several times over the years. One of the main reasons for this is the change in ideology in the company due to both internal and external pressures.

Vision

The company’s vision statement underscores the importance of making the world a better place by developing innovative and life-changing products. The organization is also keen on ensuring the simplicity of its products so that they can be used by all types of consumers. It is critical to point out that the vision statement of the company has changed over the years as well (just like the mission statement).

Two arguments can be made regarding the constant change of both the mission and vision statements. The first argument is that the constant changes ensure the company is always ahead of its competitors and in touch with the ever-changing needs of its consumers. Towards this end, the changes are not only necessary but also justified. However, the second argument would suggest that the changes make the company unpredictable, therefore, regarding the consumer, unreliable. This second argument would, therefore, suggest that the variations are not necessary.

Strategic Objectives

Pinder (2014) argues that the success of Apple is attributed to its ability to have several specific objectives. To fully understand these objectives, they will be categorized according to the marketing matrix of place, product, price, and promotion.

Place

One of Apple’s objectives regarding the place is to ensure they have stored on a global scale (Williams, 2015). This means that the company looks forward to having stores in every country in the world. The second objective is that consumers can access their favorite Apple products from different platforms such as retail and online.

Product

The product section of the marketing matrix also has two objectives. The first is to produce ground-breaking and innovative products always (Williams, 2015). One can argue that this is one of the reasons the company has been successful. The second strategic objective is that all innovations designed should also further the industry, not just the company.

Price

According to Pinder (2014), Apple’s objective about price is to create premium rates while still ensuring they capture the market. Towards this end, they also seek to increase their profit margins at all times.

Promotion

Lastly, the company also seeks to build hype about their new products (Williams, 2015). This is evident in their advertising and marketing strategies. It is also important to note that the company also tries to sustain and expand its brand (Williams, 2015).

Operating Environment

The chosen company has several external stakeholders. The most significant is the consumer as they buy the company’s product. Other than this, the company also has partners that ensure their products are of high quality. It is no secret that Apple has partnered with several Chinese companies to manufacture their electronic products. This means that a majority, if not all, of the company’s products, are assembled in China. This arrangement has in the recent past put Apple in the spotlight due to the mistreatment of the staff working on their products in China. There were cases of staff committing suicide due to poor working environments.

Organizational Structure and Management

Williams (2015) rev