Posted: September 10th, 2023

Apple Inc

Apple Inc. is a global computer manufacturing company that is going through major changes in its organizational culture and it’s organizational structure due to several events of the past few years. This is a company that grew extremely fast in little time, that their management found themselves not being able to keep their operations and finances under control. Apple Inc. has been forced to reevaluate and redesign it’s organizational culture and organizational structure to avoid bankruptcy. The organizational culture of Apple is one of change; with the drive to outperform and succeed as their major objectives.
The organizational structure of the company has also transformed to be more competitive in a critical juncture in the company’s history. Apple is going through major restructuring to regain control of its operations and finances in order to stay competitive on the global market. Apple corporate culture has been constantly changing with the changes in its CEOs in the past. But originally, the Apple culture is not that of the typical 70’s company that is riddled with corporate rigidities. Thus, stiffness and regulation is just not on the list of policies that are set in place.
It was said that even Steve Jobs, the company’s CEO, would walk around the office barefoot even when Apple was already among the top corporations in the world. The culture of Apple was based on an ideal that self-motivated individuals will work harder if they do not have a boss micromanaging every action. The unique structure of Apple had allowed it to grow and react more quickly to changes than its competitors. The reason for the quick responsiveness is simple; it is much easier to get a project started if there are only a few people to obtain approval from. Apple initially grew fast, because decisions were made at the lowest possible level.

Corporate headquarters made policy and oversaw all activities, but the local employees made the day-to-day decisions on the ground in countries all over the world. This type of top-down philosophy allowed for quick responsiveness and resolutions to situations without involving the corporate headquarters, thus avoiding corporate red tape (McShane & Travglione, 2005, pp 89-290). This somehow reflects the casual and free atmosphere in the Apple headquarters. Apple is also very permissive in terms of dress codes, in fact they have none, have flexible working periods and the hierarchy of roles is blurred.
This also created an atmosphere that encouraged geeks to work hard and not the count the time they gave to Apple. There is a collective intensity and enthusiasm to bring out the best products possible to outwit competition. It is said that the management issues in Apple revolved around how to make employees stop working and remind them that they have families and live outside of the Apple headquarters. This is very typical of a fledgling technology company of the 90s and beyond such as Google. And to think, Apple has been there since the 70s, it is clearly ahead of the times.
This relatively different corporate culture was also used by the company to differentiate itself from its rivals. However, it is said that things have changed within Apple. Along with the rise in its fortunes, it also began to take the form of a regular corporate environ. Some degree of control and regulations were introduced and in return, employees began to count time rendered as they are slowly being replaced with new ones as the hard core Apple originals retired or left the company for good. The changes in the chief executive, each of them have differing ideas on how Apple should be run, also led to changes in the organizational culture.
Thus, some of the original character of Apple that made them the most admired company in the States was somehow lost. But Apple never lost touch of its reputation for nurturing individuality and excellence among its people, especially upon the return of Steve Jobs as chief executive. This draws the countries’ most talented and technologically capable people to its employ. Proof to this is the creation of the Apple Fellows Program. This is a recognition given to those individuals who made extraordinary technical or leadership contributions to the corporation.
Among those who were inducted into the program were original geek and technical wiz Steve Wozniak, Bill Atkinson, Steve Capps, Alan Kay, Guy Kawasaki and Rich Page. Another thing that is clearly Apple is its secrecy. Surely, they are a bunch of people that is unhappy to share technology secrets, even to its employees, as rumors have it. Every upcoming Apple product is always shrouded in secrecy prior to the formal. In the past, it has seen to be an effective way of upping the excitement of consumes in each release of new product. When iPhone was launched, the queues outside the stores are just phenomenal.

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