MBA HRM Assignment: Apple Inc. HRM Strategies, Challenges & Trends

This MBA HRM assignment provides a comprehensive analysis of Apple Inc.'s human resource management practices. It delves into key areas such as employee engagement strategies, highlighting power-sharing and effective appraisal systems while noting potential drawbacks in employee opinion consideration. The report also examines Apple's global talent management approach, emphasizing a geocentric hiring strategy, cultural awareness training, and equal performance appraisal processes. Furthermore, the study assesses Apple's commitment to corporate social responsibility, including shareholder returns, global volunteering programs, and initiatives like the Apple Supplier EHS Academy. The use of human resource technology, compliance with employment law and human rights issues, and adaptation to emerging HRM trends are also discussed. Finally, the assignment identifies human capital challenges, such as managing a multigenerational workforce and upgrading employee skills, and suggests best practices like flexible organizational design and skills development programs to enhance productivity and talent retention within Apple Inc.

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MBA HRM Assignment
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Abstract
Human resource management is the formal system, which is actually devised to manage the
employees of an organization. The study has demonstrated the current HRM environment
followed in Apple Inc. The study has highlighted the Employee Engagement Strategies, Global
Talent Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Resource Technology,
Employment Law and Human Rights Issues and Emerging Trends in Human Resource
Management associated with the organization and their impact on the organization. It has been
found that the organization follows employee empowerment strategies for engaging the
employees. The study has also identified the human capital challenges and best human resource
practices that can be the part of the organization.
Keywords: Employee Engagement Strategies, Global Talent Management, Corporate Social
Responsibility, Human Resource Technology, Employment Law and Human Rights Issues

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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Employee Engagement Strategies.............................................................................................3
3.0 Global Talent Management.......................................................................................................4
4.0 Corporate Social Responsibility................................................................................................5
5.0 Human Resource Technology....................................................................................................5
6.0 Employment Law and Human Rights Issues.............................................................................6
7.0 Emerging Trends in Human Resource Management.................................................................7
8.0 Human Capital Challenges in the 21st Century.........................................................................8
9.0 Best Practices in Human Resource Management......................................................................8
10.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................11

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1.0 Introduction
Human resource management (HRM) deals with the systematic process of managing the
performance level of the employees in an organization (Albrecht et al., 2015) This study is
concerned with the current human resource environment of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is
an American Multinational company designing, developing and selling computer software,
consumer electronics and other online services (Apple, 2018). This study will discuss the
employee engagement strategy and global talent management strategies of the organization and
demonstrate their impact on the organization. The study will also highlight the corporate social
responsibility human resource technology of the organization. The employment laws and
emerging trends of HRM will also be discussed in this study for evaluating their impact on
Apple. Apart from that, the study will also be concerned with the human capital challenges and
best human resource management practice and their impact on Apple Inc.
2.0 Employee Engagement Strategies
Apple Inc. has achieved highest employee retention rate ever through its employee
engagement strategies. Among the most effective employee engagement strategies of Apple Inc,
the most popular strategy is power sharing strategy. According Mullins et al. (2016), Apple Inc.
provides full power and freedom to the employees for taking their own decision regarding the
completion of their own jobs. Such strategy makes the employees much more engaged and
responsible for their own jobs. On the other hand, Jackson et al. (2014) opined that Apple Inc.
highly focuses on effective employee appraisal strategies for engaging the employees with
organizational goals and objectives. In such strategy, the human resource managers of the
organization effectively and accurately appraise the contribution level of employee performance

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in the overall organizational success. In this way, the organization provides attractive rewards
and recognition to the hardworking employees for their high level of engagement in further
organizational process. It ultimately improves the ultimate productivity level of employees
leading to high level of organizational success. However, Conway et al. (2016) opined that
Apple Inc. does not much consider the employees’ opinions in organizational decision making
process, although they allow them in organizational decision making process. Hence, such
organizational behavior somewhat makes the employees disappointed, which can have little
impact on the overall level of organizational efficiency.
3.0 Global Talent Management
Apple Inc. adopts effective talent management strategies for enhancing the global
organizational success. According to Paillé et al. (2014), Apple Inc. always adopts geocentric
approach in hiring the employees for its international subsidiaries. In such strategy, the
organization hire the employees for their top positions based on their talents and not based on
their nationality. Moreover, the organization always hires the best talents from the global job
market, which has led to high level of international success for the organization. On the other
hand, Kramar (2014) opined that Apple Inc. successfully applied cultural awareness training to
the global talents on the part of their overall corporate curriculum. In such diversity training
program, the domestic staffs of the organization get cultural training over the overseas country,
where they are posted. In this way, such employees can get an effective idea about the culture of
global customers and colleagues in foreign subsidiaries. It helps them to better mix with the other
employees and enables them to provide customized solution to the customers. Furthermore,
Sheehan (2014) opined that the global human resource managers of Apple Inc. have
implemented equal 360-degree appraisal process for global workforces for appraising the

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performance level of the global workforce equally. In this way, the organization can effectively
identify the issues associated with its global talents and make better talent development program.
4.0 Corporate Social Responsibility
Apple Inc. is responsible enough to its society for the overall social good surrounding it.
According to Rothenberg et al. (2017), Apple Inc. always provide adequate and time return on
investment to the shareholders’ investment potentiality leading to long term organizational
sustainability. Moreover, the organization is economically sound enough towards providing
adequate return on investment to the shareholders. On the other hand, Al-Refaie (2015) opined
that Apple Inc. have an effective Global Volunteering Program that encourage its employees
towards volunteering the local communities. Moreover, the organization has donated almost
USD 78 billion to the charities and non-profits around the world. The organization also offers
employee education and development program for the workers free of cost by 18 factories.
Furthermore, Becker and Smidt (2016) pointed out that Apple had initiated ‘Apple Supplier EHS
Academy’, the 18 months program is aimed at improving the health and safety of the industry
over the globe. All such corporate social responsibilities has build strong brand image of Apple
Inc. in the market. Such positive image has ultimately enhanced the level of customer loyalty to
the organization.
5.0 Human Resource Technology
Stone et al. (2015) mentioned that Apple Inc. makes use of Big Data technology for
getting a fact-based view of the current workforce. This HR technology also facilitates the HR
managers towards assessing the current trends of workforces. In the way, the HR recruiters can
assess the potential employees and can make better risk management decision. On the other

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hand, Camps et al. (2016) opined that human resource managers of Apple also rely on the legacy
of HR software for completing task or storing information. Moreover, the HR managers of the
organization use cloud based software for having extra time towards completing administrative
tasks. This technology can help the HR staffs towards uploading their tasks on the cloud software
and download those tasks anywhere they want. In this way, the employees can complete their
jobs even sitting at their home. The organization also makes use of Application Tracking System
and Employee Referral Software for tracking the resumes submitted by the job candidates and
assessing the job referral referred by the current employees.
6.0 Employment Law and Human Rights Issues
Apple Inc. complies with Equal Pay Act of 1963, where the organization prohibits sex
based salary discrimination between male and female employees. Moreover, the human resource
managers of the organization think that the employees should be paid equally regardless of their
gender, where they require equal skill sets, responsibility and effort under same working
situation. It protects the human rights of all employees regardless of their gender difference. On
the other hand, Salas et al. (2015) opined that Apple Inc. also complies with Occupational Health
and Safety act for protecting the health and wellbeing of the employees. In this way, the
organization protects the health and safety rights of the employees at the workplace. As per
Markoulli et al. (2017), Apple Inc. always complies with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Act for protecting the human rights of the employees regardless of their backgrounds. As per this
employment law, the organization provides equal employment rights to all the employees
regardless of their cultural, racial, region, age and other backgrounds. Apart from that, the
organization also complies with Fair Labor Standard Act for protecting the human rights of the
employees to get minimum wages and proper leaves towards living standard lives. It helps the

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organization to retain the high talented employees for longer time through protecting their human
rights.
7.0 Emerging Trends in Human Resource Management
The emerging trends of human resource management demonstrate increasing demand of
government for organizational transparency in regards to employee management. More than 90%
contemporary organizations have employee wellness programs and have separate budget for
employee wellness programs. In such context, Apple Inc. should also comply with this emerging
trend of human resource management, which hand increased the legal transparency of the
organization. On the other hand, Abner et al. (2017) opined that emerging human resource
management highlights increasing usage of social media and artificial intelligence for hiring high
caliber employees on priority basis. The human resource managers of most of the reputed
business organizations employ high level technologies like social media, referral software and
application tracker software for tracking the resumes of best talents. The application of such
trend on Apple Inc. have assisted the organization to hire the top talents from the job market for
leading high level of organizational success.
Apart from that, Camps et al. (2016) opined that the emerging trends of human resource
management also indicate the needs for continuous performance management process, which
pushed pushes out annual review. As per this trend, the HR managers of organizations are highly
liable to provide honest employee feedback and appraisal as per the performance level of the
employees. Such trend has huge impact on Apple Inc. towards improving the morale level of the
employees, as they get true appraisal for their performance level.

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8.0 Human Capital Challenges in the 21st Century
The main human capital challenge in the 21st century is associated with multi-
generational workforce. Today’s workforce composition is consisted of different types of
employees like baby boomers, generation X, generation Y and nay bluster in the same
organization. Rothenberg et al. (2017) pointed out that such employees have different types of
needs, demands and expectation that become quite challenging for the human resource managers
to meet. Likewise, the HR managers of Apple also face extreme difficulties in identifying and
meeting different kinds of needs and demands of different kinds of employees. It actually
impacts on the overall employee satisfaction level of the employees. On the other hand, Conway
et al. (2016) opined that contemporary human resource managers often face huge difficulties in
upgrading the skills and capabilities of the employees with the frequent changes in business.
Likewise, the HR managers of Apple face high human investment budget that impacts on the
overall business cost of the organization.
9.0 Best Practices in Human Resource Management
In order to get high level of productivity from the human resources of an organization,
the human resource managers of Apple Inc. should implement flexible organizational design. In
such flexible arrangement, the employees of the organization will get enough freedom and
empowerment towards making their own decision regarding their own jobs (Albrecht et al.,
2015). It will definitely encourage the employees towards higher productivity. Furthermore, the
organization should have effective skills development programs for the employees for
developing their skills and capabilities as per the changing organizational requirement.
Moreover, the human resource managers should provide adequate training to the employees for

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developing their skills and capabilities with the emerging work practices in businesses. It will
reduce the complexity level of the employees in dealing with complex jobs leading high level of
employee efficiency.
Career development practice can be an effective win-win investment key for the
organization towards retaining the best talents for longer time. Right performance evaluation and
promotional opportunity can definitely increase the willingness of the best employees to further
improve their works and stay at the organization for longer period (Conway et al., 2016). The
organization can also embrace more advanced technology in the human resource department for
automating the human resource activities. Moreover, the organization should offer adequate and
attractive rewards and recognitions to the employees after assessing the contribution level of the
employees in organizational success. Apart from that, the organization should consider the
opinions of the employers after allowing them in organizational decision making process. In this
way, the employees of the organization will feel high valued at the workplace and align their
efforts in achieving the overall success of the organization.
10.0 Conclusion
While concluding the study, it can be said that Apple Inc. successfully uses employee
empowerment strategy for engaging the employees more with the organizational goals and
objectives. The organization uses geocentric approach for recruiting global talents based on their
talents. Huge corporate social responsibilities have built the corporate image of the organization
in the market. The human resource managers of the organization successfully use cloud
computing and big data technology for automating the human resource activities. The HR
managers of Apple may face the issue of multiple generations in the workforce composition. As

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best human resource practice, the organization should initiate employee development strategy,
employee empowerment strategy and automation strategy.

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References
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