Apple's Global Operations and Success

This assignment analyzes Apple's global operations, highlighting its strengths as a multinational corporation. It explores topics such as human resource utilization, pollution management, legal challenges, and brand loyalty. The analysis also considers Apple's manufacturing strategy, reliance on the Chinese market, and competition within the smartphone industry.

Running head: GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGY
GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note:

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The following paper will delve deep into the job role of a market analyst of a small investment
bank in Qatar and the possibilities of investment in a well-established international organization.
The internal and external business environment of the chosen organization will be understood by
analyzing them with relevant analysis tools. The effect of globalization on the concerned
business organization is discussed and the international operations of it understood thoroughly.
The main responsibility of the market analyst is to understand the market scenario of the
business in which the employer deals with, and to provide feedback to the employer in order to
maximize profits and revenue.

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Table of Contents
ACTIVITY 1.................................................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................4
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................................4
A) A REVIEW OF THE TECHNIQUES..................................................................................................5
MICRO ENVIRONMENT....................................................................................................................5
SWOT ANALYSIS...............................................................................................................................6
MACRO ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................................................7
PESTLE ANALYSIS.............................................................................................................................7
B) ANALYSIS OF THE MICRO AND MACRO ENVIRONMENTS OF THE BUSINESS.................8
MICRO..................................................................................................................................................8
MACRO.....................................................................................................................................................9
C) ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT..............10
D) BENEFITS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF GLOBALISATION.............................11
E) THE EXTENT OF GLOBALISATION ON ORGANISATIONS.....................................................11
F) STRUCTURES OF DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS OPERATING IN INTERNATIONAL
MARKETS..............................................................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................13
REFERENCE:..............................................................................................................................................14
ACTIVITY 3...............................................................................................................................................17
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................17

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INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS OF APPLE........................................................................................17
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES:...........................................................................................................................................21

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ACTIVITY 1
INTRODUCTION
Small investment banks are the banks, which operate in a smaller level than the
multinational full-fledged banks that are much bigger in scale in terms of financial transactions
(Stowell 2017). These banks are specialized in one or two facets of investment. The process is to
manage wealth of clients and provide financial assistants to small players in the market. These
institutions also invest in profit making companies to create wealth and grow in terms of scale
and operations. Small investment banks largely work on smaller arrangements including mid
market organizations, and as a rule help on the offer side in mergers and acquisitions exchanges.
Also, they some of the time work in specific enterprises, for example, media, medicinal services,
industrials, innovation or vitality. A few banks may represent considerable authority in specific
sorts of exchanges, for example, capital raising or mergers and acquisitions, or rebuilding and
rearrangement (Hakenes et al. 2014).
A market analyst’s main activity is to ponder data to enable the employer or customer to
settle on educated choices about their market. This could go from what markets to dispatch an
item in, to the value one may charge for something. The data analysis of a market analyst could
be introduced as numbers or words. Factual aptitudes are helpful – maths and examination
capabilities are additionally qualities of a market analyst.
DISCUSSION
The small investment bank in which the appointment as market analyst has been achieved
is Qatar First Bank. The bank mentioned was launched in 2009 when there was recession in the

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western world (Al Marri 2018). However, because of rich natural resources and never ending
demand of oil throughout the world, the Middle Eastern countries did not face any tough time
(Niblock 2015). Many of the stakeholders and investors in the bank were having great suspicion
in their mind about success of the bank. In spite of such suspicion and doubt the bank came out
to be successful, and today it is engaged in offering international standard Shari'ah agreeable
“wealth management” techniques to people who are affluent in Qatar and the locale. A bank that
would benefit from the developing interest for Islamic banking and be one stop solution in
monetary accomplice to the youth as well as business visionaries, in the safeguarding and
development of their riches (Al Marri 2018).
The internationally operating organization, which is chosen for an investment opportunity
from the small investment bank, is Apple, which is one of the most successful brands in
operation throughout the world (Thaon and Tsanthaiwo 2017). The company manufactures
mobile phones, laptops, and desktops. The company is the manufacturer of the famous i-phone.
A) A REVIEW OF THE TECHNIQUES
MICRO ENVIRONMENT
Micro environment is the internal environment of a business. The micro environmental
condition, as can be understood from the name itself, is the immediate and immediate condition
which affects a business organization. The “micro environment” incorporates thoughts identified
with providers, clients and nearby partners, along with the factors that are internal to the business
(Epstein and Buhovac 2014). The “micro environment” condition can for the most part be
viewed as the immediate situations of the business and the owner is expected to give some
amount of thought to the impacts of the micro environment on business (Sekaran and Bougie

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2016). The technique that is used in analyzing the micro environment of a business is called
“SWOT analysis”, or the “Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat, analysis” (Grant 2016).
SWOT ANALYSIS
Organizations use this tool to find out the strength & weakness they possess, and
opportunities & threats that may come across (Drucker 2017). The main benefit of this system
lies in the fact that it requires very less investment to be conducted. Even small businesses can
undertake and go ahead with SWOT analysis of their businesses. SWOT analysis helps in
comprehending ones business in a better way, and tackling the weaknesses so that they get
resolved (Sekaran and Bougie 2016). Threats are averted from getting critical by prior
predictions. The opportunities are understood and they are sharpened to give better results.
Knowing the strength of oneself better gives extra confidence to go ahead. The whole process
gives a direction to the business and anchors it.
Apart from the number of benefits SWOT analysis has, it has some limitations and
disadvantages as well. This is not a very intricate process and remains mostly in the superficial
level. For situations and problems, which are, complicated further researches which are deeper
and in-depth needs to be done (Storey 2016). The process often does not categorize issues
according to priority. It offers lesser amount of solutions than required. It is a process, which
produces a lot of information and ideation, but not all are very useful.
This is a suitable method for deciding on the inner environment of a business because of
its wide span of compatibility with any kind of business possible.

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MACRO ENVIRONMENT
Macro environment is the external environment of a business on which the decision
makers of the business has no role-play in (Armstrong et al. 201'5.) These are the large scale
factors which are uncontrollable and cannot be influenced by the inner players of the business
environment. These factors impact the decision making of the organizations and positively or
negatively impact the performance and business activities of an organization. Macro
environment can be analyzed by PESTLE technique, which has full form of “Political,
Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors” (Feys and Probert 2015).
PESTLE ANALYSIS
All the factors considered in the PESTLE analysis are external to the business and
doesn’t have a scope of direct control by the business authorities. However proper PESTLE
analysis would give a clear picture of what can be the scenarios that are forthcoming and the
management can necessary steps and actions to keep the business stable after such analysis
(Aithal 2016). The first advantage of the process is its cost effectiveness. It does not require any
special mechanism and only some investment of comprehension from experts. The analysis gives
a deeper understanding of the situation and the external environment and the possible impacts
they can pose on the business. The political interference and governmental decisions which
impact businesses cannot be changed or altered by the businessmen, they can adapt their own
business according to the new scenarios (Walker and Rea 2014). It is the same case with other
factors of PESTLE technique.

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B) ANALYSIS OF THE MICRO AND MACRO ENVIRONMENTS OF THE BUSINESS
MICRO
SWOT ANALYSIS OF APPLE INC-
STRENGTH- Apple is the leader in its field and the company which continuously
innovates new products and brings new technological up gradation to its existing products.
Because of these reasons, Apple products are always in demand and there is no fear of loss in
investing in the company (Heracleous 2013). The profit margins of Apple Inc are stable and
high, and the investors can depend on the goodwill of the company (Khan, Alam and Alam
2015). Apple enjoys high level of trust and reputation in the market it operates in.
WEAKNESSES- Apple is greatly dependant on iPhones for maintaining its goodwill and
revenue. In overall scenario, Apple deals with very less number of products, which makes it
dependant on their success (Khan, Alam and Alam 2015). Every year, updated version of iPhone
is released and avid iPhone users wait for new iPhones to get released (Dong and Zhang 2016).
However the updates are not always well received. The Apple products are most of the time not
compatible with products of other companies, which makes them lesser popular.
OPPORTUNITIES- Apple has a huge manufacturing infrastructure, which is highly
advanced and technologically ahead of many of its competitors. The company is ever expanding
its distribution network, however presently its distribution network is one of the strongest in the
industry (Fitzgerald and Wakabayashi 2014).
THREATS- The field in which Apple operates in have stiff competition from various
quarters. Microsoft is its competitor in desktop and operating system business. Samsung is a

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close competition in the business of mobile handsets. Samsung and Google have collaborated in
providing service which is a great competition to Apple.
MACRO
PESTLE ANALYSIS OF APPLE INC
POLITICAL- Apple is largely reliant on the manufacturing units at China. China is a
country, which is dominated by Communist political ideology, which is often dominated by anti
capitalist movements. In America, with recent political developments, there is a clamor about
discontinuing outsourcing of jobs and manufacturing from the country. Apple works in a number
of countries, which are not politically stable, which could make the future of business of Apple
unsure in these countries.
ECONOMIC- As it has been pointed out previously that Apple’s manufacturing units are
based mainly in China, but with increasing labor cost in China economical thrust is felt in the
pricing of Apple products as well. The economic recessions in various countries throughout the
world has reduced income of many people, which has affected the consumer base Apple.
SOCIAL- Socially Apple as a brand is seen to be a status symbol in the western world.
However in African countries or in the countries where the goodwill and market of Apple is not
well established it can be seen as a product with too high price and hence abandoned. A large
section of people in North America cannot except China as a friendly country which can hamper
goodwill of Apple because of its close association with the country.
TECHNOLOGICAL- Google, Microsoft, Dell, Samsung, HP, and a number of
companies are doing regular advancement in their technological sphere. Apple is doing its own

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bit in technologically upgrading its product, but many of its recent innovations are criticized like
the wireless earphones, which has a high probability of getting lost.
LEGAL- Apple has recently ventured into advanced digital financial services called the
Apple Pay. This brings further financial regulations and implications to Apple throughout the
globe. Dependency of Apple on intellectual products for its income like music and software
make Apple furthermore vulnerable to legalities.
ENVIRONMENTAL- China is a country that is tackling environmental pollution.
Apple’s manufacturing units have a high amount of disposed wastages, which is posing
increasing concern in the country.
C) ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Apple deals in electronic goods and gadgets especially phones, laptops and computers.
With increased globalization and digitization, every individual is opting for better gadgetry
support. Apple has been one of the pioneers in bringing technology at its best to the consumers.
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne established Apple Computer Company on April
1, 1976. The organization's first item was the Apple I, a PC built by Wozniak without any
assistance from anyone else. The company has stiff competitors working in similar field, many
of the collaborating with each other. Microsoft, which is probably the greatest competitor of
Apple, was found just a year before, in 1975 by Bill gates and Paul Allen. Apple has its own
operating system for desktop, which is having a huge competition from Microsoft Windows.
Apple presently has 12.37% market share on the market of Operating System, and Windows has
11.79% (Gartner.com 2015). Samsung and Apple have collaborated to take a market share of
54.16%, which is largest (Gartner.com, 2018). Therefore, Apple works in an international

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business environment, which is full of competition and requires continuous innovative
advancements. Coming in of new players with lower rates, and existing players increasing their
innovative quotient has a great impact on Apple’s business.
D) BENEFITS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF GLOBALISATION
Globalization and innovation have both astoundingly affected organizations in many
ways. Globalization alludes to growing a business to work at the worldwide level. This is
frequently made conceivable because of the propelled innovations being declared each day.
From multiple points of view, globalization and mechanical advances have enhanced business;
however, there are likewise negative impacts. Globalization has helped Apple is marketing and
distributing its product throughput the world. Apple has a vast chain of stores and retail outlets in
all the big cities throughout the world. This was made possible by economic globalization and
foreign direct investment opportunities. Apple has been a forerunner in importing and exporting
activities and outsourcing various jobs in the Asian job market. Apple has more than 450 retail
shops in 13 countries. The marketing of its initial successful product mainly depended on the
foreign job markets. Apple has been mainly operating its manufacturing units at China.
Globalization of culture has created a fetishism of Apple brand, which further boosted its sales.
E) THE EXTENT OF GLOBALISATION ON ORGANISATIONS
There are various positive and negative impacts of globalization on business
organizations working multi-nationally. The target markets have expanded and there are more
number of customers. Resources have become cheaper and easily available and western
countries can utilize the cheap labor pool in the developing nations (Crane and Matten 2016.).
The information and technology sector have received a great boost because of globalization.
Exchange of technological knowhow and knowledge, which help the developing countries, in

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advancing their work culture, is also an effect of globalization. However in spite of all of these
positive aspects there are some factors, which may pose a challenge to businesses, like increased
competition and legalities. Globalization has increased competition in every field, with new
players from many countries operating worldwide. Companies, which work on a multi-national
level, have to tackle legal issues from a number of countries.
F) STRUCTURES OF DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS OPERATING IN INTERNATIONAL
MARKETS
Large multinational organizations require a hierarchical framework that can support the
standard business operations and capacities like – “finance, advertising, R&D, production”, and
among others - and those capabilities required for being result oriented past the domestic
scenario. The suitable authoritative structure that is most suitable will be managed by the general
global policy of the company, the comparative size of global or international operations when
contrasted and compared with residential capacity and operations, and the nature of the
commercial center in which the company contends. The four necessary hierarchical structures
are- “Functional, Geographical, International and Matrix.” Some of the MNC’s structure their
organization functionally, where all the important jobs are done at the headquarters at the home
country. Geographically some MNCs design their structure where semi-independent functions
with certain authorities are established in different countries. The MNCs, which have a
International Division structure, they are allowed to keep close attention on its own domestic or
home market in its head quarters while leaving the global division allowed to adjust and deal
with the remote markets. A Matrix structure joins the effectiveness of the functional organization
with the adaptability of local operations.

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CONCLUSION
As the market analyst of a small investment bank, it can be safely concluded that Apple is
a great company with high returns to invest in. It has a great hold on the market it works in and
gives high returns to its investors. Analyzing the micro and macro business environment of
Apple and the globalised scenario it would be highly advisable to invest in Apple for great
returns.

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REFERENCE:
Aithal, P.S., 2016. Study on ABCD analysis technique for business models, business strategies,
operating concepts & business systems. Browser Download This Paper.
Al Marri, A. 2018. Chairman’s Message – Qatar First bank. [online] Qfb.com.qa. Available at:
http://www.qfb.com.qa/about-us/chairmans-message/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., 2015. Marketing: an introduction.
Pearson Education.
Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Dong, J. and Zhang, Y., 2016. When Customers Become Fans. MIT Sloan Management
Review, 57(2), p.95.
Drucker, P.F., 2017. What Makes an Effective Executive (Harvard Business Review Classics).
Harvard Business Review Press.
Epstein, M.J. and Buhovac, A.R., 2014. Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing
and measuring corporate social, environmental, and economic impacts. Berrett-Koehler
Publishers.
Feys, B. and Probert, C., 2015. PESTLE analysis. Primento Digital.
Fitzgerald, D. and Wakabayashi, D., 2014. Apple quietly builds new networks. Wall Street
Journal.

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Gartner.com, 2015. Technology Industry Analysts. [online] Gartner.com. Available at:
<https://www.gartner.com/technology/analysts.jsp> [Accessed 17 Jan. 2018].
Grant, R.M., 2016. Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Hakenes, H., Hasan, I., Molyneux, P. and Xie, R., 2014. Small banks and local economic
development. Review of Finance, 19(2), pp.653-683.
Heracleous, L., 2013. Quantum strategy at Apple Inc. Organizational Dynamics, 42(2), pp.92-
99.
Khan, U.A., Alam, M.N. and Alam, S., 2015. A Critical Analysis of Internal and External
Environment of Apple Inc. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and
Management, 3(6), pp.955-961.
Niblock, T. ed., 2015. Social and economic development in the Arab Gulf (RLE economy of
Middle East). Routledge.
Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., 2016. Research methods for business: A skill building approach.
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Stowell, D.P., 2017. Investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity. Academic Press.
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Walker, E.T. and Rea, C.M., 2014. The political mobilization of firms and industries. Annual
review of sociology, 40, pp.281-304.

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ACTIVITY 3
INTRODUCTION
Apple is one of the first names that come to one’s mind when thinking about electronic
gadgets, especially mobiles and computers and it has been one of the pioneers in bringing
technology at its best to the consumers. The founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald
Wayne established Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976 (Apple, 2018). As already
discussed the organization's first item was the Apple I, a PC built by Wozniak. Presently Apple
has stores in more than 13 countries and has more than 450 retail outlets (Gartner.com 2015).
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS OF APPLE
There are a number of varied global exercises and operations that are needed to be
performed by this technological giant called Apple Inc. to increase its business and activities in
the worldwide electronic market. Apple does import and export exercises to purchase and offer
the products with the universal market. A few kinds of customs and obligations need to be paid
by the association. Import, export and purchase of the items starting with one nation then onto
the next have to kept under surveillance. In addition, licensing is another global action that is
performed by it to export and send its items abroad with least number of hazard. Apple also
follows all global laws and legal codes to work in ethical and moral way. The vast majority of
technological organizations concentrated just on a specific line of item though Apple made it
distinctive that it fabricated PC, made a working framework that can keep running in it and
outlined different application and programs that fits it, and set up a showcase for computerized
music players and Smart phones. Apple is not bound in a specific market. Apple works in an

17GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGY
international business environment, which is full of competition and requires continuous
innovative advancements. Coming in of new players with lower rates, and existing players
increasing their innovative quotient has a great impact on Apple’s business. Apple’s international
operations can be seen in both terms of production and selling. Apple has primary manufacturing
units at China where the primary driving factor was the cheap labor market in the area (Clarke
and Boersma 2017). The practice of Apple of utilizing cheap labor in Asia and then selling the
products at noticeably high rates throughout the world has been criticized by various quarters.
The working condition, pay and benefits provided by the company in various sectors of its
manufacturing chain are often questioned (Clarke and Boersma 2017).
Apple has a very matured and developed strategy globally, as an example when Apple
had gone through a very bad phase and faced a loss of 45 million dollars in the first part of 2000,
it managed to combat the situation globally and come out of the loss-making phase shortly
(Neate 2018). As per a report by a Congressional board, Apple has kept away from “billions” in
taxes utilizing worldwide backups. Apple has auxiliaries and partners in Ireland where the
company mentioned has arranged an unusual tax rate of “2 percent” (Nytimes.com, 2018). These
units mentioned above makes contract with makers and manufacturers to amass Apple items,
pitch and display the items to different and varied auxiliaries for dissemination, and restore the
benefits which include monetary benefits up the chain of mentioned organizations as profits. In
any case, few of these auxiliaries do not have an expressed and official assessment arrangement
and pay no charges in cash or kind.
Apple Inc has expanded and grown significantly as a business organization throughout
the globe. One manner by which Apple have utilized and achieved globalization is by innovating
its signature product called iTunes. A substantial assortment of tunes, music and songs are

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accessible on “iTunes” and in light of the fact that it has become one of the most downloaded,
used and talked about app, and is available all over (Dubey 2014). The electronic goods that
Apple produces and manufactures are sold internationally across the globe. Stores and reatail
shops exist everywhere across the globe, allowing the business to become noticeably an
“international organization”. The utilization of the web additionally enables this to happen. Any
electronic good can be delivered from the business to where a client location is. Web is used for
making all the necessary payments, which permits their worldwide financial transactions to
happen without any delay.
The entry of Apple as a brand that is “fetishized” as one which represents class and social
symbol has boosted the revenue of the brand in the upscale markets (Bentancor 2015).
Globalization has also lead to cultural transaction across the globe and “fetishization” of certain
brands and products in the west has broadcasted the same feelings in developing nations and
Asian countries.
The international operations of Apple is strategized and managed globally by the
international headquarters in California in United States of America. However, all the major
countries in which it operates have their own head offices. Hence, the structure is perfectly
fragmented but accountable to a central authority. Apple follows a matrix structure of
international business (Rothaermel 2015). International customer loyalty enjoyed by Apple is
often envied by many of its competitors. The brand has repeated appearance in a number of
portals as the world’s most valuable brand including the Forbes list in 2016 in which it topped
(Badenhausen, 2018).

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CONCLUSION
Apple is one of the most successful and biggest companies of the world today. It has
operations in all the major economies of the world. It can truly be called a global organization.
There were a number of questions about its global operations in terms of human resource
utilization and pollution management. There were quite a number of legal cases around the
company in many countries regarding taxation and liabilities. However, the goodwill of the
company supersedes any controversies it has faced across time and geography. The marketing of
its initial successful product mainly depended on the foreign job markets. Apple has been mainly
operating its manufacturing units at China. The main competitors of Apple have been taking
various strategies to take over the sales and revenue of the company. However, Apple continues
to be a leader in the Smart phone sector in most of the world today.

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7> [Accessed 17 Jan. 2018].

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Nytimes.com, 2018. Apple’s International Structure. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at:
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