LCBB4003: Introducing the Modern Workplace

LCBB4003: Introducing the Modern Workplace
Introduction
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This report involves a rational and academically supported overview of what is beneficial and
harmful to Apple Inc.'s organisational structure, culture, performance, and employee
behaviour in context of human resource policy and practise. Apple Inc. was founded on April
1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. A few months after its founding,
specifically on the 3rd of January 1977. Apple released its shares to the public in 1980, a
move that catapulted the company to a broad prosperity (Russell and Cohn 2012).
LO1
Apple Organisational Structure
Apple Inc.'s organisational structure allows robust and rapid expansion, which is critical to
the company's success in the information technology, online services, and consumer
electronics industries. A corporation's organisational or corporate structure is made up of
personnel groups, services, and the relationships between these groups and resources. The
organisational design serves as a framework for developing and managing the organization's
structure. In this business research of Apple Inc., the organisational structure supports
policies that foster continued technological advancement. The structural characteristics of the
business stick to a traditional hierarchical system while integrating elements from other
organisational systems. Apple Inc.'s success is inextricably linked to innovation and Steve
Jobs' leadership, and the company's organisational structure helps ensure that leadership is
supported. Apple's organisational structure has undergone many small changes under Tim
Cook's leadership to meet current multinational industry and sector demands. Apple Inc.'s
organisational structure is hierarchical, with distinct divisional characteristics and an
inadequate operating matrix. Hierarchy is a hierarchical feature of traditional business
organisations. The divisional characteristics refer to the categories of Apple's products, such
as iOS and macOS (Jurich 2014). If the hierarchy is preserved, the fragile functional matrix
necessitates inter-divisional teamwork. The organisational structure of Apple is described by
the following characteristics:
 Hierarchy with spokes and wheels - Apple's organisational structure is highly
hierarchical, as shown from a bird's-eye view. Previously, all passed by Steve Jobs.
Jobs are responsible for all significant executive strategy decisions. Nevertheless,
under Tim Cook's leadership, Apple's organisational structure has shifted somewhat.
The corporation now has a greater level of coordination between its various divisions,
such as software and hardware departments. Apple's vice presidents now have a
greater degree of control, which was formerly restricted and nominal under
Employment. Thus, the hierarchical structure of the enterprise has been less static, but
it retains a spoke-and-wheel hierarchy with Tim Cook at the top. The upper tier
(innermost tier in the spoke-and-wheel circle) of the corporate structure employs
function-based classification, a feature extracted from the functional organisational
structure type. Senior vice presidents report to Tim Cook and are responsible for
corporate operations. Apple, for example, has an executive vice president in charge of
sales and another in charge of international marketing. Via this strategic aspect, the
company's top leaders address consumer demands in terms of market functional
departments. (Jurich 2014).
 Divisions depending on products - Apple's organisational framework is subdivided
into different levels based on product categories, a divisional organisational structure
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feature. Vice presidents and senior vice presidents oversee a variety of outputs or
products. Apple, for example, has a Senior Vice President of Software Engineering
(iOS and macOS), a Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering (Mac, iPhone,
iPad, and iPod), and a Senior Director of Hardware components. This division of the
organisational structure is responsible for the management of the company's specific
products or commodity components. (Russell and Cohn 2012)
 Matrix functionally insufficient - Apple Inc.'s weak operational matrix refers to the
interdependence of the company's various components. In a dysfunctional functional
matrix, upper management directs tasks, while project heads have no authority and
control. To begin, the organisational structure facilitates coordination between
hardware and software teams. As a result, the organisation promotes the
dissemination of information necessary for innovation processes. This systemic trait
contributes to the efficiency and rapidity of innovation processes, two of the market's
primary strengths. This feature of the organisational structure allows the company to
maintain rigorous innovation processes that foster brand growth and the use of
premium pricing strategies. (Russell and Cohn 2012)
Below are defined an advantage and a disadvantage of the organisational structure that Apple
utilizes:
 Advantage – Powerful organisational control - Apple's corporate structure is
hierarchical, which enables the company to maintain a high level of executive
authority. In theory, hierarchy enables top executives like Tim Cook to have complete
authority over the organisation. The hierarchy essentially controls company processes
and product-based groups by the CEO's and other top executives' decisions. This
advantage of Apple Inc.'s organisational structure enables quick and efficient strategic
management execution and contributes to the organization's overall coherence
(Robbins et al. 2013).
 Disadvantage – Company's restricted adaptability - Apple's organisational framework
has the downside of being rigid. Typically, hierarchy prevents lower levels of the
system from reacting flexibly to real business and customer requirements. For
example, the product-based divisions of the corporation must wait for direction from
the CEO or other top executives before making changes to address consumer
electronics market trends. Tim Cook, on the other hand, has made several
improvements by increasing collaboration among the company's different divisions.
This type of partnership increases an organization's adaptability. Apple's hierarchical
framework, on the other hand, is not conducive to rapid transition, since all must pass
through Tim Cook and top management (Robbins et al. 2013).
Apple Organisational Culture
The company culture of Apple Inc. is vital to the corporation's ongoing growth. A
corporation's organisational or corporate culture describes and retains the business
philosophy, values, opinions, and related practises for its employees. As shown in this
business assessment context, Apple's organisational culture enables human capital to advance
a range of strategic objectives. For example, the company's cultural characteristics align with
its pursuit of innovation, which is important for success in the information technology,
internet services, and consumer electronics industries. This business environment, as
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described by Apple Inc.'s internal community, allows the company to fulfil its corporate
mission and vision statements. Under Steve Jobs' and more recently Tim Cook's leadership,
the company has sought to reinforce its cultural characteristics in order to optimise
intellectual capital support for marketplace significance in several markets worldwide. Apple
forms its organisational culture and leverages it to run a strategically sound and profitable
enterprise. (Brooks 2009).
Apple Inc. engenders an atmosphere that encourages innovative thinking. The cultural
characteristics of the organisation emphasise the importance of maintaining a high level of
creativity, which involves ingenuity and a willingness to challenge existing standards and
standards. The organisation is dependent on cultural support and coherence, which are critical
factors in deciding competitiveness and market leadership, particularly when it comes to
robust and rapid technological advancement and product development. (Brooks 2009).
Additionally, Apple's corporate organisational culture has a tradition of recruiting only the
best talent available. Steve Jobs was well-known for firing workers who fell short of his
standards. This tradition will continue under Tim Cook's leadership. These legacy preserves
and strengthens an organisational culture that values, encourages, and demands superior
performance from workers. Apple's company has institutionalised this cultural characteristic.
For instance, the organisation has policies in place to identify and promote employee
excellence. The importance of excellence is stressed throughout the company, especially in
product design and development, which is a significant growth strategy (Brooks 2009).
Additionally, Apple's business culture fosters rapid creativity. The company is often cited as
one of the most innovative in the world. In the basis of this cultural trait, the organisation
trains and motivates its employees to innovate in terms of individual job performance and
contributions to food manufacturing processes. Apple Inc.'s economic model is based on
rapid expansion, and is encouraged by the company's corporate culture. Rapid innovation
allows the business to continue delivering attractive and compelling products and services to
its target audiences. (Russell and Cohn 2012)
From another point of view, Apple's business culture is mildly combative. This quality has
been linked to Steve Jobs and his combative leadership style. He was infamous for
conducting arbitrary tests to determine if employees had the requisite qualifications to work
at Apple. However, the organisation has been moving toward a more sociable and less
combative organisational culture under Tim Cook's leadership. Nevertheless, combativeness
remains a major element in company. Apple's organisational culture is mildly combative,
with a focus on employee performance. (Russell and Cohn 2012).
LO2
Leadership is described as the mechanism by which an individual exerts control over other
group members in order to achieve group or organisational objectives. As described,
leadership is a process that entails both influencing a community and achieving an aim. This
is consistent with Shackleton's concept, which implies that leaders inspire others to
accomplish collective goals in some way (Brooks 2009).
On the other hand, transformational leadership can be characterised in terms of how the
leader impacts or effects his followers. According to scholars, charm alone does not describe
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a transformational chief. Transformational leaders should be able to elicit intense emotions in
their followers, eliciting identification with the chief (Brooks 2009).
In contrast to transformational leadership, which is viewed as unethical and attribute’s
transformational ability to individuals such as Adolf Hitler, it is often identified with and has
been associated with higher morals, with the assumption that only moral leaders are capable
of change. He believes that effective leadership must be purpose-driven and goal-oriented,
and that effectiveness is determined by a leader's capacity to effect social change. According
to some theorists, leadership is described as 'leaders inducing followers to act in ways that
reflect the managers' and staff' beliefs and incentives.' (Robbins et al. 2013)
Steve Jobs, Apple's former CEO, is a visionary executive with a deep love for innovation and
inspiration. According to Weber, Burns, and Bass's models, Steve Jobs was a
transformational leader because he was able to inspire and control the workforce at Apple to
achieve the highest level of productivity. Apple's meteoric rise is widely thought to have been
helped significantly by Jobs' incredible energy, convincing personality, and persuasiveness
(Jurich 2014).
It is understood that transformational leaders use their influence and power to radically
reform, thus altering established ways of doing things. This is what Steve Jobs accomplished,
as critics say he motivated Apple workers to create novel products by thinking differently.
Additionally, he is said to have encouraged his staff to 'transform the word.' (Jurich 2014)
According to the qualities of transformational leaders as shown in the models, Jobs achieved
the highest level of productivity by requiring loyalty, ambition, bravery, and selflessness
from his workers.
However, the downside of this style of leadership is that individual preferences take a back
seat to duty. This is shown by the report's observation that Apple staff see the business as a
group rather than a family, and that Apple places a higher premium on work fulfilment than
on protocol or relationship creation. (Robbins et al. 2013).
Additionally, another disadvantage to transformational leadership is the leader's absolute
need, since it is a leader-centric scheme. According to analysts, Apple's greatest obstacle is
their deep attachment to Jobs, the company's inspirational chief. A man credited with
propelling Apple to new heights. Stakeholders, on the other hand, are worried about the
company's prospects without him (Robbins et al. 2013).
Given that Jobs will not be at the helm of Apple for the next decade, it may be prudent for
Apple to begin developing succession plans for Jobs. Failure to plan for the far future can
clearly mean 'planning to fail.' (Robbins et al. 2013)
LO3
Below we are going to present the different behavioral approaches to management of Apple
Inc, through understanding the factors that affect differences in their staff:
 Teamwork management – When one considers an integral component of any
organisation, coordination is almost always the first thing that comes to mind.
Without collaboration, no business will succeed. Teamwork not only allows for the
expression of diverse thoughts, but it is also important to complete a task. Teamwork
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is a collaborative endeavour to accomplish a mission. Apple Inc. places a premium on
collaboration. Apple is founded on creativity and the pursuit of innovative
technologies. With Apple customers' constant requests, Apple workers must
collaborate to determine the best way to meet these demands. Apple must understand
several facets of the business when developing their product. They must understand
the product's infrastructure, publicity, financial viability, and ease of use. Since each
of these elements is critical to the quality of an Apple product, Apple staff in each of
these areas must collaborate and work together to create a good product. Steve Jobs,
former Apple CEO, defined teamwork as the ability to allow others to perform their
assigned tasks without constantly monitoring them. Steve Jobs' conviction in the
significance and foundation of teamwork helped in the establishment of teamwork's
importance and foundation at Apple. Apple's theory of collaboration is composed of
seven essential components. The first is that there is a single point of contact. The
second is that Apple needs weekly meetings with project teams. Thirdly, teamwork
starts at the top and cascades down the organisation. Trust is critical, according to the
fourth tenet. The fifth component is to be able to make compelling arguments. This is
a method for inspiring individuals to maximise their potential. Sixth, individuals must
be allowed to make their own decisions. Finally, and perhaps most critically, work
against a common goal. (Russell and Cohn 2012).
 Stress management – It's no surprise that Apple Inc. workers face significant stress.
Constant deadlines, the need to come up with fresh and creative solutions, and the
constant nagging from confused consumers are only a few reasons that add to Apple
employees' tension. Thus, how can Apple staff maintain their sanity? By means of
anger control. Steve Jobs, the late Apple CEO, was a devout practitioner of yoga,
even marrying in a Zen ceremony. Jobs wanted to incorporate these principles into his
organisation as a result of his experience in being focused and his ability to withstand
depression as a result of meditation. According to OnlineMBA.com, Jobs encourages
staff to "take 30 minutes per day to meditate at work" by including on-site mediation
and yoga courses and access to a meditation area. Numerous businesses do not have
this stress-relieving break through the workday. Though 30 minutes can sound
insignificant during a workday, investing 30 minutes per day to de-stress will work
well for a person. Stress reduction has been shown to improve a person's physical and
mental health. Additionally, it will assist them in doing well at work and making work
more fun. In extreme situations, such as with Steve Jobs, meditation, and the lessons
he discovered during his meditation sessions were critical to his performance at
Apple. Individuals can have happier lifestyles as they are granted more opportunities
throughout the day to exercise anger relief strategies (Jurich 2014).
 Goal Setting management – Apple is a massive corporation with thousands of
workers. At times, the job environment can be overwhelming, depleting an
employee's endurance. To keep things running smoothly, administrators must inspire
their workers to continue working productively. Steve Jobs, Apple's former CEO,
invested in encouraging his employees to believe in themselves as well as the
company. Steve Jobs is a believer in socialised control, which is where a person
utilizes their "boss role" to express an interest in the well-being of others and the
organisation, thereby uniting and inspiring all parties involved. Consequently, Apple
employees draw inspiration from one another. They rely on one another and motivate
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one another to be creative and effective. There are many minds at work when it comes
to developing modern Apple technologies, and this allows colleagues to have one
another's backs to provide support. Apple is a very team-oriented organisation, with
several workers collaborating on programmes. When workers may feed off one
another, it increases incentive for everyone. Apple's belief in sincere compassion for
others distinguishes them as a selfless organisation that genuinely cares for the
success of each of their workers. Through this help, inspiration is easily shared
(Russell and Cohn 2012).
 Motivation – Apple is a multibillion-dollar corporation with thousands of employees.
Occasionally, work could be exhausting and drain an employee's stamina. Managers
must motivate their employees to continue successfully identifies in order to keep
everything running smoothly. Steve Jobs, the corporation's former CEO, assumed in
encouraging his people to think in themselves as well as the company. Steve Jobs
assumed in socialised power, which is when an individual uses their position to
demonstrate an interest in others and the organization's goals, thereby uniting and
motivating all parties involved. Additionally, Apple employees motivate one another.
They rely on one another and motivate one another to be creative and productive. The
minds behind latest iPhone innovations are numerous, and this requires co-workers to
have one another's backs and provide support. Apple is a highly collaborative
organisation, with numerous employees working on a project collaboratively. When
workers can feed off one another, everyone benefits from increased motivation.
Apple's belief in genuine concern for others has resulted in a selfless company that
genuinely cares about the success of each of its staff. With this kind of
encouragement, it's simple to spread ambition (Jurich 2014).
 Employee satisfaction of their jobs – Apple employees, whether they work in a
department store or at Apple headquarters, have a difficult career. Having said that,
Apple workers have expressed their satisfaction with the company, stating that it is a
wonderful place to work. Apple was ranked eighth by The Huffington Post in their
article titled "The 10 Best Companies to Work With." The bulk of Apple workers
express satisfaction with their careers. Employees express satisfaction with their jobs
at Apple and they believe their work has a significant effect on others. They like
feeling that their actions have a direct effect on others and that they are contributing to
something greater. Employees really appreciate the fact that they are surrounded by
intelligent individuals. Each employee at Apple is ambitious and imaginative in their
own way, and employees feel as if they are actively learning from their colleagues
and improving themselves. Contrary to common opinion, many workers report that
they have a great deal of autonomy and flexibility at Apple and are not micromanaged
as many people believe (Jurich 2014).
References
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Brooks, I. (2009). Organisational Behaviour. Pearson Education.
Jurich, J. (2014). Apple Inc Patent Landscape Analysis – January 1, 1994 to December 31,
2013. IPGenix LLC.
Robbins, S., A., T., Millett, B. and Boyle, M. (2013). Organisational Behaviour. Pearson
Higher Education AU.
Russell, J. and Cohn, R. (2012). Apple Inc. Book on Demand Limited.
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