Apple Inc.: Leadership and Management Analysis

This assignment examines the concepts of leadership and management within the context of Apple Inc., focusing particularly on the influential role played by Steve Jobs. It delves into the distinctions between these two concepts, highlighting key differences in their approaches and applications. The analysis explores how Jobs' personal leadership and management skills contributed to Apple's success, emphasizing his visionary approach, charismatic influence, and emphasis on innovation. Furthermore, the assignment investigates the impact of organizational objectives, values, and culture on leadership and management roles at Apple, illustrating how these factors shaped Jobs' strategies and ultimately drove the company's achievements.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Organizational Analysis of Apple Inc
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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1ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Evaluation of the terms Leadership and Management and their application in Apple Inc.
Leadership refers to the action of leading the employees of an organization towards
achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. Leaders motivate the team members
through the work process and boosts up their morale to accomplish the goals. Management refers
to the process of planning, organizing, controlling and leading the resources within an enterprise
with the aim of achieving the objectives. It also includes the decision making and problem
solving skills for effective functioning1.
The three basic differences between leadership and management are that a leader
innovates or invents and a manager organizes, a leader inspires people and a manager controls
people, and a leader relies on ‘what’ and ‘why’, while a manager relies on ‘how’ and ‘when’.
Leadership skills require more judgment skills, while management requires more organizational
skills.
Apple Inc. shows a good example of leadership and management. The founder and
former CEO, Steve Jobs, emerged as one of the most successful leaders of the world. He was
able to inspire people to perform their best and produce one of the most high quality products.
The management of apple was quite simple, without much hierarchical levels. Jobs preferred to
hire and keep the right people at the right position and also paid them worth of their skills.
Hence, the way of organizing and controlling the resources is much simpler in Apple even after
Jobs’s death2.
1 Long, Andrew. "Leadership and management." ABC of Clinical Leadership (2017): 5.
2 Heracleous, Loizos, and Laura Alexa Klaering. "Charismatic leadership and rhetorical competence: An analysis of
Steve Jobs’s rhetoric." Group & Organization Management 39, no. 2 (2014): 131-161.

2ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Evaluation of the personal leadership and management skills required to support
achievement of organizational objectives of Apple
Personal leadership skills and management skills are extremely important in case of
achieving the organizational objectives of any company. In Apple, Steve Jobs brought his far
sightedness, charismatic and transformational leadership style to inspire the employees. He has
brought the transformation in the products and in services. Innovation, invention, elegance in
design and visionary approach towards leadership were another skills displayed by Steve Jobs to
achieve the organizational goals of competitive advantage through innovation3.
For the management of the organization, Steve Jobs used his conceptual skills,
communication skills, interpersonal skills and effectiveness skills to run the company efficiently
and smoothly. Apart from those, the efficient planning, goal setting, responsibility towards the
employees and customers, accountability, ethics, adaptability and time management were some
other personal management skills that Jobs applied to expand and grow Apple. All the qualities
of leadership and management skills of Jobs led to the development and innovation of high
quality products to meet the customers’ needs4.
Analysis of the impact of organizational objectives, values and cultures on the leadership
and management role
Organizational objectives, values and organizational culture are extremely essential and
influential factors for successful management and leadership. Leaders bring new and different
3 Goetsch, David L., and Stanley B. Davis. Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: pearson, 2014.
4 Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications, 2015.

3ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
values and approach within the organization to make the necessary changes to accomplish the
goals and objectives. Organizational values are the unwritten guidelines that shape the
perspectives of an organization and its actions. Values lead to organizational culture and beliefs;
and distinguish the organization from others. Organizational culture plays a major role in
creating healthy environment within the organization, which motivates the employees to perform
better5.
Apple is founded on the values of high quality, customs and standards for the products
and employees. It has a collaborative and cooperative organizational culture that allows the
employees to showcase their creativity without any hesitation. Efficient customer service and
creation of value to the customers with the transactional and transformational leadership and
efficient management are the key strategies of Apple. The company remained true to its values of
providing innovative products to the customer even before they know about their own needs6.
Analysis of the leadership and management skills of Steve Jobs in Apple
Steve Jobs was an unconventional leader. He was successful in reading the minds of the
customers and delivering them what they want even before they realize themselves. I-phone and
other Apple products are the pioneering products in the smart technology. Steve Jobs followed
the autocratic style of leadership. It is a form of transactional leadership, where the leader has
absolute power over the employees. He used to demand excellence from his staffs and criticized
bluntly when required. He was a visionary leader as well as inflicted motivation among his
5 Avolio, Bruce J., and Francis J. Yammarino, eds. "Introduction to, and overview of, transformational and
charismatic leadership." In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary
Edition, pp. xxvii-xxxiii. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2013.
6 Alvesson, Mats, ed. Organizational culture. Sage, 2016.

4ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
employees through his charisma7. He was also able to manage his resources quite well. He
preferred to keep his management strategies simple. Heracleous and Klaering (2014) say that,
Jobs had the talent to identify the correct person for the correct role and paid them accordingly.
He did not believe in promotions only due to tenure. He controlled his business to achieve the
perfection. With his vision, far sightedness, quest for perfection, motivational skills and
innovation skills, Steve Jobs became an extremely successful leader in the smart technology
industry8.
7 Abraham, Manish. "Five Leadership skills that made Steve Jobs transform Apple." (2014).
8 Heracleous, Loizos, and Laura Alexa Klaering. "Charismatic leadership and rhetorical competence: An analysis of
Steve Jobs’s rhetoric." Group & Organization Management 39, no. 2 (2014): 131-161.

5ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
References
Abraham, Manish. "Five Leadership skills that made Steve Jobs transform Apple." (2014).
Alvesson, Mats, ed. Organizational culture. Sage, 2016.
Avolio, Bruce J., and Francis J. Yammarino, eds. "Introduction to, and overview of,
transformational and charismatic leadership." In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership:
The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary Edition, pp. xxvii-xxxiii. Emerald Group Publishing Limited,
2013.
Goetsch, David L., and Stanley B. Davis. Quality management for organizational excellence.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson, 2014.
Heracleous, Loizos, and Laura Alexa Klaering. "Charismatic leadership and rhetorical
competence: An analysis of Steve Jobs’s rhetoric." Group & Organization Management 39, no.
2 (2014): 131-161.
Long, Andrew. "Leadership and management." ABC of Clinical Leadership (2017): 5.
Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications, 2015.