Strategic Leadership in Apple

STRATEGIC
LEADERSHIP

Table of Contents
TABLE OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Company background:.................................................................................................................1
Organisational change in Apple Inc............................................................................................1
Leadership approach to manage change in Apple.......................................................................1
Resistance to change and to manage change in Apple Inc..........................................................4
Ethical leadership and corporate governance in Apple Inc.........................................................5
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION....................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Lewin’s change management theory................................................................................2
Figure 2: Triple bottom line.............................................................................................................3
Figure 3: Force field analysis..........................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Strategic leadership define to the manager's prospective to express the strategic vision for
company or the part of firm and to persuade and motivate people to acquire that vision. It also
defined as utilizing scheme in management of workers. Someone with strategic leadership style
able to react strategically to change or environmental shifts (Bakari, Hunjra and Niazi 2017:
105). The present report is based on Apple company as one of the broad technology firm that
desire to make plan based on new product launch. It explains different alternative approaches
that organization used to introduce change and effectiveness of technique of introduction and
leadership approach. Furthermore, role of leadership in relation to overcoming resistance to
change and managing change as well.
Company background:
Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Woznaik on 1976 April
for developing or selling Apple I personal computer so it was incorporated in January 1977 as
Apple Computer Inc. This is an American MNC operating on worldwide level with selling,
developing and designing consumer electronics and others products. Apple is considered to be
one of the 4 leading and biggest companies of world including others like that of Amazon,
Google and Facebook.
Organisational change in Apple Inc.:
Apple is considered to be as one of the finest example of centralised organisation which
is having all its operational and functional management with its top level management. The
company thus allow business and leadership restructuring with having better access to
distribution of data, sales and channels into global market. Company is still resisting changes
inot its environment or organisation which is creating problem with its structuring. Thus Apple is
focusing on internal factors which are leading to changes that are opposed by management team.
It is also critiqued for its centralised organisation which means decision making is also all
centrally only.
Leadership approach to manage change in Apple
Apple is the American multi-national technology organization they develop, designs and
sells computer software, customer electronics and online services. It is considered as one of the
leading and big four of company along with Google, Amazon and Facebook. IPhone smartphone,
Mac personal computer, iPad tablet computer, Apple Watch, Apple Air Pods, iOS, Apple TV
1

digital media player, and Home Pod smart speaker is included in firm's hardware goods. New
products launch such as Apple smart car is strategic change in company that impact on overall
business performance. In this situation organization used Lewin’s change management theory
and situational leadership approach that help to introduce change.
Lewin’s change management theory is the time tested smoothly applied concept that is
often considered suitable for personal, epitome of change models and organizational change
(DuBois et al. 2015: 75). It is planned change guide that belong to three vital and distinct stages:
Unfreezing stage, moving to the new change stage or Level and Refreezing stage.
Figure 1: Lewin’s change management theory
Unfreezing- It includes finding the method of making it achievable for Apple to let go of
the old pattern which is harmful in some way and launch new product as change which is
beneficial for them. Company desire to launch new Apple Smart Car that is needed to drive
people more and more than any other technology firm. They want to provide good experience to
people and satisfy their needs. The management of organization make plan based on their new
change and take suggest from followers which is required to implement change or launch new
product. High management analyse current situations that help to take any decision related to
Smart car launch.
Move to new Change- This level involve the procedure of change in thoughts, behaviour
and feelings that is some way more productive or liberating than doing things in old way ().
During this stage company include take final decision to launch Apple smart Car and make all
the final preparation on it. After analysing need of change management of company start the
process and successfully achieve it.
2

Refreezing- After analysing and making plan relate to product launch, management of
Apple company is ready to launch new goods in market place which successfully steal eye of
people because of attractive features and design.
Situational leadership approach- New product launch is one of the biggest opportunity
for Apple as to generate more awareness among people and it defines its strength as leading
brand in marketplace. Leader of Apple company adjust itself according to change, they motivate
team member to give their efforts to implement change and make it successful. They try to
analyse need of launching new Apple Smart Car and then guide its team members to make it
successful and achievable.
Lewin’s Change management theory is very effective concept that help to analyse
situation make effective plan and then finally implement change within whole organizational
structure effectively (Hussain et al. 2018: 25). Effectiveness of situational Leadership
approach is that it simply adapts in way that is appropriate considering elements such as
organizational culture and structure and goals to be achieved. It helps to drive team towards new
change and also support to motivate people for adopting change within business.
Triple bottom line is the best theory that recommends that Apple commit to centring on
environmental and social concerns just as they focus on profit and financial performance. People,
profits and planet is the three components of this theory which help company to raise their
performance better than before.
Figure 2: Triple bottom line
There are the three components of triple bottom-
3

People- Company must focus on customers’ needs and requirements which is essential
for business growth and success in marketplace (Kaminski 2017). Apple should focuses on
people perspectives and considers change in their demands as it is beneficial for company
progress.
Planet- the management of company must focus on working environment of workers and
contribute to create health workplace atmosphere as it is also useful and effective for
organisation and its overall business operations.
Profit- Management and other department of Apple make the better solutions and
determine strategies for increasing probability and ways for enhancing productivity than before.
Force field analysis is another theory just like Lewin’s change management as well as
triple Bottom line. It provides many benefits to Apple as help to think about pressures against
and for decision and make change in its business. It helps company to focus on those factors that
affect business as well as financial performance. Force field analysis is divided into two part;
forces of change and forces against change (Meier 2016).
Figure 3: Force field analysis
Customers demand for new products and improvement in production speed is beneficial
for Apple and drives them towards growth it considers as force for change. On the other side due
to lack of staff members Apple cannot be able to fulfil the needs of consumers and improve the
4

speed of manufacture procedure, as it consider as the force that against change or success of
company.
Resistance to change and to manage change in Apple Inc
Leadership play essential role to manage change within Apple and drive people towards
organizational goals. Leaders with effective leadership style must manage any change for
example product launch which is beneficial for them as well as for company (Meier 2016).
Without leadership it is impossible to manage workers or group of people within company as it
impact on business performance and productivity. Leadership style help to motivate staff and
enhance their productivity more than before that help to achieve desired organizational objective
and accomplish task. Leader with good leadership can be able to analyse requirement of change
and then make plan based on training and development session that support to build effective
team and improve skills and knowledge of staff members. Leadership role is to guide people how
to produce new things and ways to interact with other staff that contribute to create positive
environment and grow business more than previous.
Leadership style also play vital role in context of overcoming resistance of change that is
effective and useful for Apple. Launch of new Apple Smart Car is strategic change that impact
on workers' performance as well as business. Organization workers is expert in manufacturing
iPhone mobiles and gadgets, Apple Smart car is one of the change that affect staff members'
productivity, put pressure on them which is not appropriate and demotivate all the workers. At
this situation leadership style help a lot, leader of Apple company efforts to motivate all the staff
members and make the best training plan that help to develop skills and knowledge among team
to achieve goals and manufacture new product.
Ethical leadership and corporate governance in Apple Inc
Corporate governance will involve the management efforts that are helping into
managing the balance of interest for the various stakeholders like that of employees, suppliers,
financiers and community as overall. As an electronic giant Apple many people are criticising its
corporate governance during the recent years. So this means that company is taking up several
measures for enhancing the policies and procedures with increasing the broad of directors and
independent committee members. The Broad of directors of company is intended to expand its
role as independent nominating committee for including the new leaders. Ethical leadership
5

include which is directed towards respecting ethical belief and values for dignity or rights of
others. This is linked with honesty, fairness and trust of people.
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
From above it’s been summarized that Apple desired to make some change and wants to
launch their new Smart car. Lewin’s change management theory and situational leadership
approach is using by firm to implement change successfully and grab the attention of customers
within marketplace. Both methods are very effective and beneficial for organization as to
improve productivity. Furthermore, leadership style play role in firm as to motivate and inspire
team to achieve desired organizational objectives and business goals relate to new product
launch.
Recommendation-
Triple bottom theory is suitable for Apple as recommended for adopting this model
within their business structure which helps to generate profit and raise financial budget. With the
help of Triple bottom theory company must focuses on people, planet and profit that contribute
to sustain in market place for longer term.
6

REFERENCES
Online Journals
R,Asnan, N,Nordin and S.N.Othman.(2015). Managing change on lean implementation in
service sector. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. [Online]. Available through :
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187704281505380X>. [01 July
2019]
H,Bakari, A.I,Hunjra and G.S.K.Niazi.(2017). How does authentic leadership influence planned
organizational change? The role of employees’ perceptions: Integration of Theory of
Planned Behavior and Lewin's three step model. Journal of Change Management.
[Online]. Available through :
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14697017.2017.1299370>
M.DuBois and et.al.,(2015). Leadership Styles of Effective Project Managers: Techniques and
Traits to Lead High Performance Teams. Journal of Economic Development,
Management, IT, Finance & Marketing. [Online]. Available through :
http://prosandconrads.com/files/4.pdf> . [01 July 2019]
S.T.Hussain and et.al.,(2018). Kurt Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of
leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation
& Knowledge. [Online]. Available through :
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2444569X16300087> . [01 July
2019]
Kaminski (2017)Lewin’s Change Theory. [Online]. Available through :
<https://cjni.net/journal/?p=1210>. [01 July 2019]
Meier, D.(2016)Situational Leadership Theory as a Foundation for a Blended Learning
Framework. Journal of Education and Practice[Online]. Available through :
<https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1099593>. [01 July 2019]
7