BS4S16: Evaluating Leadership & Management Theories in Apple Inc.

This report critically evaluates the application of leadership and management theories within Apple Inc., focusing on the leadership styles of Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. It begins by providing background information on the consumer electronics sector and Apple's organizational structure and culture. The report then delves into an evaluation of various leadership theories, including path-goal theory and trait theory, as applied to Apple's leadership. Furthermore, it examines management theories such as Taylorism, Weber's bureaucratic theory, and Elton Mayo's management theory in the context of Apple's organizational practices. The analysis considers the fit, or lack thereof, between these theories and the evidenced practices within Apple, offering a comprehensive perspective on the company's leadership and management approaches. Desklib provides a platform for students to access this assignment and other solved papers.

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Background of the sector.......................................................................................................3
1.2 Background of the organization.............................................................................................4
1.3 Organization structure...........................................................................................................5
1.4 Culture of the organization....................................................................................................6
2. Leadership theory of Apple.........................................................................................................8
2.1 Evaluation of leadership theory and approach.......................................................................8
2.2 Application of leadership theory...........................................................................................9
2.3 Path goal theory management of leader...............................................................................10
2.4 Trait theory of leadership and leader management..............................................................11
3. Management theory of the organization....................................................................................13
3.1 Taylorism and scientific management process....................................................................13
3.2 Bureaucratic Theory of Max Weber....................................................................................14
3.3 Management theory of Elton Mayo.....................................................................................15
4. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................16
Reference List................................................................................................................................18

2
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES

3
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Topic: Critical evaluation of leadership theories in Apple Inc. and management theories to
the organization
1. Introduction
Leadership is one of the significant elements of controlling the entire organizational
situation and set some objectives for the development of the organization. Organization authority
and responsibility bestowed on the leader and the vision and mission of the targeted achievement
is the key process in this situation. The matter of communication and motivation is the key
deliverance that leader delivers to employees and also maintain a healthy relationship for
encouraging them and motivate them for the better work. There are different types of leadership
and every leader has different perspective to use that for the development of employees’ outcome
and organizational productivity. The team bonding is also depending on the leadership theory
used by the leader. Autocratic, Democratic, Transformational, Cross-cultural, Facilitative, Team
leadership, Laissez-faire, Transactional, Coaching, Charismatic and Visionary – all these forms
of leadership are quite popular and effective in terms of managing the situation and provide
better attitude to an employee and to know the nature of the behavior (Kaiser, McGinnis and
Overfield 2012). There are some specific situations when management entirely depends on the
leadership aspect and that is the reason effective interaction and the immediate solution may
come from that process. Handling the pressure and problems is the crucial matter in that case and
leader has to take the responsibility so that organization can confront in the adverse situation.
Employees are like followers in that case and they have to follow leaders’ mindset in that case.
The style of interaction and communication is the crucial matter in business in that case and
leaders’ communication skill is the major strength of them.

4
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
In this paper, Apple Inc. has been chosen and leader of the company at this time is the
key focus of this process. The company is one of the most successful company and they are
improving their product origins and deliver the best in each time. They are serving all over the
world and the marketing inference is very high for Apple (Apple.com 2018). The use of
leadership quality provided by the leader of the organization is the key matter and evaluation of
the procedure and growth in the market is the key process that marketing advancement. The
evaluation of leadership theory and aligned with all other management theory is the key process
that acclaimed and justify the use of leadership process used by the company. The services
provided by the company is unique and has a significant impact on people and that is the reason
most of the upper class or niche category people use their product.
1.1 Background of the sector
Apple is under the consumer electronic device industry. It caters individual and
professional field. The main sector of this and most of the goods are used for self-activities. The
commercials good starts on TV, radio, laptops, desktops, phone, phone peripherals and different
other option is there. The appliances are quite entertaining as well as significant in case of use.
Radio broadcasting in the 20th century brought the major change in consumers and they love the
product as well as they found those products are quite effective for leisure time and the starts of
people relaxation medium have changed after that. In 1920’s radio became the basic mass
broadcasting process and people use the practical uses of it (Apple.com 2018). The invention of
the transistor in the year 1947 the huge impact of people and then they have another option other
than the radio. The transistor radios, cheaper consumer goods, television, video games, personal
computer all these comes after some generation later when people understand the need for

5
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
entertainment in their lifestyle. The typical CoCo 3 computer system was introduced in the 1980s
and that was the start of increased access of technological perspective (Apple.com 2018).
1.2 Background of the organization
Apple Inc. is the multinational corporation that provides consumer good and processes
the digital distribution. The company has a chain of retail stores and that is the reason they have
a huge market over the international market. When Apple II was introduced, the company never
thought about the revolutionary change made by them and that signifies the mastermind of Steve
Jobs and Steve Wozniak (Apple.com 2018). The new corporate philosophy had come from the
CEO's end and Steve started some innovative platform that people love to use. The price range of
all Apple products was the high acceptability in that time also and the reason behind that is very
crucial. The management always wants that a segmented target market for the company and
people who have the products of this company must not buy any other products further. The
platform for iOS is completely different than any other platform and promoting this material is
the key manner of this process (Teece 2014). The first logo of Apple is completely different and
it was drawn by Ronald Wayne. The New logo was created by Rob Janoff in 1977 and it was in
the rainbow scheme and it used till 1999 (Apple.com 2018). Jobs interested in making the
machine so decided to approach for a local computer store and never thought about the
revelation. However, the entrepreneurship and lust for achievement is the key matter in that case.
It had a relatively conservative design for computers also. The leveling of integrated circuit chip
entry was the key system that enriched with the development process. The model launched in
1983 and calculated computing had done through the process. The presentation of the fast-
growing Californian manufacturer and proceed them for the use of student education was the

6
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
prime marketing holding and stretching strategy that encourages the company development
aspect.
1.3 Organization structure
The organization structure of Apple was totally focused on the CEO of the organization,
which means Steve Jobs. All the decision making qualities are in the CEO’s hand. The chain of
employee relation is formulated by the CEO and that is the crucial aspect of generating the ideas
(Apple.com 2018). The leader had an idea to change in the dimension of the organization and
this need to be put in the right manner from the employees and the CEO is not answerable for
anyone for this process. The change in the management and the positive side of mentioning the
leader is the key manner of this. The role in case of managing the situation was completely
depended on Steve Jobs. This is a unique formulation of organization structure and that is the
reason all the departments reports to the head of the organization. This is considered as ‘Spoke-
and-wheel hierarchy’ and the hierarchy is quite round in shape and has the most significant
characteristic that considerable formulated as bird-eye view. This was not a perfect structure for
the organization as the point of view from one man perspective is the crucial aspect of the
organization. The nature of new CEO, Tim Cook is slightly different and there was a little
change in the organization also. The leadership style is also a bit different from the former
andTim Cook collaborate the different parts of the company like software team and hardware
team and like this way better decision can be made. In this case, the structure is still same as Tim
Cook is in the same in middle and all the functional groups are surrounding the man, which is
quite similar as the earlier one, but the decision making is lot more significant and more
constructive way of man management and team handling is noticed in that case. Strong control
over any situation is the key matter of this process and that can be an advantage of the policy of

7
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
having ‘Spoke and Wheel hierarchical process’ (Apple.com 2018). The flexibility of the power is
also important in that case and all decision making things are not right in Steve Jobs time. The
decisions are not always right as that has been taken by the one man, however this process has
changed and more innovativeness in case of decision making genre in this way. Limited
flexibility is thus considered as negative impact over the organization.
1.4 Culture of the organization
Organization culture is a crucial factor for anorganization like Apple. The invention of
new policies, strategies, and capabilities of changing are the highlighted factors of this cultural
facet of Apple Inc. In case of effective culture of employees and control them in a right manner
is the key culture that is maintained by the organization. The rapid innovation in Apple is the key
culture of the management and that is the effective change that organization implements in all of
their products. The culture is also ensuring the fact that organization holds the best position is the
organization (Apple.com 2018). The leading position in the market is not only the dimensional
change but the impact of organizational culture is also associated with the process. The
organizational culture has some features that make difference in case of formulating the process.
Top notch excellence is the first cultural aspect of the organization and employees chosen
by the organization is quite impressive and they have the quality to provide the best deliverance
from their end. Jobs had the mentality of fired people and if they are not fulfilling the experience.
The mentality of autocratic leadership genre is suitable in that case (Allio 2012). Critical success
rates are quite high in case of design and development of the organization and success factor, in
that case, is significant for the company.

8
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
The next culture influences our creativity. The amalgamation of technology with
creativity is the core concern of this process and that influences the people using manner and
defines the culture of the company as well. The need of the customer and change their
technology along with the process is the key culture of creativity as the process includes
involved employee and importance of creativity.
Innovation is anotherapproachthat is appraised by all the people around the world. All
employees need to be trained in the development of the situation they are in and they can be
achieved. The process of appraisal is associated with the innovation and that encourages
employees to do better work for the organization and make it more productive in some cases.
Innovation is the heat of the organization and the rapid change in innovative concept is the key
manner that evaluating the performance.
The culture of secrecy is the maintained formulation created by the owner of Apple.
Steve Jobs always process the organization as the cultural secret manner. This is one of the
important strategies to get rid of bandit related cases, happened in the most of the information
technology or electrical devise cases (Hayes 2018). The rules and regulation are important for
employees in that case as they are not liable to any informant to anyone. Information violation is
offensive in some sections and corporate espionage and negative effects are crucial in that case
and employees have to maintain that.
2. Leadership theory of Apple
Apple’s leadership under Steve Jobs is quite diverse from Tim Cook’s leadership. Both
the leaders have different perception and they formulated the process of leadership in a different

9
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
manner. The ambition and vigorous nature of the leadership is the key process of Steve Job and
the leaders transform the organization nature and that is the reason employees consider the man
as the rule-breaking leader of the organization and that is the key motivation for the employees
too. All the decisions are made by the man and in that case, some decision-making statements
would come in most of the cases, as long as the structure of the company concern. Fortune
magazine declared Tim Cook the World's greatest leader as the Democratic leadership
introduced by the leaders (Grant 2016). The mentality of the leadership changes in that process
as the leader takes views from the different section heads and that will encourage others to take
part in the organization sustainability. There is some good amount of financial hike sustains in
that process and that is the key deliverable that Cook introduced in that process and this is the
specialist work done by the leader. The change in leadership mannerism is the key change that
Cook bought into the manner along with the innovative nature of the business.
2.1 Evaluation of leadership theory and approach
Democratic leadership is one of the collegial styles of moving relationship in the right
way. The leadership process includes the movement of ideas from the different genre and these
ideas have some effective manners also that encourage the leader to move on the rhythm. In case
of growing organization, where leader’s mindset needs to be effective and creative enough to
process any suitable solution to get rid of the problem, this is the key consideration that Cook has
made for Apple. The important factors, in this case, are making the creative group for the
concept and design. The design is good for consulting case where a great deal of exploration and
new ideas have come. The way of communication is another positive perspective that comes in
this process and that is quite enhancing perspective for a leader (Epitropaki et al. 2013). In case
of the service industry, the main focus is on the discussion and that is the reason most

10
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
constructive figures come through the process. Demographic leadership also commits in case of
every manner and that has a linkage of conviction and better decision making perspective. On the
other hand, this is the uncertain process of leadership as the view comes from different
dimension thus it is very important to make the proper decision at the proper time. The decisions
are time-consuming also (Chen et al. 2012). There is some variety of solution persists as they
generation of view comes from a different section and that is quite apologetic in some cases.
2.2 Application of leadership theory
Innovation is the perspective that Apple has introduced with their brand and for the
continuation of the process, the aspect of leadership initiation and formulating them in the right
manner is the key stages of that. The thin line between success and failure is pointed in the way
as the implementation of the theory was taken by the employees or they have been imposed to do
that. In case of Apple, Steve Jobs is a kind of leader, who valued the decision made by him and
that is the kind of autocratic man management introduced through the process (Nonakate al.
2014). After 2011, the scenario has been changed as Tim Cook has taken the post of CEO of
Apple and the process of democratic leadership has come in this process. The innovation traits
and skills are followed in that section and that is the key reason of using the leadership style. Tim
selected some group heads and then aligned them with his thought. The processing of good
product culture and improved work culture has come up by the application of Tim Cook
deliverance. Tim Cook has the clear view over the matter as the man introduced the democratic
leadership process for Apple.

11
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT THEORIES
2.3 Path goal theory management of leader
Path-goal is a leadership theory that explains what type of leadership style will best fit a
particular organization for achieving the goals and objectives. The aim of this theory is to
increase job satisfaction, employee’s motivation and empowerment so that they can be very
productive (Antonakis and House 2013). This is a process where the leaders select some specific
behaviors and norms that best suit the needs employee’s needs and the organizational
environment.
Path-Goal theory does not have some detailed explanation or rules; this only follows
some steps that ensure that the goal of the organization is achieved.
 Employee characteristics:
The employee interprets the behavior of the leaders according to the degree of structure
they want, level of ability, the desire for control and affiliation.
 Selecting a leadership style:
Selecting the right kind of leadership style is very necessary. The four path-goal behaviors of
leaders are Directive, Supportive, Participative, and achievement.
 Tasks characteristics:
Overcoming the obstacles or difficulties of the tasks is the main focus of this leadership
theory. Some of the obstacles of the tasks may arise due to certain characteristics; design of the
task, formal authority system, and workgroup.
Steve Jobs was among the successful leaders who have made Apple a successful
organization over the years. Apple not only increased their brand image by producing a huge