Organizational Creativity and Innovation: Apple's Strategy

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Apple Inc.'s innovative strategies and organizational creativity. It explores the innovative measures adopted by Apple, a multinational American company known for its computer and mobile hardware, software, and consumer electronics. The r...Read More

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Organizational Creativity and Innovation

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Innovative strategy adopted by Apple.............................................................................................4
Role of customers in organizational innovative approach...............................................................5
Cultural and people influence..........................................................................................................5
Steve Jobs and his impact on innovation process............................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Innovation and creativity are the major tools for an organization to sustain in the global business
environment for longer run. With the increasing competition due to globalisation and revolution
in the technological world, adaptation of creativity and innovative measures has become
necessity for the organizations to match up with the global business requirements. The trend of
adaptation of creativity and innovation is not only followed by leading companies, but small and
medium scale enterprises are also following this trend with the objective to enhance their
productivity along with the objective of marking their unique position in the dynamic and
competitive business environment. The report will focus over the innovative measures adopted
by Apple Incorporation which is a multinational American based company and engaged in
producing and distributing computer and mobile hard, software, consumer electronic goods, etc.
(Abraham, 2013). Apple has marked their unique position in the global market through
innovative and creative approaches and this has also led the organization to stand aside from its
competitors. Apart from this, the focus of the report will be over case study of this assessment
i.e. “Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple”. With regards to this case study, effectiveness
and significance of innovation will be evaluated in terms of functionalities of Apple as they are
known for applying innovative approaches with respect to the customers’ demands and wants. In
addition to this, report will also throw light on the impact of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple and his
opinion on the process of innovation.
Innovative strategy adopted by Apple
Apple Inc. is meant to be the most innovative company as they are indulged in rapid innovations
as per the market trends in order to retain its acquired customer base along with targeting new
customer segments with every new launch. Hence, Apple not only focuses on producing
innovative and creative products, organization also focus towards making their business model
effective for innovative ideas. Apple has made their business strategy as similar as their products
which mean both are effective. Apart from this, Apple’s products’ image in the market has been
built as the high priced and the organization is also worth it for this image as their products are
not only over-priced, they are effective also in terms of fulfilling target customers’ needs along

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with providing them a unique and trendy gadget through which they could see themselves as
tech-enthusiasts. Primary factors which have helped Apple to regular update their products and
services are organizational culture, collaboration amongst the employees, management of people
and their business strategies influenced with the change management. In order to encourage
innovation and creativity at the workplace, organization has provided all resources to its
employees for thinking out of the box and come up with the new, unique and innovative ideas for
the objective of encouraging innovation at the workplace.
The innovative culture in Apple Inc. was started by Steve Jobs, founder of the organization and
since then, the same is followed by the subsequent members of the organization to retain its
acquired position along with uplifting its image in the global business environment with the
passing time. Steve Jobs believed that the customer satisfaction is the best approach to succeed
and in relation to this, he develops their products as per their target audiences’ demands and
wants along with adopting trending advertisement and promotional approaches for the purpose of
accomplishing desired goals and objectives.
Role of customers in organizational innovative approach
Innovation is directly linked with the customers because it is the customers for whom companies
produce and for retaining their interest within the organization and their products, innovative
strategies are being implemented to make their products and services as for the objective of
meeting with the customers’ requirements (Heracleous, 2013). Thus, Apples’ innovative
approaches are influenced with the customers’ requirements and the company relies on
innovative approach for the objective of making their products as the target audiences’ demands
and wants. Apart from this, company focuses on making their products and their functionalities
simple through which larger segment of the target audience could be approached and their
regular practices to improve their products are also linked with the fulfilment of target and
potential customers’ needs. This helps the organization not only in making relations with their
customers but it also helps to make and retain brand loyalty amongst them which is one of the
positive indicator for the organization in terms of sustainable growth and overall development
(Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2012).

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Apple Inc.’s primary vision is to be the leading manufacturer and distributor of smartphones in
the global market and with regards to this, they have adopted numerous approaches. Today,
organization has made their mammoth brand image in the global smartphones, computer
software, and hardware and in other fields worldwide. Therefore, organization not just focuses
on the performance of their products but organization also focuses on their designs in order to
generate demand amongst their target audience for their products (Montgomerie & Roscoe,
2013). Putting customers’ needs, wants and their requirements act as an essential element for the
objective of gaining competitive advantage along with inventing new measures to make their
products trendy and customer oriented.
Cultural and people influence
People and culture are two crucial aspects which are essential not in the process of inventing new
products but also make them as per the market trends, customers’ demands and as per the
competitive business conditions. In relation to this, company has reached to the value of one
trillion in the global market and in the global technological industry; Apple is the first company
to reach to this milestone (Economic Times, 2018). Organizational top level management has set
both short as well as long term goals with the objective of enhancing organizational performance
by providing regular training to its employees. This helps bot organization as well as the
employees in terms of reaching to the set target in an effective and efficient manner (Zhang,
2017). Organizational culture is free and there is openness in communication and through these
aspects, employees and top level management could communicate with each other without any
barrier. This helps the organization to generate all available solutions in order to move towards
innovation and creativity (Steinwart & Ziegler, 2014).
Apart from this, work environment at Apple is friendly and filed with positivity as the senior
members are always stand with their subordinates and new joiners in order to align their efforts
in terms of accomplishment of organizational set goals. In addition to this, organizational
recruitment procedure is also effective under which talented and skilled employees are highly
appreciated as they act as the main elements for generating new and unique solutions to deal with
the new and emerging solutions as well as to invent new product for the objective of gaining
competitive advantage in the global market. In the training and development sessions, employees

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are asked to focus on customers’ needs and wants along with working with team spirit as well as
to appreciate every teammates’ efforts.
Steve Jobs and his impact on innovation process
Steve Jobs played vital role in introducing revolutionary change in the computer hardware,
software, digital distribution, consumer electronics, and in various other fields. He was a unique
and most innovative leader at that time and with his unique thinking style, not only he raised his
name but he also took his company to the next level and today, it is known as the largest
company in the global market. Steve Jobs was unique from his school and college days and he
was known for finding a unique and creative way to do things. Steve Jobs was known to be a
difficult, hard to work with personality who didn't tolerate failure. He was terminated from his
own company due to certain incidents and rude behaviour but later on, he was brought back in
1997 and then introduced range of smartphones and laptops which turned to be the most
successful idea for the organization. iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook are certain well-known
names of that innovative range (Thomke & Feinberg, 2012).

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Conclusion
It can be concluded that innovation is the most appropriate and effective measure for the
objective of accomplishing objectives like sustainable growth, overall development, etc. Apple
Inc. is one of the most innovative companies and their business strategies are also influenced
with innovation and creativity. Apart from this, organizational workplace culture, their
employees’ thinking style, and every other aspect which plays vital role in terms of production
and generation of new ideas are directly aligned with the innovation and creativity. This has
helped the organization to mark their unique presence in the technological industry along with
reaching to the mammoth milestone of one trillion.

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References
Abraham, S. (2013). Will business model innovation replace strategic analysis?. Strategy &
Leadership, 41(2), 31-38.
Economic Times. (2018). Tim Cook writes to employees on Apple's $1 trillion valuation.
Retrieved from https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/tim-cook-writes-to-
employees-on-apples-1-trillion-valuation/65277331
Heracleous, L. (2013). Quantum strategy at apple inc. Organizational Dynamics, 42(2), 92-99.
Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2012). Strategic management cases:
competitiveness and globalization. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Montgomerie, J., & Roscoe, S. (2013). Owning the consumer—Getting to the core of the Apple
business model. Accounting forum, 37(4), 290-299.
Steinwart, M. C., & Ziegler, J. A. (2014). Remembering Apple CEO Steve Jobs as a"
Transformational Leader": Implications for Pedagogy. Journal of Leadership
Education, 13(2), 52-66.
Thomke, S.H. & Feinberg, B. (2012). Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple. Retrieved from
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=36789
Zhang, Q. (2017). Research on Apple Inc’s Current Developing Conditions. Open Journal of
Business and Management, 6(01), 39.