Leading and Managing Change: Apple Inc. Case Study Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Apple Inc.'s approach to change management, focusing on the application of the 'white water' and 'calm water' metaphors. It examines the extent to which the white water metaphor is apparent within the organization and evaluates whether the changes resulted from planned or unplanned approaches. The report explores the reasons behind Apple's shift towards the white water metaphor, considering both its business strategy and external factors influencing the company. Furthermore, it delves into the impacts of these changes on the Human Resource (HR) department, drawing on relevant theories to explain the implications. The analysis highlights Apple's ability to adapt to a dynamic business environment, its focus on innovation, and its strategic responses to market trends and competition, emphasizing the importance of change management for maintaining a competitive edge.

Leading and
Managing Change

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Extent to which ‘white water metaphor’ is apparent in organisation together with evaluating if
it resulted from planned or unplanned approach to change....................................................1
Reason behind shift from calm waters to white waters, considering both business strategy and
external factors affecting organisation...................................................................................4
Drawing on relevant theory, explicate main impacts for HR Department.............................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
In the modern era, leaders and managers recognise the significance of incorporating
changes within the organisation to deal with complex business situations prevailing in concerned
corporate sector. Owing to advancements taking place within the technologies and extensive
rivalry persisting within each and every business sector, it becomes important for companies to
undergo necessary changes and gain competitive edge in market place. In this regard, top
management needs to realise that reassurance is the key to facilitation of changes. The present
project is an in depth study and application of two metaphors, namely, calm water and white
water. It is based upon Apple Inc. which is a technological firm engaged in designing,
development and provision of electronics, online facilities and computer software. This company
comes under the Big Four tech companies across the globe along with Amazon, Facebook and
Google. The report covers the extent, to which the white water metaphor is apparent within the
company together with the reasons for shift from white waters to calm waters. Also, it contains
implication of a suitable theory on Human Resource Department.
Extent to which ‘white water metaphor’ is apparent in organisation together with evaluating if it
resulted from planned or unplanned approach to change
Apple Inc. is one of the market leading tech companies dealing in a wide variety of
products and services. Owing to the use of latest and emerging technologies in all of its products,
especially, iPhones, this entity has maintained a significant place in the hearts of people. To
attain this position within market place, the respective company has resorted to making use of
best systems, techniques and procedures through which entailment of maximum customer
satisfaction can be ensured. Changes are an integral component of this entity. It is well renowned
across the global periphery to be effective in anticipating the consumer needs, demands and
preferences in advance. As a result of this, it keeps on incorporating essential and significant
changes within production as well as other procedures. Through this, the entity ensures that the
people belonging to its group of loyal customers do not shift to alternate or substitute brands.
Robbins and Coulter coined the concept of two metaphors, namely, calm water and white
water. Hereby, calm water metaphor can be referred to as the change that occurs gradually within
the external environment of an entity (Robbins and Coulter, 2007). Usually, such types of
changes take place at a temporary or periodical basis. On the other hand, white water metaphor
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can be referred to as a change which takes place in a dynamic environment. This is a sudden type
of change.
Changes are not warmly welcomed by all the entities as, sometimes, they have a negative
influence upon the working of employees. In this regard, it can be seen that introduction of new
techniques and technologies within the firm leads to generation of insecurity and uneasiness as
the personnel hesitate to make use of such systems due to lack of knowledge. Leaders and
managers of an entity need to work in coordination and cooperation with each other in order to
ensure the effective execution of changes within the premises of corporation. Training and
communication act as the key hereby as both of them provide information to personnel regarding
the manner in which they can get used to the changes and the importance of its introduction
within the confines of enterprise. It can also be analysed that incorporation of a change into the
entity does not always have a positive outcome attached to it. At times, it can have negative
impact upon the growth and success of entity as well as its existence within the market place.
This happens because it is not necessary that the planned approach to change always yields
positive outcomes and thus, this may have a severe impact upon the overall working as well as
productivity of the respective corporation. A number of times, this also leads to occurrence of
conflicts between subordinates and top management of company.
In relation to Apple Inc., it can be seen that this entity realises the significance of
incorporating sudden changes owing to an alteration in any of external environment factors. The
respective firm follows white water metaphor and brings about necessary changes after taking
into account the existent business environment situations. The pace at which innovation is
exercised within the confines of Apple Inc is acknowledged to be creating turmoil in the manner
in which activities as well as business practices take place in its premises. This is the overall
outcome of initiatives put forward by the employees operating within the entity to come up with
hi tech and innovative gadgets in rapid intervals of time.
With a view to come up with products inclusive of emerging innovations like phone,
computer, media player, tab, Apple Inc makes use of white water metaphor. Through its
application within the entity, the firm comes up with technologies which have the power to
outshine offerings of rival companies present at market place. As the enterprise has been capable
of adapting itself to the changes taking place in the turbulent and dynamic business environment,
it has become one of the biggest tech companies across the global periphery. Owing to this, the
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offerings of the entity are almost irreplaceable by any of the other big and established firms
working across the world. Further, the firm has adopted a premium pricing strategy so as to
create an image of the value that the products of Apple Inc hold in the market. The only reason
that the management of this reputable corporation is keen on application of white water metaphor
is that the key principle behind it is aligned with the overall motto of the brand. Apple is not
aimed at enhancing the sales and profit margins but at inflating the brand value and the image
that customers get in their mind when they think of the products developed and designed by this
firm.
There are 2 approaches to change, namely, planned and unplanned. The former is seen as
a strategic course of action undertaken by a business entity with a view to alter the nature of
business in which the firm is carrying out its corporate operations. The alteration can take place
in terms of products, services, organisation structure, management structure etc. On the contrary,
unplanned approach to change is viewed as the course of action aimed at making alterations
within any area of business owing to changes in demographics, politics, technology, economical
conditions and so on. Both the approaches to change are widely accepted within companies
operating across the global periphery. Managing alterations is a key aspect for each and every
business entity and thus there is an obvious need to adopt any of the above 2 explained
approaches to change. This provides aid to a corporation in attaining competitive advantage in
market place and staying ahead of rival firms present within the same industry. In this relation, it
can be analysed that Apple Inc. adopts unplanned approach to change looking upon the
alterations taking place within the macro environment of business. It is an American MNC which
has a large base of loyal customers who expect a lot from the company. This is why it becomes
important for the management of this firm to undergo constant research into the market so as to
assess and evaluate the latest trends in macro environment of organisation. This includes aspects
such as politics, economic state, technology, demographics, laws etc. In response to these
elements, the management of Apple Inc. brings about constant changes in order to keep the firm
aligned with the needs and preferences of people at market place. This organisation is known to
launch a new product every year and it is the result of the immense hard work that is put in by its
employees. The features of gadgets and other products offered by entity at market placer are
frequently modified with a view to stay upgraded with the policies and strategies of rival firms
within the consumer electronics industry.
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Reason behind shift from calm waters to white waters, considering both business strategy and
external factors affecting organisation
Every company has its own set of policies as well as strategies by way of which an entity
carries out its business operations in an effective manner. It is well known that current scenario
of market is all about rapidly changing trends which impacts on needs and demands of people.
Owing to this, organisations now have to incorporate alterations into the strategic course of
action adopted by it to facilitate improvements in development of action plan for future scope. In
this regard, the management of Apple Inc. also observes and analyses some environmental
aspects in order to incorporate certain changes within the organisational premises. This provides
aid to the entity in gaining the attention of customers by adapting itself to the changes taking
place within the macro environment. To execute the changes, the respective tech giant conducts
training as well as development sessions through which employees are made aware of the new
patterns of working, without adversely impacting upon their overall productivity.
Calm water strategy is a kind of strategy can be described as that technique in which
changes and modifications are carried out in a slow process. Hence, employees can easily adopt
them and perform as per them properly. Slow implementation of fresh ideas facilitates better
comprehensibility of each and every staff member so that they can work in a comfortable way. It
is helpful in executing a number of projects so that people can work with fresh concepts
properly. Employees’ resistance to change is almost nil in this change strategy when talking in
relation to Apple Inc. Calm water metaphor affects the productivity of individual and
profitability of corporation in a negative way. This is why earlier the Apple Inc. followed this
change strategy and executed changes as a slow procedure. Although this facilitated entailment
of support and cooperation from employees within Apple Inc., it resulted in delay of adoption of
strategies at a larger scale, making the company lose on many parameters opposed to its rivals.
White water strategy is a change management strategy that is mainly focussed upon
execution of rapid changes within the company. Hereby, alterations take place owing to macro
environmental changes, extensive competition or any other crucial factor. In this regard, with the
passage of time, the major concern of Apple Inc. has been the threat of substitution.
Reason for calm water to white water strategy: Looking upon the need to adapt to
changing business environment, the management of respective organisation realised that there
was an urgent need for the entity to execute the shift from calm water to white water metaphor.
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As a result of this, the entity aimed at maintaining a high stake in market place and ensuring
sustainability for a long period of time in future. This helped the enterprise in staying aligned
with the latest and emerging trends of concerned business sector. Hereby, it is usually seen that
employee resistance towards adoption of new ideas and concepts is very high. This happens
because the staff members are unable to approve the new way of working as they are used to the
old and traditional form of operating. Thus, this tends to have a negative influence upon the
working and productivity levels of staff. Yet the management is keen to adopt this strategy as
this would provide aid to the organisation in achieving its long term objective.
Impact of external factors on business aspects while applying changes
External factors are the key elements which tend to have a significant influence upon an
entity and these elements are out of control of firm. An explanation of the impact of these factors
upon Apple Inc. while applying changes is explained with the help of PESTLE analysis. This is
an analytical framework that provides aid to an enterprise in gaining comprehensibility of the
influence of outside elements of business environment upon the operations of company.
Political factors: Instances such as BREXIT, alterations in taxation as well as trade
policies, terrorism, international wars may lead to creation of adversities for company while
applying any change within the organisational premises. On the contrary, stable political state of
most of Apple’s revenue generating nations tend to facilitate the entity in effectively executing
the essential changes within the confines of corporation.
Economic factors: The strong economic conditions of most of the respective tech giant’s
dominant countries tend to provide aid and support to Apple Inc. while adopting key changes in
the working system and procedures. On the other hand, BREXIT, increase in import and export
duties may severely impact upon the execution of any key change in the premises of this
company.
Social factors: The trends and preferences of people keep on changing thereby giving
rise to the need of incorporating changes within an organisation. In this regard, the positive
aspect can be the extensive acceptance of new trend or system adopted by Apple Inc. in market
place. On the contrary, the negative aspect can be the vice versa.
Technological factors: Apple has rivals like Google and Samsung which possess
adequate technological resources to replicate a technology adopted by the company in a quick
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time. This would even decrease the funds of Apple Inc. and at the same time, not have positive
influence upon performance as well as productivity of entity while applying changes.
Legal factors: A change in any of the legal policies and procedures during the time of
implementation of alteration can prove to be disastrous for Apple Inc., leading to the wastage of
a large number of financial resources. Thus, it is essential for this company to constantly analyse
and evaluate the laws and legislations of the countries while applying any change within the
working procedures and systems.
Environmental factors: The lithium batteries present within the electronic devices of
Apple Inc. have a high disposable cost, which lead to increment in environmental pollution.
While undergoing change in this or any other aspect of company, a change in environmental
laws may severely impact upon the application of changes within respective organisation.
Drawing on relevant theory, explicate main impacts for HR Department
Kotter’s Change Management Theory consists of 8 key steps that provide assistance to an
enterprise in implementing changes within an entity in an effective manner.
Urge for change: This marks the first stage whereby the urge for implementing change is
generated by identifying the opportunities associated to it.
Building group dedicated to change: Hereby, a team is developed which is responsible
for executing changes within the premises of an entity.
Creation of vision for change: Hereby, a vision is created for the change to be executed
within Apple Inc.
Communicating requirement of change: This stage marks the communication of vision
identified in previous stage to employees so that they can work according to it.
Empowering employees to facilitate modifications: Hereby, the management provides
employees with the opportunity to execute change within the premises of Apple Inc. in an
effective manner.
Development of short run goal: The task of executing change is made clear by devising
short run goals so that employees have a direction in which they have to work.
Persistency: When modifications are implemented, they may have a negative impact
upon staff members, thus persistency is the key that change team should exercise.
Making change permanent: This being the last stage of change management, aims at
making the alteration a part of routine working of Apple Inc.
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Implications on HR Department
HRD needs to realise that change needs to be properly executed to devise positive
outcomes. This department should conduct some strategic approaches in order to ensure that the
alteration is effectively executed within the premises of company. In this regard, to carry out the
shift, the HR department of Apple Inc. should take the following strategic approaches:-
Development of training sessions: Training is the key to carry out the shift from routine
to transformed working as this is what makes the employees comfortable with the new pattern of
operating.
Development of leadership capabilities: There is a dire need for an effective leadership
to supervise and guide the execution of changes within a company so that the process takes place
as per the requirements of entity and yields favourable outcomes.
CONCLUSION
As per above discussion, it can be stated that the key role in change management is of
manager and leader of an organisation who work in coordination and cooperation to ensure that
transformation takes place as per the targets. There are 2 approaches to change, namely, planned
and unplanned. In addition to this, it has been analysed calm water and white water are the
strategies to manage change within an enterprise.
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REFERENCES
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