Report on Communication Management at Apple Inc.: UK Market Expansion

This report examines the communication strategy of Apple Inc., focusing on its approach to information and knowledge management, particularly in the context of its planned expansion into the UK market. The report analyzes various aspects of Apple's communication, including the range of deci...Read More

MANAGING
COMMUNICATION
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Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................3
Task 1....................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Range of decisions to be made..............................................................................................3
1.2 Examination of the information and knowledge...................................................................3
1.3 Internal and external sources of information........................................................................4
Internal Sources.................................................................................................................4
External Sources................................................................................................................4
1.4 Recommendations for improvements...................................................................................4
M1...............................................................................................................................................4
Task 2....................................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Identifying the stakeholders..................................................................................................5
2.2 Developing relationship with the stakeholders.....................................................................5
2.3 Involvement of stakeholders in the occasion programme.....................................................5
2.4 Designing of inclusive strategies..........................................................................................6
M2...............................................................................................................................................6
D1................................................................................................................................................6
Task 3....................................................................................................................................................6
Task 4....................................................................................................................................................7
4.1 Anticipating methods in collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of information and
knowledge...................................................................................................................................7
4.2 Appropriate changes for improvement..................................................................................7
4.3 Implementation of a strategy to improve access to systems.................................................7
M4...............................................................................................................................................7
D3................................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................8
References............................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
In the present scenario, need for managing communication has increased to
develop and improve communication within the organisation and with other organisation
(Dawson, Madera and Neal, 2011). This report focuses on communication strategy of
Apple Inc. The company is keen towards managing communication in its organisation for
sharing information and knowledge among employees, CEO and management. In this
report discussion has been made in order to understand assessment of information and
knowledge and to analyse Apple’s ability to create strategies for increasing personal
networking to widen involvement in decision making process. Further, it has been
described that Apple is able to develop communication process and improve systems
relating to information and knowledge.
TASK 1
1.1 Range of decisions to be made
Apple Inc. is planning to expand its business in the market of UK. For this purpose,
the senior management has to take various decisions regarding the expansion. Some of
the decisions are listed below:
 Strategic Plan: In this, strategy will be made by analyzing customer's need, market
scenario, types of marketing strategy to be applied, allocation of resources, people
to be hired (Chapman, 2006). After planning these strategies, decisions regarding
them will be taken.
 Financial Sources: For availing finance, reliability and cost of sources should be
checked and it is decided accordingly. With the help of this, the fund can be easily
availed and at least cost.
 Location: Decision regarding the best location is to be taken by the management.
For instance, which location will attract more customers, the store which will be
available for low rent, etc.
1.2 Examination of the information and knowledge
Assessment of information and knowledge is needed in the Apple Inc. in order to
ensure effective decision making at various level.
1. Strategic Level: At top level, information and knowledge is essentially needed to
take various strategic decisions which is beneficial for overall growth of business in
terms of expansion, profit or sales maximization.
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2. Tactical level: Tactical decisions are taken for implementing strategies made at top
level. Information from the top management and knowledge about the business
must be possessed by middle managers in order to implement those strategies in
an effective manner (Invernizzi, Romenti and Fumagalli, 2012).
3. Operational Level: At lower level, daily routine decisions are made. For this
purpose, knowledge about the employees and work related information is required
to be handled by human resources of the organisation.
1.3 Internal and external sources of information
There are two sources available for gathering information and gaining knowledge
for expanding the business in the UK markets (Jameson, 2007). Discussion about these
sources is as follows:
Internal Sources Sales Figure: Through this source, company can assess the information regarding
market scenario and demand for their product.
 Customer records: Knowledge about types of customer can be assessed and
accordingly segmentation and targeting can be done on various parameters such
as age, gender, income group.
External Sources Government Websites: Information about the government laws and regulations can
be assessed in order to follow them for smooth running of the business.
 Multi-media: From the Facebook and Twitter, knowledge and information about the
UK market and customer's taste and preference can be known and stored for
satisfying their need and expanding their business.
1.4 Recommendations for improvements
For expanding the business in the UK markets, Apple Inc. has to ensure proper
management of communication, information and knowledge to their employees so that,
their business can be expanded effectively and profit can be generated for the
organisation. For this purpose, company should conduct training programmes for the UK
employees in order to serve better in the local market (Jones, 2009). They should provide
Continuing Professional Development courses so that, employee's overall development
can be done and human resource would become self-confident enough to continue
business in the UK markets.
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M1
Effect of internal and external sources on the staff is that, employees can have a
pool of information related to the market and their customers which can be utilised anytime
(Liu, 2012). Whenever they need information of government laws, customer’s requirement,
and company’s financial position during production and promotion of the product they can
gather from these sources. Through this, they can enhance their knowledge which will aid
them in doing effective and efficient work.
TASK 2
2.1 Identifying the stakeholders and communicating the proposed plan among
them
Stakeholders are those whose interest lies in the organisation directly or indirectly.
Stakeholders are shareholders, customers, government, employees, etc. For launching
the product, assistant service manager would communicate their plan to these
stakeholders in various ways (Mazzei and Ravazzani, 2011). Manager would communicate
the information to the customers by describing their features and cost related benefits and
will try to influence that the product is made according to their desire. Stakeholders can be
communicated that the new product will generate high profit which will help them to gain
maximum return. Employees will be informed and will be trained to sell the products in the
market further way to demonstrate the product so that, customer gets attracted towards
the product.
2.2 Developing relationship with the stakeholders
In order to seek views regarding the new product launch, manager has to contact
stakeholders regularly and develop good relations with them in order to successfully
launch the product. They can be contacted by taking regular feedbacks about the features
and pricing decision through phone calls and emails. Customer can be contacted by
conducting quiz and providing coupons using social media. This will develop a sense in
the minds of customers and other stakeholders that they are involved in the decision
making process (Rhee, 2008).
2.3 Involvement of stakeholders in the occasion programme
At the time of launching a new product in the market, Apple Inc. should organise an
event in which they can invite various stakeholders. Expectations about the event of
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various stakeholders should be taken by using different media such as emails, letters etc.
and then accordingly the event should be organized so that stakeholders will have a
feeling of belongingness that there view are incorporated for the event and new product
manufacturing (Simoes, and Esposito, 2014). Through this, Apple can have maximum
sales of the product which is launched because customers will feel that, their decisions are
involved in this product.
2.4 Designing of inclusive strategies
Strategies about the event should be made to make the event more interesting and
beyond the expectations of the stakeholders (Thiessen and Ingenhoff, 2011). Manager can
make promotional technique for the new product. Further, he can apply the sales
promotion technique such as providing discount vouchers to the guest and organizing a
quiz and other activities in which the prizes can be in the form of coupons which can be
availed at the time of purchasing the new product. Below the seats of the guests a sticker
should be pasted, among all the stickers, one will have the prize of new lunch product.
Through these, promotion of the product can be done and people will take more interest in
the event.
M2
After event it can be concluded that, coordination was lacking at some or the other
point. By taking it as an experience, lesson can be learnt that for the next program. A
complete layout will be discussed among all the employees of the company and roles and
responsibilities of each employee will be determined in advance so that, confusion and
misinterpretation will not happen in future (Managing Communication Challenges, 2015).
D1
Strategies of giving discount voucher and coupons to guests would ensure
maximum sales but it will lead to less profit generation because the actual price of the
product cannot be received. Person who won the lucky prize will become loyal towards
Apple products but in case the lucky one is a shareholder of the company than, it would be
regarded as biasness (Managing communications, 2015).
TASK 3
Covered in PPT.
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TASK 4
4.1 Anticipating methods in collection, formatting, storage and dissemination
of information and knowledge
Existing methods used in the Apple Inc. are traditional method of information system
so new upgradation should be brought to cope up with the changing technology. In Apple,
information is collected by using surveys, research and suggestion boxes then this
information was arranged by the personnel and stored in computers (Lubbe and Sam,
2007). Whenever required these information were accessed from computers. Any person
in the organisation can access that information so that, the employees do not feel that
something is hidden from them. This is out-dating technique of managing the information
and knowledge.
4.2 Appropriate changes for improvement
Assistant CSM should bring necessary improvement in the existing communication
system of the organisation in order to cope up with the changing technology. For collecting
information about the customer, online surveys can be taken and KYC forms can be filled
by the customer (Ruff and Aziz, 2012). The collected information should be arranged
through computer software and it can be stored using cloud computing. Access of that
information should be in the hands of few managers by using finger print technology so
that, information does not get leaked from competitors. Whenever required those
information can be disseminated to employees by the managers.
4.3 Implementation of a strategy to improve access to systems.
From the above affirmative question changes can be brought in the organisation
and strategies can be made in order to introduce those changes. To improve the
information system, staff of IT department should be timely trained so that, they can cope
up with the latest technological changes. MIS should be installed in order to bring
improvement in the information system of the Apple Inc. Manager should do systematic
review of the information and timely those information should be updated in order to have
proper knowledge about the customer (Tripathi, 2009).
M4
Study of the organisation is being done by analysing the current system in
comparison with the latest technology. It was found that, current system has some loop
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holes which is to upgraded (Apple Management Lessons Every Company Should Steal,
2015). This may require a lot of investment in upgrading but as an IT company this will
prove as a good investment to gain maximum ROI.
D3
Data collection is done through latest techniques which are to be implemented in
order to save the time and cost of the company. Computer software used for formatting the
data can be developed by the company itself so that, less cost would be incurred. Data
stored at cloud computing will ensure that risk of data loosing data is negligible. At the time
of dissemination data can be accessed through finger print technology so that only those
people can view the data that has the access.
CONCLUSION
From this project report, it can be concluded that assessing and managing
communication, information and knowledge is necessary for expanding the business of
Apple Inc. in the UK market. This can be accessed from internal and external sources in
order to carry out the working of the employees effectively and efficiently. Company has to
implement the latest technology of information system to bring improvement in the current
system. Relations with the various stakeholders has been managed in an effective manner
so that, their interest can be incorporated in the decision making process. Communication
system used within the organisation should be modified so that information and knowledge
among the employees, CEO and management can be shared in a proper manner.
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REFERENCES
Journals
Chapman, A. J., 2006. Managing Communications in a Crisis. Leadership & Organization
Development Journal. 27(4). pp. 316-317.
Dawson, M., Madera, M. J. and Neal, A. J., 2011. Managing bilingual employees:
communication strategies for hospitality managers. Worldwide Hospitality and
Tourism Themes. 3(4). pp. 319-334.
Invernizzi, E., Romenti, S. and Fumagalli, M., 2012. Identity, communication and change
management in Ferrari. Corporate Communications: An International Journal.
17(4). pp. 483-497
Jameson, D. A., 2007. Reconceptualizing cultural identity and its role in intercultural
business communication. Journal of Business Communication. 44(3). pp.199-235.
Jones, R., 2009. Personal knowledge management through communicating. Online
Information Review. 33(2). pp. 225-236.
Liu, B.F ., 2012. Toward a better understanding of nonprofit communication management.
Journal of Communication Management. 16(4). pp. 388-404
Mazzei, A. and Ravazzani, S., 2011. Manager‐employee communication during a crisis:
the missing link. Corporate Communications: An International Journal. 16(3). pp.
243-254.
Rhee, Y., 2008. Risk communication management: a case study on Brookhaven National
Laboratory. Journal of Communication Management. 12(3) pp. 224 - 242
Simoes, M. M. S. and Esposito, M., 2014. Improving change management: how
communication nature influences resistance to change. Journal of Management
Development. 33(4). pp. 324-341.
Thiessen, A. and Ingenhoff, D., 2011. Safeguarding reputation through strategic, integrated
and situational crisis communication management: Development of the integrative
model of crisis communication. Corporate Communications: An International
Journal. 16(1). pp. 8-26.
Books
Antar, H. A., 2015. Managing the Communication Challenge in Offshore IT Organizations.
ProSustainability.
Bell, H. A. and Smith, M. D., 2010. Management Communication. John Wiley & Sons.
Binder, J. 2012. Global Project Management: Communication, Collaboration and
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Management Across Borders. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
Grunig, J. E., 2013. Excellence in public relations and communication management.
Routledge.
Lubbe. and Sam., 2007. Managing Information Communication Technology Investments in
Successful Enterprises. Idea Group Inc (IGI).
Ruff, P. and Aziz, K., 2012. Managing Communications in a Crisis. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
Bell, H. A. and Smith, M. D., 2010. Management Communication. John Wiley &
Sons.
Tripathi, S. P., 2009. Communication Management: A Global Perspective. Global India
Publications.
Online
Apple Management Lessons Every Company Should Steal. 2015. [Online]. Available
through <http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-run-your-company-like-apple-
2012-2?IR=T>. [Accessed on 7 october 2015].
Managing Communication Challenges. 2015. [Online]. Available through
<http://outreach.cornell.edu/programs/program_view.cfm?ProgramID=650>. [Accessed on
7 October 2015].
Managing communications. 2015. [Online]. Available through
<https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/4108/managing-
communications?cat=460,636&moduleID=10>. [Accessed on 7 October 2015].
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