University Research Report: Analyzing Apple Inc.'s Strategic Decision

This report delves into Apple Inc.'s strategic decision-making, focusing on its collaboration with NeXT and product diversification approach. It begins by describing Apple Inc. and its industry, highlighting its market position and product range. The report then details the decision to collaborate with NeXT, founded by Steve Jobs, and its significance in expanding Apple's software capabilities. The product diversification strategy is identified as a key approach, emphasizing its role in attracting a wider customer base. The consequences of the decision are assessed, acknowledging the company's continued adherence to Jobs' decision-making approach, while also discussing potential deviations from the original value generation. The report concludes by constructing a research problem centered on the decision, outlining key variables and utilizing an influence chart to visualize the factors affecting the company's effectiveness and sustainability. The report is based on secondary sources, as primary data was unavailable.

Running head: RESEARCH IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS
Research in Business Analytics
Name of the University:
Name of the Student:
Author Note:

1
Research in Business Analytics
The Company and the Industry
The Apple Inc. is one of the most eminent multi-national organizations of the world,
focusing majorly on the field of technology (Apple.com, 2019). It is given the 1st position in
the Forbes 2019, Top 25 organizations (Forbes.com, 2019). Headquartered in Cupertino,
California, Apple Inc., deals with the electronic consumer products. It designs, develops, and
sells, the electronic goods, and also it deals in developing the computer software. All the
Apple products are customized in a way which are accessible only by using the Apple made
computer software. For last some years, it was considered as the one of the Big Four
organizations, and was enlisted along with Amazon, Google and Facebook (Simon, 2014).
However, the organization has not only grasped the software industry, it has also expanded
itself in the hardware industry. From smartphones, to computers, to tablets, the organization
has created a brand of itself in the electrical gadgets field. The organization has taken some
great and exquisite strategies to acquire a good market positioning and to make an impactful
brand image of its own. The organization has strictly kept to the technological field,
producing iPhone series, iPod, iPad, Apple TV, Apple, Watch, Air Pods, Apple media player,
wireless ear buds, Home pod smart speaker (Siomkos & Kurzbard, 2014). Along with these,
the organization includes some exclusive software, for example, the macOS, iOS, iPadOS,
watch OS, tvOS. This refers to the fact, that, the organization develops a different software
system for doffr4eent products, which is exquisite for that particular product only. This
shows their dedication and involvement in the industry and the reach and efficiency of the
R&D department of the organization.
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, however,
within some days, Wayne had sold his share and the Jobs and Wozniak had created the Apple
II, which is now known as the Apple Inc. (Vaduganathan et al., 2017). The company became

2
Research in Business Analytics
public in the year 1980, and since then, the company had only perceived financial expansion.
The reason behind the organization’s expansion and popularity, was the strategies and visions
and imagination of Jobs and the brain and research and involvement of Wozniak.
The Decision
The organization had, over the time included many strategical approaches and had
taken many decisions, to posit themselves in the market, or rather to continue their position
and their image in the same. However, among their many decisions and strategies, one of the
best decision was to collaborate with NeXT. Based in the Redwood city, California, the
organization major deals in the technology industry. It was initially a computer and software
organization, founded in 1985, founded by Steve Jobs. Jobs was fired from the company after
a certain period of time, due to some internal issues, and had founded a software based
organization, NeXT. The organization was solely based on software programs and computer,
with the aim to the manufacturing of computer workstations. It was also focused on providing
services to the higher education organizations and also tried to grasp other business markets.
The first NeXT computer was introduced in the year 1988, and the work station was first
introduced in 1990, which was named, NeXTstation. Initially, the organization saw a limited
growth, with limited sales, however, it was the development NeXT software that had made an
influence on the market. Jobs had always believed in innovation and said it ids the system of
innovation that had differentiates a follower from a leader.
Approaches Adopted to Make the Decision
One of the most considerable decision making model that was adopted by Apple was
the product diversification approach. The approach implied that the company would able to
attract a wide array of customers. The company was effective in catering to the needs of
management of knowledge effectively. The two knowledge management approaches used by

3
Research in Business Analytics
the company were information-based management of knowledge and interaction-based
management of knowledge. The product diversification strategy that was taken up by the
company was effective and would allow the company to link the efficacy that it possessed
with the comparatively big brand portfolio of the company. The latter was deemed to be an
effective methods that was designed by Jobs who identified that the company should shape
the nature of operations of the company so that it becomes convenient for the employees and
the customer community. Thus, the aim of the company was satisfied by the decision the
latter had once been able to establish. The company has still sustained the approach that it
had once taken up. The company is now dwelling on the modern era and it can said that they
have been applying the same approach in terms of running the current business operations of
the company.
Consequence of the Decision
Even through Steve Jobs is not around anymore the company has continued to abide
by the decision making approach that was laid down by the latter. As a result of this the
company has been able to position itself as a company that has been able to gain effectiveness
from the target consumers of the company who are mainly niche customers (Glimcher &
Fehr, 2013). However, it has been found that the company has drifting from the ultimate
motive that was developed by Jobs. The products that have been developed by the company
are now meant for the niche and the initial idea of value generation is now somewhat vague.
Research Problems and Key Variables
The problem while carrying out the research was not grave. However, the aim of the
report would be satisfied with intensive information if direct information was available from
the employees of the organization. Since the sources of the information were not primary, the
main aim of the information on which the analysis has been based on might not be

4
Research in Business Analytics
particularly relevant. Following is the influence chart that has been followed by the company
in terms of generation of the effectiveness of the company in order to ensure the
sustainability of the company.
Influence Chart

5
Research in Business Analytics
REFERENCES
Simon, P. (2014). The visual organization: data visualization, Big Data, and the quest for
better decisions. John Wiley & Sons.
Siomkos, G. J., & Kurzbard, G. (2014). The hidden crisis in product-harm crisis
management. European journal of marketing, 28(2), 30-41.
Vaduganathan, M., Harrington, R. A., Stone, G. W., Deliargyris, E. N., Steg, P. G., Gibson,
C. M., ... & Elkin, S. (2017). Cangrelor with and without glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in
patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Journal of the American College of
Cardiology, 69(2), 176-185.
Glimcher, P. W., & Fehr, E. (Eds.). (2013). Neuroeconomics: Decision making and the brain.
Academic Press.
Apple.com. (2019). Site Map. Retrieved 19 July 2019, from https://www.apple.com/sitemap/
Forbes.com. (2019). Retrieved 19 July 2019, from
https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/
Expenses
R n D
Marketing
Product
development
Cost of
products
Profit
New
products
Revenue
generation
IPhone
sales
Other
sales

6
Research in Business Analytics