Nature of Apple, size, and human resource challenges it faces
Apple is a company that publicly trades itself in the computers and electronics industry. The human resource of apple publicly displays itself and one can access the company’s business contacts where all contacts come with the names, email, phone numbers and title. The company relied much on Steve Jobs who was the founder of apple. He ensured that there was an equation within the human resource. (Apple Inc., 2009)
This is what they knew as the leadership strategy equation. The model transformed the organization greatly since leadership generated energy. This is because people had the awareness on the underlying cultural values that the critical followers and the leaders believed in. in addition the human resource had mental picture and vision of values. Effective leaders accept that the main corporate asset is challenge and followers legitimate responsibility. When appropriate leader response meets with challenge, the cultural values of the company raise and the job get done in a way that ensures the reinforcement of vision and cultural values. (Craig, S. 2005)
Steve Jobs career advanced to a multi billion dollar company from a struggling capitalist. Just to honor the wishes of his parents, Steve Jobs attended college for one term but after one term, he left because the traditional system of education prevented him from what he wanted to do. The biggest challenge was when he launched another computer and that is where he stopped working. (Apple Inc., 2009)
The Company went bankrupt and when time came to re consider him, he had cancer. Steve Jobs had a strategy for leadership profile that had the core values and ethics platform of the company. The core values included intuitiveness, caring and industry respectively. On the other hand, ethics platform stipulated that one should never forget about gut feelings, never to engage with no love and never to waste life’s moments. This explained the vision that was for people to love what the company did for them. (Yves L., 2007)
As a response to challenge, Steve Jobs felt it would be better to comply rather than to quit job under pressure from the relevant authorities. Although Apple has grown significantly, it cannot rest on its best position and it must find new and better ways to make profits and create values for its shareholders and customers. (Yves L., 2007)
Major legal concerns
Apple Company for making computers rubbed shoulders with the courts because of colluding with the aim of raising e-book prices. Penguin has in the past-prepared legal battles on apple. The main problem is that of apple using the agency model of pricing e-book. This agency lets publishers set prices independently. Apple argues that the organization ranked the turf for booksellers forcing them to pay less attention to pricing and competing for hardware and software. (Ghoshal, 2009)
According to America’s consumer federation, customers are bearing the higher prices brunt. The high prices have ruined the industry of the digital book. According to Bloomberg, administration hopes that a resolution would allow the return of wholesale model. The department of justice also may seek to undo the requirements of Apple that the publishers give it low prices. (Ghoshal, 2009)
Responding to the challenges
Globalization is a reality and no longer an abstraction that small and large firms face. For the firms that want to survive in the 21st century, they must confront globalization. It is no longer an option choosing not to be part of the global market. Regardless of size, all firms must come up with strategies to enable them adapt and change configuration of these markets. (Ghoshal, 2009)
Today’s managers find it difficult to navigate global waters and establish direction successfully. Contending with complexity is a product of contextual factors in the global environment. Confronting competition is a very good way of responding to such challenges regardless of the degree of global market. (Yves L., 2007)
Conscience relates to the responsibilities morally and socially in the market place globally. Many companies have created more awareness on the need to take measures that limit the environment from going bad. Another major area is customer education and well being of the public and this is in respect to social responsibility. Mostly this is an important issue in the developing or third world countries where poor customers are not able to judge on the success of apple. The standards of product safety should be parallel to international standards. This should present even where such regulations do not exist. (Yves L., 2007)
Recommendations
Regardless of where the firm is intends to go within the global market; there must be response to forces shaping the challenges present and the global surroundings. This makes it clear that in order for the firm to be successful, it must put more effort in its market than in the past. The current global market has many challenges to managers and they therefore require different responses on the organization depending on the level of involvement.
References
Apple Inc. (2009). About Apple Inc. Retrieved on 28th Nov. available at http://www.apple.com/environment/news/
Craig, S. (2005). Global Marketing Strategy, New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ghoshal, S. (2009). Managing Across Borders, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Yves L. (2007). The Multinational Mission, New York: The Free Press;
