APPLE INC.

Apple Inc.

[Instructor's Name]

Apple Inc.

Introduction

Apple Inc. markets, designs, and manufactures portable media players, mobile communication devices and personal computers (PCs). Apple's products comprise the Mac line of laptop computers and desktop, the iPod line of media players, the iPad tablet computer, and the iPhone. Products offered by Apple are known for their ease of use and proprietary software. Apple was cofounded by Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011. Apple's products reflect a "walled garden" design philosophy, in which the user experience is carefully managed by Apple. Apple controls about 19.2% of the Computer Manufacturing industry and is expected to post a revenue figure of $7.1 billion in 2012. Apple has 19.2% Market Share.

Apple has made its management system so that it's created to generate special products. Apple's technique for originality may be recognized as a particular collection of organizational networks and management practices that, theoretically, other organizations may employ. Apple's fundamental soul is the company's slogan, “Think Different”. Apple continues a self-contained and thoughtful, operating technique which is able to amaze opponents and shake up whole industry. There are many practices Apple's management employs to create the wonder occur. Apple has 20,000 overseas and 43,000 employees in the USA. This paper discusses how different organizational theory perspectives can assist us in acquiring different understandings of Apple, its organizational networks and influence.

International Insights

The computer manufacturing industry is largely a global business. Top companies, based in the US and elsewhere, commonly operate internationally and use foreign contract manufacturers, Apple also do so. Components of Apple are typically sourced from outside the US. Taiwan-based contract manufacturers such as Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) and Wistron provide board- and system-level assembly for Apple. Apple also derives a large portion of their sales from foreign markets. (Carlton 2007, 36)

Apple enjoys a global brand image in all the geographical regions in which it operates. According to the report named Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2011 released by the international consulting firm Millward Brown, the company's brand value increased from $83.2 billion in 2010 to $153.3 billion in 2011, representing an increase of about 84% over that in 2010. The increase in brand value resulted from the popularity of its iconic products, which enable people to manage and enjoy their lives. Among the top 100 brands, it was ranked 1st, an improvement over the previous year's ranking of 3rd. Apple's brand value is about $42 billion ahead of its competitor Google. The increase is a compliment to the company's transformation from an electronics manufacturer into a brand that has become central to the lives of people. (Clegg 2005, 12-15)

Apple's worldwide shipments grew slightly in 2011, to about 350 million units. Large global manufacturers include Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer Group and Apple. The Asia/Pacific region accounts for the highest number of shipments, totaling 33 percent. Europe, Africa, and the Middle East combined account for 31 percent of sales, followed by Latin America (10 percent) and Japan (4 percent).

Computer companies that use contract manufacturers ...