APPLE'S HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Apple's Human Resource Management



Apple's Human Resource Management

Corporate History The history of Apple Computer is a history of passion among its founders, employees, and loyal users. Started by a pair of Stevens, Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs, both had an interest in electronics at an early age, with Wozniak at Hewlett-Packard and Jobs at Atari. Wozniak constructed his first personal computer, the Apple I, and along with Jobs, created Apple Computer on April 1, 1976. 1 However, it wasn't until 1977 and the introduction of the Apple II, with its plastic case and color graphics, that things began to take off. The addition of a floppy drive in early 1978 added to the popularity of the new computer. (Grant 1996 pp.3-9) By 1980, the release of the Apple III found the company with several thousand employees and Steven Jobs at the helm.Early on Apple Computer exhibited an extreme emphasis on new and innovative styling in its computer offerings. Jobs' eccentric personality pervaded the culture of Apple and all the people who worked there. (Mabey 1998 pg104)He took a personal interest in the development of new products, including the Lisa and the legendary MacIntosh, with its graphical interface and 3.5 inch floppy disk.The passion Apple is so famous for was clearly evident in the design of the MacIntosh. Project teams worked around the clock to develop the machine, in addition to its innovative graphical user interface (GUI) operating system (Mac OS). Based loosely on a design developed by the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, the use of graphical icons to create simplified user commands was immensely popular. 2 With the entrance of IBM into the personal computer market in 1981, Jobs realized that it was time for Apple to "grow up". In early 1983, he was able to persuade John Sculley, then president of Pepsi-Cola, to join Apple as President. The two men clashed almost from the start, with Sculley eventually ousting Jobs from the company.

After a difficult time in the mid-1990s, Spindler was replaced with Gil Amelio, the former president of National Semiconductor. This set the stage for one of the most famous returns in corporate history.After leaving Apple, Steven Jobs started NeXT computer, an advanced personal computer with a sleek, innovative design. However, with its proprietary software, the device never caught a large following. Jobs then co-founded Pixar computer-animation studios in the late 1980s. It has co-produced Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and A Bug's Life with Walt Disney Studios.Job's Return In late 1996, Apple announced the purchase of NeXT, a computer firm that Steven Jobs had developed after leaving the firm. Jobs returned to Apple in an un-official capacity as advisor to the President. However, with the resignation of Gil Amelio, Jobs eventually accepted the role of "interim CEO" (i CEO) of Apple Computer. He wasted no time in making his return felt.Jobs announced an alliance with its former rival, Microsoft. In exchange for $150 million in Apple Stock, Microsoft and Apple would have a 5-year ...