CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Mark & Spencer - Change Management

Apple Inc. - Change Management

Change Management

Change is defined as the response to various physical or emotional stimuli. This concept is complicated in the area of human resource management because people do not easily accept the unknown. In today's business environment they are conscious about the job competencies, financial security and the existing peculiar processes they perform daily. But, in response to the changing technological, social and cultural factors, organizations have to go through a transformation process at least once in their life time. Organizational change occurs when a company replaces its current business processes and practices to the new or improved ones. There are many examples of companies which were forced to reorganize their practices and structure following the technological and environmental change.

Scope

The focus of this paper is to identify the change management process and the restructuring at Apple. Apple replaced the two separate product divisions into the manufacturing and marketing divisions responsible for all Apple products. Apple had to make many strategic decisions in implementing the change including the financial planning, and workforce training.

Research Objectives

How effective is the restructuring process in organizational success?

What aspects of change process are crucial in implementing change?

Company Profile

Apple Computer, founded in 1976, company is considered one of the groundbreakers of the technological innovative industry. It has its Headquarter in Cupertino, CA and retail branches located worldwide. The company has more than 10,000 staff. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were the founders of the company (Apple, 2011). On the other hand, HSBC is known for its banking and financial services all over the world. It has branches in 88 countries over 8000 offices operating. It has it's headquarter in London. It was founded in 1865 for China and Europe trade. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that develops and manufactures consumer electronics, software and personal computers. The most famous products of hardware Macintosh computers are IPod, iPhone and IPAD. Based in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 and incorporated January 3, 1977, the company was called Apple Computer, Inc in the first 30 years, but dropped the word "computer" on Jan. 9, 2007 reflect the continued expansion of the company's consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. Apple has about 35,000 employees worldwide and around the world had annual sales of 42.91 billion U.S. dollars in the fiscal year ending September 26, 2009. For reasons as diverse as his philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to the company and its brand, particularly in the United States. Fortune magazine named Apple the best company in the United States in 2008 and worldwide in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

It all started in California with two young men, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. They start shyly with minimal way: through hard work, they assemble around two hundred machines which allowed the Apple to ...