Contemporary Organization Evaluation of Apple Inc - Case Study Example

Technology Disruption at Apple Inc Contemporary Organization Evaluation The business scene has undergone transformation because of the rapid technological innovations. The innovations have impacted the business positively making the digital technologies to be continual and increase competition. Ideally, business management and other operations have been changed on the onset of technology. The way people perceive business and adaptability have improved (Applegate, 2015). Consequently, the business has shown a tremendous shift in other instances, proponent indicates that the “disruptive technologies “indicate how the ordinary way of doing business has changed. Apple Inc is no exception; it has been faced with disruption due to the frequent need to upgrade their technology to meet the market demands. The business models have been overturned and pressure to design better business market to counter the market disruptions. The existing technologies used by Apple Inc have been rendered obsolete and new technology has been adopted. Description of the contemporary organization Apple Inc is a tech company that operates in a highly competitive industry that experiences digital disruptions now and then. Despite the stiff competition evident in the industry, Apple Inc. has managed to maintain the lead ahead of its direct competitors like Google, Microsoft, and Samsung. Apple exemplary performance is attributed to its aggression and ability to respond to disruptive technologies in a timely and prompt manner (Saini & Khurana, 2018, p. 29). Despite the many challenges associated with responding to digital technologies, Apple has been embracing the new business models to gain greater competitive age than its competitors and also take a dominant position in the market. Some of the digital disruptions that Apple has recently embraced include AR (Augmented Reality), IoT (the Internet of Things), and AI (Artificial Intelligence) among others. The corporation has been engaging in extensive research and development to find out the new disruptive technologies even before they emerge. These disruptive technologies have reshaped how consumers use products and services and have also changed the way business is conducted at the corporation. In addition to that, the corporation has ensured that it attracts and retains the best talent capable of developing more advanced disruptive technologies in the market. Impact of change and the organization’s response Disruptive technology has had both positive and negative impacts on Apple Inc. Apple have taken advantage of the disruptive technology to create better products and solutions for their customers. The corporation has capitalized on the competitors’ weakness of failing to respond to disruptive technology and has created distinct products that have enabled it to exploit new market opportunities, access untapped markets and increase its target market as well as meet the constantly changing tastes and preferences of consumers. Despite the numerous benefits attributed to disruptive technology, the disruptive technology has increased access to information by consumers and other parties, and this poses a threat to the privacy of information. Increased access to information makes the company vulnerable to cybersecurity (Choo, 2011). Change has also been an issue at Apple. The corporation has been forced to change a significant portion of its resources to incorporate the disruptive technology, and this has significantly escalated corporate budget. The corporation has been forced to work on an impulsive budget on many counts. Impact of disruptive technology to stakeholders The primary stakeholders that have been affected by this change include the consumers and the employees. Consumers have been very receptive to disruptive technology as it enabled them to access more information quickly, purchase products with advanced features. Disruptive technology has led to information symmetry, and this has consequently increased consumerism. Apple's employees, on the other hand, have not been very favorable to the disruptive technology as it has led to the replacement of human power with machines. Most employees have had to lose their jobs for machines and personalized robots have multi-tasked the roles that were previously designed for humans. Employees also experience pressures to be always updated with new knowledge to meet the changing market demands. The corporation has however responded to this resistance by ensuring that it regularly trains its employees to keep them abreast with current trends and also equip them with new knowledge and skills. Overall implications Disruptive technology has increased interdepartmental collaboration at Apple Inc. various departments have been interlinked and interconnected by the disruptive technology. Apple has also realized that collaboration is as important as competition in this era of disruptive technology and has gone ahead to form alliances with its competitors such as IBM (Chiaroni et al, 2016). According to a recent study conducted by the Economic Intelligence Unit, companies are no longer using traditional models of joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions to address and drive technology disruption but are rather gravitating towards more fluid and agile alliances. Apple has not been left behind in the new alliances that tech giants form to address and drive technology disruption. Evaluation of the strategies implemented The strategies employed by Apple to respond to disruptive technology have been very effective. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook believes in staying ahead of the game by being innovative and creative. Apple has been positively embracing the disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence to develop novel products in the market. The decision to identify the training needs of employees and train them has also been effective as this has ensured that employees remain competent and are informed of the current trends. Through continuous training and lifelong learning at Apple, the employees have learned to identify technology disruptions even before they occur. The decision to attract and retain the best talent has also been effective as the best workforce is quick to come up with the most current innovations and ultra-modern solutions. Recommendations With the rapid innovations in the technology industry, the corporation needs to engage in further research and development. The company should engage experts who have dealt with similar disruptive technologies to perform extensive research and development. The corporation should also overcome the fear of failure and convert digital threats into innovation. Adapting new technologies comes with additional costs (Pagani, 2013, p. 625) especially when the company is working under a constrained budget. Apple should, therefore, consider renting a new disruptive technology when the cost of developing it in-house is expensive. The corporation can then apply the longer term disruptive technology solutions when it is on the right track. Conclusion The technology industry has undergone major shifts, and disruptive technology is gaining popularity among consumers and other stakeholders. It has caused significant changes in how products and services are consumed and have also influenced the nature of business transactions. Disruptive technology has added numerous benefits to consumers and business, but it also portrays a global security challenge to the businesses, state, and even to individuals. As businesses and individuals embrace the use of disruptive technology, caution must be taken for it might expose to privacy risks. References Applegate, S., (2015). Cyber Conflict: Disruption and Exploitation in the Digital Age. Current and Emerging Trends in Cyber Operations (pp. 19-36). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Chiaroni, D., Chiesa, V., Franzò, S., Frattini, F., & Urbinati, A. (2016, June). How incumbents manage waves of disruptive innovation: an empirical analysis. In ISPIM Innovation Symposium (p. 1). The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM).Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrea_Urbinati/publication Choo, K.K.R. (2011). The cyber threat landscape: Challenges and future research directions. Computers & Security, 30(8), pp.719-731. Maria Fonseca, “What is a disruptive technology?” on Maria Fonseca, Guide to 12 Disruptive Technology Examples (03 February 2014) < http://www.intelligenthq.com/technology/12-disruptive-technologies/ >. Pagani, M., (2013). Digital business strategy and value creation: Framing the dynamic cycle of control points. Mis Quarterly, 37(2), pp.617-632. Saini, A. K., & Khurana, V. K. (2018). Business Model Innovation In The Digital Era: Issues And Challenges. Digitalization, 29. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ishwar Read More