Contributions of Steve Jobs in the Business Field - Research Paper Example

Contributions of Steve Jobs in the Business Field Steve Jobs, who was the co-founder and a longtime CEO of Apple Computers, was an icon in the computer industry and the entire business community. His numerous inventions and successful leadership skills made him shine in the business world. As a result, he has influenced many companies and business people as well as young entrepreneurs all over the world. He had a winning personal character that enabled him to achieve whatever he wanted. In addition, he was able to lead and manage his company with competency, which allowed him to be among the most successful Chief Executive Officers. Moreover, Jobs had a way of winning the confidence of customers and offer them satisfaction. He did this by being very innovative and ensuring his company produced new products regularly. This paper will discuss the contributions of Steve Jobs in the business field. It will discuss in detail his management style, innovative mind as well as his character. Introduction On February 24, 1955, two young graduate students gave birth to Steve Jobs in San Francisco. These two unmarried graduate students were an American and a Syrian. Jobs biological parents felt that they were not ready to take responsibility of taking care of the boy. They therefore resolved to put him for adoption. A couple in California, Paul and Clara Jobs adopted Steve and he considered them as his real and only parents (Gillam, 15). Life in California was not very easy and Steve grew in harsh conditions of lack and hustling. When he was through with his high school education, his parents struggled to raise his school fees. Jobs spent most of his time helping his father in his garage, where he developed affection for machines. Most people considered Steve jobs as a most important figure both in the computer and entertainment sectors. Jobs’ history in business made him to be a triumphant capitalist, highlighting the significance of design while understanding the crucial responsibility of novelty in making information and entertainment products more available in to the public. This means that Steve jobs contributed or played a major role in the business sector (Gershon, 366). In the late 1970s, both the electronic and the automobile industries in the United States were getting stiff competition from foreign companies. It was normal for the Americans to expect their businesses to flourish and prosper. Therefore, word spread all over the country regarding the college dropouts who fashioned the personal computer in a garage and established a fun, new company. Exaggerations of the story went on until Jobs grew in to a hero and became a computer whiz kid. This shows how Steve Jobs contributed to computer education hence making most people in the world to become computer literate (Aaseng, 118). Personal characters that made Jobs become a successful entrepreneur Many people deem that the character of Jobs was very contradicting. This is because on the positive side they see Jobs as a motivating and visionary person, who would not settle until he fulfills his dreams and visions. On the other hand, there are those who see him as a hard, aggressive and stern person, who rebukes his employees and overwork them. However, even though Jobs had a contradicting personality, this very personality triggered his outstanding success and made him a strong entrepreneur (Griffin, 430). While the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs developed a strong character in sales and marketing that helped in successfully marketing the products of Apple. In addition, the visionary aspect of Jobs helped the world to develop a new understanding of the use of computers. In the past, it is evident that there was a common assertion that the only people to use computers were professionals especially in data centers. As a result of this imitative, Jobs was able to sell make the public aware that computers have multiple uses. This regard, he influenced the business community by encouraging many prospective entrepreneurs to give new meanings to existing products (Sander, 2). One of the greatest characters of Steve Jobs that is useful in contemporary business world is that he did what he loved. Right from academics to the business field, Jobs did what his heart directed him to do and it helped him become a successful entrepreneur. For example, he had a liking to calligraphy and he enjoyed attending the classes. In this class, he was able to learn diverse ways of writing a letter, which gave him inspiration for his future career. The skills that Jobs acquired in this class helped him develop multiple fonts in the Macintosh computer ten years on down the line. He praises the calligraphy lessons for offering him the idea for the feature. This innovation introduced a standard feature in which all every personal computer since the Apple integrates (Gillam, 27). Steve Jobs was also very confident and did not easily give up on anything. During the development of Macintosh Computer, Steve dedicated much of his efforts to see it go through. During this time, he was very determined that the team working on the project would finish the work within one year. In this case he did not employ many workers to work on the model, thinking that they were enough to finish it within one year. He was very confident with his time frame that he did not even consider the bulkiness of the work required (Linzmayer, 93). He portrayed a lot of confidence that many contemporary entrepreneurs lack. This shows high level of confidence and determination that is essential in the business world. People venturing in businesses must have confidence in their work and products. According to Steve Jobs, those individuals who usually buy Apple’s goods are not real consumers. These people are individuals with dreams, ambitions and hope. According to him, he manufactured products, which helped people in accomplishing their dreams. In addition, Jobs assumed that effortlessness is the final erudition. Steve affirms that novelty means eradicating the unnecessary to enable the essential to gain ground (10). Steve Jobs was the world’s preeminent company storyteller, revolving product launched into an art type. He deemed that one can have the most inventive idea in the world, but if people do not get overjoyed over one’s idea, then the inventive idea does not matter (Gallo, 11). Steve Jobs was also an insistent businessperson. He had an intellectual and methodical approach of marketing. The details that went into packaging of the original Macintosh (Mac) Personal Computer (PC) illustrated this approach. He gave the final approval on all software that run on the machines and provided much input on presentation of television ads and the message they transmitted (Finkle & Mallin, 34). Steve Jobs also portrayed much sacrifice in making Apple computers successful. It is evident that in order for a young company or business to shoot up and reach high levels, it requires high levels of sacrifice. Jobs portrayed this kind of sacrifice when he sold his red and white Volkswagen bus for $ 1,500. He did this to raise money for producing the initial Apple I printed circuit board in 1976 (Linzmayer, 59). This means that Jobs was a risk taker, an element that every entrepreneur should portray. He influenced many prospective entrepreneurs in taking risks as they endeavor to make their dreams successful. Jobs took the risk of selling his bus not knowing whether the computer they were producing would sell well in the market. Steve Jobs followed his heart in his entire life, and this brought great change. In addition, Jobs attracted like-minded people who shared his vision and who helped turn his ideas into world-changing novelties. According to Steve, novelty did not survive without creativity, which is the act of creating things. Jobs deemed that a set of experiences widened the understanding of humans (Gallo, 10). According to Jobs, concentration to detail, self-assurance, and controlling personality were his strongest possessions although some believed that these characteristics were his biggest shortcomings (Finkle & Mallin, 34). Steve Jobs also portrayed a very resilient and tough character, one that does not give up easily. When he was the CEO of Apple Computers, he worked very hard and triggered the development of the Macintosh Computer. This offered him much Credit and honor as the brand hit the market greatly. However, there many complain that he was incompetent and not technically good, which caused him to leave Apple. This however was not to be his end, he sold all his stock in Apple and pioneered another computer company, NeXT Computer. This shows a character that does not give up easily. Jobs had a dream of transforming the world of computers and departure from Apple was not to kill this dream (Griffin, 430). By this character Jobs influenced many people venturing in to businesses in being resilient and not loosing hope. Steve motivated many entrepreneurs with his principles, which he tendered himself as a product. He affirmed that whether one was an entrepreneur working out of a spare bedroom, a college graduate interviewing for that first job, a twenty-year veteran of an industry undergoing essential changes, or a small business owner searching for information to advance his business, the person himself symbolizes the most vital product of all. According to Steve jobs, when a business person presents himself as a brand, he will have great influence on the innovation of new ideas that will aid the growth of the business and improve the lives of consumers. This means that Steve Jobs have motivated young entrepreneurs who may think that their business always fails them. They can now have positive postulations concerning their businesses and this can improve their own lives and the lives of their consumers (Gallo, 11). From his youthful days, Jobs had a tireless work code, particularly toward his passion of electrical engineering. His work code was the inspiration that made him to learn more things concerning advanced technical knowledge of the computers that Apple has been building for many years. Jobs’ ability to see the potential in the opportunities allowed him to take full advantage of these ventures (Finkle & Mallin, 38). This contributed much in the business world. It is paramount for all business people to develop work ethics for their businesses to be successful. Developing a work ethic is important as it helps an entrepreneur to harbor discipline. Another significant contribution of Steve Jobs in the world of business is transforming marketing of technology. Marketing is the core of every business as it determines the relationship with customers as well as making sales. Without good and winning marketing strategies, products of a company cannot sell well even if they are of high quality. Steve Jobs was able to realize the immediate needs of customers, hence apply marketing technologies that met these needs. He was able to explain the products of Apple with much intelligent and winning style that attracted customers. By so dong many customers had confident in Apple’s products and the sales eventually increased (Fisk, 66). In addition to being an intelligent marketer, Steve Jobs was also an aggressive marketer. He was a marketer with consistency and confidence in advertising his products. In addition, Jobs did not speculate failure of any of Apples products even the initial Apple Computer. He started looking for customers when the first group of printed circuit boards was ready. Although these were not complete computers, Jobs was confident that they will get market and help in development of other brands. At a Homebrew Computer club meeting, Jobs presented the first brand of Apple computer to Paul Terrell, who owned the Byte shop. Surprisingly, this computer shop was the first retail computer store in the whole country. After Terrell followed the demonstration keenly, he developed a liking to Jobs’ presentation and told him to keep in touch. After Jobs visited the shop the following day, Terrell offered to purchase fifty computers for $500 each (Linzmayer, 7). Steve Jobs was also very persistent in attaining his goals, which made him not to settle until he accomplished them. According to him, one’s work was going to fill a big part of his life, and the only way to do great work was by following one’s passion. He affirms that if one has not found it then he is not supposed to settle until he finds it. Steve Jobs did not notice his passion easily since he was evidently searching. Jobs joined non-required college classes and he even took unnecessary trips to India. The consequence was a string of groundbreaking devices that influenced millions of content Apple customers and investors as well as innumerable millions of others who use Apple stimulated products (Gallo, 23). Leadership and Management style of Steve Jobs Many young people are either learning to live like an adult or starting their first job at 22 years old but for Steve he was sitting on top of a fast growing business in a revolutionary industry. With the continuous evolution in the new computer technology it was important for Apple to stay a step ahead of the competition. Consequently, it was a stressing time for everyone including Steve who stressed on the need for perfection at every level (Imbimbo, 65). In management, Steve Jobs was an anomaly in that his leadership style was worth both admiration and criticism, but certainly not replication. According to the frameworks business textbooks, he did not fit (1). His navigation character made his style unique even to institutional theories because this field is hard to comprehend. He aimed at creating a meaning to both the customers and employees (Verganti, 2). Steven Jobs was both a transformational and transactional leader. Despite it being hard for a transactional leader to become transformational in future, primarily transformational leaders like Steven Jobs can dither between the two styles of present and potential future. In addition, another outstanding leadership style of Steve Jobs is his mysterious ability to develop a vision and influence others to become a part of it. To some scholars there are similarities between transformational leadership and charismatic leadership (Branch, 7). Steve Jobs had a deeper understanding of Business Process Management and the dynamics of Horizontal Market product integration in addition to his deep understanding on the role aesthetics played on public appeal product applications. In the late 1970's, under Jobs’ leadership Apple took on the likes of IBM with the commercially successful Apple II and Macintosh personal computers and the common use of mouse-driven applications (Ferguson, 2). A leader can become a strong charismatic leader of an organization after combining transactional and transformational leadership. An ideal example of charismatic leadership born out of the two styles is Steve Jobs' CEO leadership over Pixar from 1986 to 2006 (8). According to many researchers, charisma is a popular trait of leaders who serve in the transformational roles or change agent. However, another school of thought claims that charismatic leadership was the most ideal form assumed by the transformational leaders (Branch, 9). Another management style of Steve was inspiring workers to do great things through rewarding hard work with high praise, special awards, expensive parties and other benefits. In addition, Steve really appreciated the talent of his team members and they perfectly knew this. However, he was known to push his workers hard even using threats and insults. Sometimes he could create tensions or cause delays through his demand for perfection, his unrealistic expectations, and his habit of changing his mind (Imbimbo, 74). Jobs gave his employees meaning. It was known everywhere that Apple's employees worked hard on visionary projects, to gratify their leader's maniacal attention to detail while striving to meet targets. In addition, Jobs imparted in them a sense of mission. They therefore believed that Apple had to leave a mark in the world of computing, impact people's lives, be bold and certainly think differently (Verganti, 6). Steve Jobs’ strategies of improving Customer satisfaction through innovation Jobs believed that for entrepreneurs to win the confidence of customers and users, they should give them a priority when producing or designing any product. As for Steve Jobs, he always considered the end-users first, before coming up with new products. However, this does not mean that he generated an organization entirely based on whatever the customers wanted. Rather, he approached innovation in a manner that the organization would offer proposal to users but not driven by the users (3). This level of leadership portrayed by Jobs is managing by meaning, which considers the diversity of people in management. This means that a good manager should recognize the different the humanistic nature of its clients, their rationality, their culture as well as emotional dimensions. For Steve Jobs, he did not concentrate in producing a unique design; rather he concentrated on generating new meanings to the customers (Verganti, 4). For Jobs, meaning business entails the issues of humanities and culture, which regrettably business schools barely master. This he connects with the issue of adding taste to products, which enthralls customers more compared to smartness of the products. For instance, in an interview he stated that Microsoft has a big problem in their sales since they do not add taste to their products. He specifically asserted that Microsoft does not generate much culture into their product. Accordingly, when he was launching the iPad in 2010, he said, "The reason we've been able to create products like this is because we've tried to be at the intersection of technology and liberal arts” (Verganti, 7). In the case of adding taste to products, Steve Jobs have influenced many companies and sole traders to consider the different tastes of their customers when producing products. In contemporary business world, a company has to add taste that can distinguish its product from its competitor’s products thus making it unique. Steve Jobs led by example in portraying how adding taste to new products can make one successful in business. Another way through which Jobs influenced the business community in terms of satisfying customers is in producing new products constantly. Throughout the period he was the CEO of Apple, he made hallmark inventions leading to production of several new products. Each time he presented a new product, it was evident that that his company remained competitive. Generation of these new products transformed Apple as well as the computer and business world (124). Due to the introduction of the Macintosh computer, the sales of apple increased from a low of five percent to a record high of twelve percent. In addition, the company registered high profits during this period employed almost 9000 people (Aaseng, 125). Jobs also led the initiation of the concept “store within a store” strategy. Under this concept, Apple collaborated with CompUSA to generate a complete department in each of Comp USA’s 148 stores that provided Apple products only. The opening of these stores led to provision of the new Apple Power Mac computer line. In addition, the company introduced these new stores in to an online market. In this market, customers could easily customize and buy Apple products easily. These new innovations were very successful and boosted the sales of Apple further. This portrays how innovation can push an entrepreneur to higher heights through customer satisfaction (Finkle & Mallin, 36). Steve Jobs did not only seek to create new products, rather he sought to generate products that could make sense to different users. For instance, the creation of iPad and iTunes applications generated new meanings in music in terms of easy accessibility. These applications made it easier for users to search, discover, buy, listen to, and organize music from any location. In addition, the iPhone transformed the meaning of smart phones from gadgets for business to gadgets of social entertainment (Verganti, 5). In other innovations, Steve Jobs was the first person to view the personal computer as a mass consumer product. He was able to prompt the transformation of personal computers from toys, to useful business products and home usage. In addition, Jobs introduced another transformation in personal computers by generating the standard user friendly operating systems (Aaseng, 124). This was an inspiration to probable business people and companies to venture in to products that bring new meanings in to the world. In this case, it is evident that business is not just about innovation but it is about innovations that bring change in to the transforming world. Conclusion Steve Jobs have contributed enormous skills to the business community that contemporary entrepreneurs practice. During his term as the CEO of Apple, he presented unique leadership qualities that propelled the company higher above its competitors. In addition, his character enabled him to become a very successful entrepreneur, working through hardships, stress and risks to achieve his goals. He was also able to satisfy the needs of the customers through offering new products and innovation. This made his company’s products very competitive, which increased its sales year after year. Without doubt, every business person in the world would like to emulate Steve Jobs since he succeed in almost everything he tried. Works Cited Aaseng, Nathan. Business Builders in Computers. Minneapolis: Oliver Press, 2000. Print. Branch, Chester. Before iPad - The Rise of Steve Jobs. 2011. Web. Finkle, Todd. & Mallin, Michael. “Steve Jobs and Apple, Inc.” Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies 16.7 (2010): 31-39. Print. Fisk, Peter. Marketing Genius. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2006, Print. Gallo, Carmine. The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2010. Print. Gershon, Richard. Telecommunications and business strategy. London: Taylor & Francis, 2008. Print. Gillam, Scott. Steve Jobs: Apple & iPod wizard. Minnesota: ABDO Publishers, 2008, Print. Griffin, Ricky. Management. 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