Organizational Culture at Apple Inc - Case Study Example

To move forward and onward through the 21st Century, genuine leaders of Apple Inc. must maintain a healthy organizational culture, which is defined as a system “comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs (artifacts) of organization members and their behaviors” (McNamara, 2007), by doing more than just supervise and manage the workforce. They must be constantly and actively thoughtful and respectful of those whom they supervise. They must also be welcome to embrace change through open dialogue and communication. And this is what the leaders at Apple Inc. have been doing by placing the company “for the first time … in the Fortune 500” (Nokia and Apple, 2007, p. 16) list at number two. A “sense of family is commonly reported in healthy work environments, and cheer is evident within work teams and the organization as a whole” (Shirey, 2006). This comes to light at a time when “it is expected that the skilled labor shortage will worsen across all industries, including health care, by 2020” (Buerhaus, 2002; Buerhaus, Staiger, & Auerbach, 2003; Herman, Olivo, & Gioia, 2002). So that no member of the workforce gets left behind, the leaders at Apple Inc. focus, at the same time and equitably, on the changing needs of the customers and the welfare of its employees (Nokia and Apple, 2007, p. 17). A healthy organizational culture, such as can be seen at Apple Inc., may be thought of as one in which its employees, among other motivating forces of strong leadership, undergo frequent periods of training and renewal; are constantly encouraged, motivated, and supported; and, daily, weekly, and monthly, openly communicated with. According to Gibb (1979), the more those in the work force are supported, the more positively productive these individuals may be; and in turn, the less threatened they feel. As Shirey (2006) indicates, a “healthy and effective work environments have a ‘feeling tone’ in which individuals are encouraged to feel physically and emotionally safe.” This type of culture, according to McNamara (2007) is described as an “academic culture” in which “employees are highly skilled and tend to stay in the organization, while working their way up the ranks” through an environment that is “stable” and is supportive of communication and collaboration. More specifically, those in the leadership roles at Apple Inc. “recognize that empowered employees are empathetic employees” (Kawasaki, 2000, p. S18). Communication occurs among employees and the leaders. Employee morale and satisfaction are maintained. And, in turn, as customer needs change, employees can react by catering to those needs through the production of new-and-better technology and the education of the customers on the new product knowledge. Kawasaki (2000) points out that Apple Inc. morale rises among its employees and leaders when, among other factors, room exists to “combine insight into the potential of innovation, a love of what you’re doing, and an understanding of needs” (p. S16). In essence, this promotes a healthy organizational culture at Apple Inc. Fraterman (2003) states that a healthy organizational culture, such as one may find at Apple Inc., encompasses eight components. These comprise of an (a) “openness and humility from top to bottom of the organization,” (b) “an environment of accountability and personal responsibility,” (c) “freedom for risk-taking within appropriate limits,” (d) “a fierce commitment to ‘do it right’,” (d) “a willingness to tolerate and learn from mistakes,” (e) “unquestioned integrity and consistency,” (f) “a pursuit of collaboration, integration, and holistic thinking,” and (g) “courage and persistence in the face of difficulty.” As Kawasaki (1997), summarizing Apple Inc.’s commitment to maintaining a healthy organizational culture, states that “if you’re in an organization fighting for its life (and in some point in its history every organization is)[,] you have to believe in the upside of what you’re trying to accomplish, and the downside if you fail” (p. 11). No matter what, employee morale must be maintained, for without it, the future may be bleak. Taking into consideration that “managers control and problem solve while leaders motivate and inspire” (Kotterman, p. 14, 2006), the difference between a leader at Apple Inc. and a manager, in the most general of sense, becomes evident. Whereas managers may focus on the here-and-now projects and deadlines, leaders, such as those at Apple Inc, according to Kotterman (2006), focus on improving the lives of the employees while keeping an eye on the future “from 50,000 feet in anticipation global needs” (p. 15). Four functions of management - “planning, organizing, directing, and controlling” (Sawyer, 1998) - exist that support the creation and maintenance of a healthy organizational culture at Apple Inc. These differentiate Apple Inc. leaders, those who are constantly thinking toward the future and “ensuring effectiveness” (McNamara, 2007) within the organization, from managers, those who basically oversee the present how-to of an organization. According to Sawyer (1998), primarily in terms of Apple Inc., planning comes first and can be perceived as a way “to establish a central control over a department's activities and devise a system of priorities” of which the setting of guidelines, benchmarks, rules and regulations are integral elements. The organizing aspect, as Sawyer (1998) explains, comes second at Apple Inc. and “brings together people and systems in logical groupings to carry out plans” by delegating responsibilities to all involved. Sawyer (1998) defines directing, the third stage of moving forward in maintaining a healthy organizational culture at Apple Inc., as a “process of moving resources toward objectives and goals” through the “elements of leadership, motivation, communication, and training.” And lastly, through the aspect of controlling, leaders at Apple Inc., always mindful of the future, progress, and consumer-oriented change, are “making sure that directed action is carried out as planned to achieve some desired objective or goal” (Sawyer, 1998). To maintain an established healthy organizational culture, organizational leaders at Apple Inc. can continue to incorporate two effective strategies. The first involves the asking of questions. And, the second involves the welcoming of input from members of the workforce. The questions asked should focus on whether or not “a positive working environment” (Thompson, 2007) is created, maintained and established at Apple Inc.; whether or not “opportunities for individuals' development” (Thompson, 2007) are constantly provided at Apple Inc.; and whether or not “a healthy work/life balance” (Thompson, 2007) is upheld at Apple Inc. The second involves the welcoming of constant and continual input from members of the Apple Inc. workforce. This creates a sense of “frequency, intensity, informality, openness, and a focus on shared issues and the long term” (Doz & Kosonen, 2007, p. 100). In the long run, this “healthy flow of ideas” (p. 103) establishes, supports, and holds firm, in the most ideal of situations, a “strong value system and a collaborative culture” (p. 101). On the other hand, a lack of open communication that leads to the incorporation of positive changes in the future could be regarded as a primary reason “why major projects such as implementing large technology initiatives, integrating acquisitions, and restructuring organizations often fail during their transition path from concept to reality” (Bergstrand, 2006). To avoid this particular type of failure, the leadership at Apple Inc. continually focuses on the concept of team building through holistic aspect of “team interaction” (Hamlin, 1994, p. 61) so that “no misunderstanding” (p. 61) occurs. “Creating a healthy workplace,” as Jones (2005) summarizes, and as may be perceived at Apple Inc., “means creating a culture of trust and respect – where recognition, flexibility, control, good communication, purpose and balance are valued.” The healthier an organization appears, it may be argued, the higher may be the social and professional well beings of its workforce; and vice versa. Jones (2005) argues that “too often, organizations take a narrow view of workplace health and focus their efforts strictly on physical health, and specifically on reducing employee health risks, mistakenly thinking this will have a major impact on improving organizational health.” Leaders at Apple Inc. take the big picture into consideration and carry the vision of an organization forward by maintaining the health and well-being of its employee culture. As Bergstrand (2006) states, “To produce positive and sustainable change, it is far more productive to systematically reposition an organization’s culture than to try to overpower the culture and create a new one.” Apple Inc. values its employees, as culturally diverse as they may be. This creation and maintenance of a healthy organizational culture, as dutifully taken on by those in visionary leadership roles at Apple Inc., can, it may be surmised, “retain and recruit invaluable employees” (Jones, 2005) without whom the creation, establishment, and maintenance of an enduring healthy organizational Apple Inc. culture leaders would not be possible. A healthy organizational culture is, again, one in which those leaders, such as those at Apple Inc., are constantly looking ahead to the future, are always mindful of those members of the workforce they supervise and from whom they welcome input and new ideas. Thus, while remaining healthy and positively productive, an organization, such as the one at Apple Inc., through the guidance, support, and encouragement of its leaders, grows and readies itself for the future, each and every day. In simplest of terms, a healthy organizational culture, such as the one found at Apple Inc., is best maintained, established, and created through the interpersonal relationships, connections, and communications of its workforce and its leaders. The leaders, while carrying out the vision of the Apple Inc. organization into the future, take into consideration the present well being of the workforce, comprising each and every employee. It is up to the leaders to ask questions of the workforce to see what is working well and what could be better. Any advice from the members of the workforce must be taken into consideration and not ignored. Those who are in the leadership roles at Apple Inc. commit to actively listening to and motivating the workforce. Kinross (2003) may have stated it best when he said, “Workplaces with a strong, positive organizational culture work like magnets.” Apple Inc. may be such an example. References Bergstrand, J. (2006). 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