Apple Company's organizing function and management of organizational resources

Apple Company

Apple Computer, Inc. is a multinational corporation with its roots in the United States. It designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers (Shetty, 2011). The company has grown to rival the likes of Microsoft in the world of consumer electronics and computers. As such, its physical, monetary and human resources, as well as its knowledge and technology are used in such a way as to ensure the growth and sustainability of the company. Despite several criticisms, the company's current size and stature in the public eye remain testament to its effective use and management of the resources at its disposal.

According to Shetty (2011), the company's best-known hardware products are its Macintosh computers and the iPod, iPhone and iPad. It also promotes a range of software, including the Mac OS X operating system, iTunes media browser, iLife multimedia, and iWork productivity software, among several others.

In terms of physical resources, the company seems to lack little: it operates 301 retail stores in ten countries, as well as an online store for its hardware and software products. In 2010, it had surpassed Microsoft to become one of the largest and most valuable technology companies in the world. To reflect the evolution of the company's products, it changed its name form Apple Computer, Inc. To Apple, Inc. In 2007.

In terms of human resource, Apple had 46,6000 full time employees and 2,800 temporary full time employees worldwide. Its monetary assets were estimated at $65.23 billion in annual worldwide sales during 2010 (Shetty, 2011).

The company has used its human, monetary and physical resources to create a unique reputation among a base of loyal consumers. Its focus on aesthetic design is coupled with distinctive advertising campaigns to provide its brands with a unique conception in the minds of potential and existing consumers. According to Shetty (2011), this reputation culminated in the company's being named the most admired in the United States by Fortune Magazine in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Significantly, however, Apple, Inc. has also attracted criticism for its contractors' labor, environmental, and business practices. The environmental issue has been the focus of a number of publications, one of which was written by Kessman (2007). The focus of the article was Steve Jobs's pledge that his company would join the increasing number of corporations in their fight against global warming to "go green."

This pledge was in response to criticism from environmental groups, to the effect that the company had not been committed to recycling and removing harmful toxins and chemicals from its products. In an apt post, Steve Jobs's message to consumers was posted under a link titled "A Greener Apple" (Kessman, 2007).

The message claimed "surprise" at the fact that Apple appeared to be a "leader" in the area of environmentally sound practices and technologies while blaming a lack of "communication" for the criticism leveled against it. It also made lofty promises to remove toxic chemicals form their products and implement recycling.

Whatever criticism Apple, Inc. faces, however, it does little to harm the overall strength of the company. Helft and Vance (2010), for example report Apple's advance over Microsoft in 2010 as the world's most valuable technology company.

What makes Apple's story significant is not so much its current effective use of all its resources in focusing on providing customers with a certain image, and desire to obtain products that promote this image, although this is certainly part of it. Even more, as the authors note, the company and its CEO, Steve Jobs, made a massive turnaround only 10 years ago, when it was given up for over and gone.

In addition to the use of its resources to communicate effectively with customers, Apple has also been catering to a cultural shift in the technology business: the tastes of consumers in favor of business needs as the leading force to shape technology. As such, the company has specialized in optimizing its knowledge and technological resources to cater for every conceivable consumer taste.

One of Apple's most popular pieces of technology is, for example the touch screen, first promoted via the smartphone. This overtook the more traditional keyboard and screen approach so successfully utilized by Microsoft for years. Furthermore, hand-held devices and music constitutes most of Apple's current revenue, although it does still sell computers as well. Sales figures for Smartphones also grew five times faster than that for computer sales.

In the technology field, companies also need to keep pace with rapid changes, not only in the field of technology, but also in terms of consumer needs and wants. This is one of the most important assets that Apple was able to use in its technological race with other giants. Apple is constantly working to create something new, while Microsoft, on the other hand, depends upon the historically trusted means and methods of revenue. In this way, Apple was therefore also able to build its reputation as a technological innovator and giant.

In a comparison between Microsoft and Apple, the authors note that the revenue for both companies is comparable at $58.4 billion for Microsoft and $42.9 billion for Apple. While Microsoft's fiscal strength lies in its superior amounts of cash and short-term investments, comparing $39.7 billion, to Apple's $23.1 billion. However, investor value and future prospects seem to lie more strongly with Apple, Inc. than with Microsoft.

Apple's most significant rival in terms of innovative products and services is Google, which has provided the market with the Android operating system and mobile advertising. Other areas of rivalry with this company include Internet-connected televisions and Internet applications, rather than those for iPhone or desktop, which have been Apple's main strength. Although Apple is the current market leader in innovative technologies, Google is bound to be a powerful rival. In addition, Apple will also have to maintain its watchful outlook for new competitors to the market and apply its resources accordingly.