Strategic Audit of Apple, Inc. (Essay Sample)

Apple Company
Author
Institution
Activity A
Apple Incorporation is a multinational company that was formed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozinak, and Ronald with the main motive of selling computers (Dess et al., 2014). Currently, Apple Inc. is the third largest mobile making company and second-largest Information Technology Company in regards to the revenue collected (Lashinsky, 2012). Apple has 72,800 permanent full-time employees and holds approximately 425 retail stores in 14 countries in the world (Dess et al., 2014). The company operates the iTunes and Apple Store which are online stores.
Apple Inc. is a company that schemes, manufactures and sells computer software, personal computers, consumer electronics, and online services (Lashinsky, 2012). Mac brand of computers, the iPod music player, iPhone smartphone and the iPad tablet computer are the major and best-known hardware products that are associated with Apple (Lashinsky, 2012). The company also produces some online services that are vital and useful for the modern technologically advanced world. The services include iTunes store, App Store and the iCloud which are vital and are very popular to the company's esteemed customers (Lashinsky, 2012).
Apple is also associated with various software that generates revenue to the company in terms of sales. The major consumer software includes the IOS and OS X operating systems (Dess et al., 2014). The main customers for the company's products are teenagers, college and university students, and business people (Dess et al., 2014). This group consists of the loyal and main customers who are vital for the success of the company. The purpose for the company is being committal to offering the best personal computing experience to the esteemed customers across the world through its products and services (Lashinsky, 2012). The main goal for Apple Inc. is making great products and services that will create maximum and great satisfaction to the customers (Dess et al., 2014). With the satisfaction, loyalty will increase and that in turn means that the revenues will continue increasing. Another goal for the company is ensuring its maximum growth in years to come.
There are various external factors that affect the running and operations of the company. Examples of the factors are:
* Economy- The global economy is one of the main external factors that affect the operations of Apple. Market fluctuations caused by recession and inflation reduce sales which really squeeze the company's operations (Dess et al., 2014).
* Legal-Political factors affect the operations of the company in that the law makers can come up with laws that restrict the operations of the company and this will be interfering with operations of the company that will really harm the operations of the company.
* Technological development is another external factor that affects the operations of the company. The world is experiencing fast and dynamic changes technologically and this gives the company pressure in its operations in that it has to keep up with the technology (Lashinsky, 2012).
* Government policy like the increase in taxation of the company is big burden for the operations of the company since it has to abide by the policies set by the government (Dess et al., 2014).
Apple Company functions under a collaborative structure (Lashinsky, 2012). The structure provides clarity on the role of all providers working in the Company and it fosters great respect between the workers. It promotes inclusiveness in the Company and this creates positive working relationship (Lashinsky, 2012). The organizational structure also optimizes staff participation in the company. It also helps in coordinating the different branches in the company. The functions above work together through the coordination provided by the top leaders. The leaders stipulate that the functions should be followed with seriousness. This is the main reason for their effective working that optimizes the performance of the company.
The culture of the organization is the ever persistent innovation and uniqueness in improving the quality of the products that are produced by the company (Lashinsky, 2012). This improves the operations of the company since better ways of carrying out activities are innovated as days go by. The culture also improves the confidence of the employees and this will increase the total output both quality and quantity wise (Lashinsky, 2012).
Activity B
The HR section is a very important component of the Apple Company. The section is in charge of very many activities that make the operations and running of the company smooth. Apple Company uses various strategies that give it an upper hand in competition and market capture (Lashinsky, 2012). Apple uses differentiation as a strategy to attract very many customers in the market (Dess et al., 2014). The company makes its products very unique from the other rival companies' products. This will give the company a competitive advantage and attract many customers.
The company uses pricing strategies where it charges premium prices for its product which provide high-quality user experience (Dess et al., 2014). The strategy keeps the customers flowing in to the company. The company uses marketing strategies like advertising the products in the language of the customers (Lashinsky, 2012). This helps them in getting into the heads of the customers and thus attracts a larger market. Apple also advertises in very many sources which is very expensive and cannot be matched by other rival firms (Lashinsky, 2012). This gives the company a competitive advantage.
The HR in Apple has activities which support the company's overall strategy in the market. The activities are:
* The HR plans for the operations of the workers in the company (Dess et al., 2014). It offers an avenue which the workers can complain and it handles cases. This is beneficial to the company because with happy and content workers, the strategies and goals of the organization are met.
* The HR reorganizes and regroups the workers into different work positions that they are well suited (Dess et al., 2014). This helps in getting the most qualified person for a certain job. This will boost the attainment and working of the company's strategy.
* The HR provides the staff with training with regards to the operations and strategies of the compan