Organizational Behavior and Organizational Culture at Apple - Research Paper Example

? Apple Organizational Culture Contents Apple Organizational Culture Organizational Culture 3 Apple Corporation 4 Apple organizational culture 5 Data collection process using interview 8 Interview with an Apple managing director 8 Interview with a manager at apple 10 Interview with Apple employee 11 Interview Observation, findings and Analysis 12 Recommendations and Suggestions 13 Conclusion 14 Organizational Culture There is no definite definition for organizational culture in organizations, because they vary in the way they are instilled and used in different organizations. Madu (1) provides a generalized definition by defining organizational culture as values, beliefs, behavior that is adopted by an organization in its operations. This definition indicates that organizational culture in organizations differs, and can take many forms depending on the leadership style the organization employs. Organization culture deals with the code of work, belief and skills perspective in the organization and defines how things are done in the organization (Baker 2). In general, organizational culture is created to encourage the collective role by all the employees to meet set objectives and goals (Madu1). The leadership style used dictates the type of organizational culture in an organization. For a leader to develop a proper organizational culture, they first impose their, standards, expectations, beliefs and standards to the other employees to be applied in the organization. As leadership ideas become shared, and embedded in the organizations operations, the employees develop skills signals and work ethics as required. Proper culture can develop into deep into the organization, and if it is fully integrated, can lead to business success. This culture takes two levels of existence, and the first level deals with organizational behavior and artifacts. This relates to behavior that can be physically observed in the organization including the layout of organization environment, dressing code and the general behavior of people. The second level of organizational culture involves expressing the values of the organization that are not physically observable, but are appear in the general operations of the organization. For instance, the way the organizations related to the products and customers also is reflected by the organizational culture. Organizations can set their standards to become customer oriented in the operations, and through this, products and services are be tailored to meet the specific needs of customers (Madu 3). Organizational cultures can be evaluated on whether or not they are effective at a time when the organization is facing a crisis. If the culture is incapable of handling the crisis at that time, then the leadership needs to change their culture to handle it (Haworth 1). Furthermore, organizational culture plays a very important role in organizations, and in many cases, it provides direction to the organization. This organizational culture provides employees with what is desired from them, and how they are to present themselves, or behave in the workplace environment. It also provides employees with a sense of communication in the organization, and in most cases it with a chain of command to be followed. It also provides a sense of order in the organization, and leadership together with the staff can be able to know how their roles and how they are to achieve this in organizations. Culture in an organization allows for strategic innovation of products and services, and shows, which methods organizations can follow; either product centered or market centered approaches. Organizational culture provides management with a means of managing the workforce in the organization, and helps set the roles and tasks for each member of the staff (Tharp 3). Organizational culture is very important in managing organizational change, which may arise either internally or externally. This organizational change enables the management to gain competitive advantage from their competitors, and create products or services that meet the market requirements. Apple Corporation The Apple Corporation was founded in the1970s by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and in 1976, Jobs convinced Wozniak they develop apple into commercial products; their first product, the Apple I was unveiled for the American market (“Apple Inc.’s Ethical…” 1). In 1985, Jobs was ousted from Apple Corporation after internal struggles with the managing directors; and Apple continued to develop their products for the American market. This period presented difficult times for the Apple Corporation, and the launch of their new product line Apple Lisa flopped in the market. Their other products in the market the Mac and Newton also struggled in the market and the company experienced a number of senior management changes to try save the company from bankruptcy. Apple organizational culture Steve Jobs returned to the company as a senior founder in 1997, and presented changes in Apple as he tried to save the company from collapse. Jobs restructured the company culture, and a notable change he introduced was the closed-door policy. This policy and regulation in the company meant that all information about Apple products and services were not to be communicates to any outside party. A second change that he introduced in the company was the change in the organizational structure, making it use a flat structure. Figure 1: shows the flat organizational structure of Apple Corporation Adapted from http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/apple This implied that Jobs would involve himself directly in all the operations in the company, and employees at all levels are answerable to him (Shamah). In 2007, Jobs renamed the Apple Computer Corporation to Apple Inc, which made Apple to not only develop computer products, but also begin innovation of electronic products. A notable innovation developed then is the iPod. Jobs created a vision which employee could believe in, and this enhanced employee loyalty to the corporation. Jobs believed in the views of customers, and that the customer is always right, the sense of belief the product creates to a customer indicates that the corporation has achieved its goals. He restructured Apple stores operations, and employees are required to serve customers very fast and effectively, making it a culture in the corporation (Hughes). Jobs demanded hard work and efficiency from all the employees, and in this case, the corporation developed a corporate image of high work ethic. The corporation employs a performance based reward system, in which a hardworking employee is rewarded for his hard work, and non-performers are dismissed. Jobs culture entailed that there is no room for laxity in the workplace, and that nobody in the corporation is indispensable (Tobak). The corporation strives in making its products distinct from others in the market, and to achieve this it employs brilliant people to develop their products (Tobak). In the corporation, there is no status quo, and everyone is supposed to perform his or her duties with little or no supervision. At Apple, their organizational culture everyone is empowered to make a difference, and with the launch of each product all the employees feel involved in the success (Reisinger). The corporation employs a loose working schedule for the employees, and employs are allowed to dress casually in the workplace, making them feel comfortable with themselves in the workplace. The organizations instills to the employees that they should not dwell in the past, but strive to improve on what they already developed (Reisinger). The focus of Apple is on the design and minute details on their products, this indicates that the employees are not expected to assume anything in their operations. The employees also experience long working hours, with no overpay in the workplace, and to try alleviating this situation, the company provides transportation services for their employees (Love). The corporation employs employees who are smart, motivated, intelligent, and capable of working unsupervised in the organization. These employees have made Apple develop unique products for the markets, because they are infused with the belief that apple products are better than any other products (Shamah). With this belief, Apple has developed products for the market including personal computers hardware and software, mobile technologies application, mobile phones, music applications including iPad and Apple music stores, and streaming technology for multimedia. Apple does not use the conventional transparency method that other company’s adopt for discussing their product development in the public sphere. The Apple culture is that employees are not to talk about work or products to the public, and there is sworn secrecy by everyone (Reisinger). Jobs believed that the downfall of Apple in the 1990s was through leakage of product information to their competitors. This means that when he resumed running the corporation, all-major information pertaining products developed is confidential. The employees who break this rule are to face punishment, hence in the apple workplace their work is done behind closed doors. Data collection process using interview I interviewed three workers of the apple store a senior director, a manager and an employee to collect data that cuts across the Apple organizational structure Interview with an Apple managing director Q1: What type of organizational structure do you have in place at apple? The apple organizational structure is unique to other organizations in the industry, and this is what makes it better than the competition. Apple employs a flat organizational structure, which the founder Steve Jobs introduced in 1997. In this structure, Jobs introduced the culture that managers and directors become directly involved in the daily operations of the business. Employees are answerable to the director directly and their performance is assessed with minimum red tape involved. Q2: What is the role of senior directors in the maintaining of organizational culture? The Apple core competence is for total consumer satisfaction, and this is what is instilled to all employees from the headquarters to all branches in the world. First, we seek maintain Steve Jobs vision of creation products that all employees believe in their development. Second, we ensure that all our employees are loyal to the corporation, and this helps achieve a high sense of job satisfaction. Q3: What drives apple in using this type of organization culture? Apple products are tailored to meet the specific requirements of the users, and to achieve this we need to create an environment whereby all workers give attention to every minute detail in their work. We do not have definite working hours, but our culture is that all employees give 100% in their tasks. The employees are mandated by the organization not to reveal any information about the corporation to others; this creates loyalty and makes our products remain unique in the market. Q4: What made apple take this approach in organizational culture Apple took this approach when Jobs became reinstated back to the corporation in 1997, at the time of creation, apple products were not gathering the market needed and we were just months from declaring bankruptcy. Then, we were using a transparency approach with our products, and in that sense, most of them became similar to our competitors such as Microsoft. With this approach of secrecy by staff, we are able to develop products that influence the market positively when launched. Interview with a manager at apple Q1: What type of work schedule do the workers have? At Apple, we do not follow the conventional schedules like other organizations that adopt the 9.00am to 5.00pm working hours. Our employees have to have a high work ethic and are be able to meet strict work schedules, and the term used here to get work done instantly is ‘do things the Steve way’. We employed hard working employees, committed to achieving their jobs with minimum supervision, and may include long working hours in the job, with no overtime pay. Q2: How are employees enticed to work hard in the work place given such hectic schedules? We employ employees who have proven to be brilliant in their work; and do not find motivation payment, but find satisfaction in making new technology for the corporation. Apple does not have an official work place dressing code for the employees, and this encourages the employees to be comfortable while working. The corporation also involves the employees in all their operations especially launch of new products. This makes them feel the thrill of how their hard work is appreciated by others, and makes them work harder to achieve more. Q3: What is the role of your organizational culture is maintain the large market base apple products enjoy? In all our branches, the culture is to provide uses with the Apple experience and satisfaction, which make it a must for the staff to attend any customer within two minutes. The attendant must serve the needs of the customer adequately, and in doing this, we have maintained a high customer base in the world. In Apple, our employees know that if the customer is dissatisfied with the services and product, then we are not achieving our purpose. Q4: How does Steve Jobs influence your organizational culture? Steve was a strong believes in strong work ethics, and in this case, everyone in apple, including the directors knows they are dispensable. The changes in management of apples in the past number of years Interview with Apple employee Q1: What is the apple experience on employees? Here all employees have the idea that everything we create is amazing and unique than any other in the industry. The culture in the organization is that of loose rules and putting value in what is important in the corporation, the customer. These loose rules imply that the employees here can leave the work as they please, but there work must be excellent. The corporation provides us with transportation facilities, including shuttle services and bus to and from work. The services that are provided to the workers act as a catalyst to get to work and perform effectively. Q2: How do employees adopt to this rigid and unique organizational culture? The corporation ensures that all employees are answerable to the senior directors in their activities without going through a long chain of command. This corporation has also developed a high sense of secrecy, and everything is done internally. There is a high sense of confidentiality in the workplace and the employees are vigorously inspected as they enter or leave the facility. The employees understand these procedures in the workplace, and we are comfortable with this strict security measures because we know it is to protect the corporation. Q3: What sort of motivation do you get from this organizational culture? In apple, everyone is involved in all the processes, starting from the development of products to their marketing. Performance appraisal is based on a reward system whereby employees are paid depending on their performance. This even though many people may think of this as a bad system, it is good for the organization because all the staff employed are hardworking and self-motivated. The employees are also involved in product launches, which make them feel appreciated in the hard work they have done. Q4: What about off work activities within the organization? There are a number of activities in which the organization use to create a conducive working environment for all employees. The employees have after working parties in the workplace, which makes the employees, interact and share their thoughts. During product launches, we have dinners and parties involving all employees and managers, in which case creating a high sense of appreciation in the organization. Interview Observation, findings and Analysis From the interview, I can conclude that t organizational structure affects the performance of an organization; for instance, from the inception of Apple to 1997, it had a tall structure, which Jobs viewed to be a source of the shortcoming in the corporation. When he changed the tall structure to become flat, the interaction between the employees and management is increased. This improved the work output of the employees because the director could assess employee progress easily in the organization. The flat structure also ensures that all employees get appraisal for their tasks they perform, which created loyalty in the corporation. This makes the employees work faster and effectively because they get feel their work is appreciated in the organization by management (Tobak). The organizational culture that Apple applies demands that everyone gives attention to all the minute details in their operations in the workplace. This makes product development in the company take center stage and each time a product is developed, it is unique in nature from the others (Reisinger). The Apple culture also encourages employees to develop a conducive working environment, and from the interviews, I discovered that the corporation does not impose a strict dress code. This means that the corporation supports casual wear in the work place and wants the employees to work when they feel comfortable (Tobak). The Apple Corporation from the interviews I conducted encourages flexibility to the employees, in that they work when they feel like as long as they do it diligently. Even though the discovery of the long working hours experienced by all employees, the corporation still does not have strict times that other organizations use. The respondents also indicate that the corporation tries to compensate from the long working hours by using providing transport facilities to the employees (Tobak). From the interviews, I discovered that the corporation requires a strong work ethic from the workers, and minimum job supervision is given on projects. The organizational culture in the apple is that their products are unique, and employees strive for innovative products. The organization demands that should a customer enter an Apple shop, they must be attended within a maximum of two minutes. This shows a high rate of commitment for customer satisfaction, which also goes in line from the interviews I conducted, that Apple involves itself in every aspect of life of the customer (Tobak). The employee’s response during the interview shows that apple also involves the employees with all their operations; including product launches, and parties that are conducted to create a better working environment. Despite the corporation using a performance based reward system, the thrill the employee get from company event also serve as motivation for employees to perform. Secrecy according the interviews I conducted are also a big part of the apple culture and also policy, and employees are made aware of this fact as soon as they begin to work for the corporation. The employees go through vigorous search and scrutiny as they enter or leave the apple facilities; and even inside they are closely monitored as they work. The employees are not expected to talk of sensitive work development outside the work facility, and if anyone breaks this rule, they are dismissed or sued (Reisinger). Recommendations and Suggestions Even though many people criticize the apple culture, it has made the corporation among the most successful in the world, and management structures need to be reassessed to meet the objectives of the company. As for the apple experience, jobs showed that management should not be shy to make changes in organizational structure and creating a new workplace culture. Even though all structures in management have advantages and disadvantages, the flat organizational structure as for the case of Apple, has worked effectively. Flat structures also the change the operations and culture of the organizations, and as for organizations seeking to have more control of their products, then the flat management should be used. This structure shall allow for more involvement by everyone and the time taken to make essential decisions is reduced (“Apple Inc.’s Ethical…” 1). For any organization to perform effectively, employees should be involved in all operations and activities, and not only limited to their work. The evidence from apple where the workers are involved in product launches, and also given control of their work make them to become motivated in their work. The impact of employees also experiencing how their work is received by the market makes them more motivated to work even harder. Monetary motivation is losing the effect it has on employees as non-monetary values are taking center stage. In addition, for organizations to create and maintain a huge customer base and have a competitive advantage, product innovation should take a priority. This, as experienced by apples large customer base can be achieved by employing the brightest people to develop innovative products. Organizations should design products tailored to meet the need of the markets, like for instance apples wide variety of products and services, and also customer satisfaction in shop outlets (Tobak). Employee loyalty and secrecy is essential in organizations, hence management should develop a culture whereby all employees can keep the important information of the organization. Conclusion Organizational culture is the root for the success of any organization, and management should strive to develop one that is all-inclusive. A culture that creates an environment where everyone is involved and feels appreciated for their tasks will make the organization achieve its goals. As competition is increasing, organizational culture will play an important role in meeting consumer needs, and creating a large customer base. Since the world is changing fast, market orientation in organizations is taking place from production and product orientation hence making organizations develop more custom made products and services to their consumers, which is made possible by a strong organizational culture. Works Cited Baker, Kathryn, A. Chapter 11. Organizational Culture. 2002. Web. 19 May 2013 Bertels, Stephanie. “Embedding sustainability in organizational culture”. Network for Business Sustainability. 2002. Web. 19 May 2013 “Apple Inc.’s Ethical Success and Challenges”. Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative University of New Mexico. 2002. Web. 19 May 2013 Haworth. The one page. n.d. Web. 19 May 2013 Hughes, Neil. “Former employees shed light on Apple's internal corporate culture”. Apple insider. 2010. Web. 19 May 2013 Tobak, Steve. “Inside Apple's Cult-Like Culture. Business insider”. 2010. Web. 19 May 2013 Love, Dylan. “FORMER EMPLOYEE: 'At Apple, They Really Are After You”. Business insider. 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