...Business History Ýn The United States At The End Of The Twentieth Century The History of Business history Business history in the united states at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first is simultaneously thriving and strungling with itsidentity.There are clear signs of vigor, including a rising membership in the major professional organization in the field, BHC (Business History Conference). The organization recently launched a new quarterly professional journals; • Enterprise & Society • Economic and Business Historical Society. There are also some signs of stress, including a growing debate among business historians over the future direction of the field. Business history has grown tremendously in recent years, not only in terms of the number of scholar interested in the subject but also in academic structure Alfred D. Chandler has dominated the field over the past several decades.But, business history, of course, is more than Chandler. But thought business historians are doing exciting new work, there is no consensus about which way the field should be headed in the twenty-first century. The Economic History Association (EHA) lists 1,242 members, over twice the membership of the BHC. To examine the state of business history in the United States at the end of the twentieth century, we must get down to basics and ask a few questions about business history.These are; • Where have we come from? • What are its practitioners...
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...[pic] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Apple, Inc. was founded in 1976 by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs as a technology company specializing in personal computers. In December of 1980, Apple became a publicly traded company and in 1982 became the first personal computer company to attain $1 billion in annual sales. In 1985 after the launch of the Macintosh, Steve Jobs was forced out of the company. He later returned in 1997 to rescue Apple from its stagnant and unimpressive performance of the early 1990s. Jobs’ vision for Apple began to take shape in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, which returned the company to profitable status by the end of the decade. In the 2000s Apple unleashed a volley of game changing products, starting with the iPod and continued with the iPhone and iPad. These innovations solidified Apple’s status as the world’s foremost technology company and cultural icon. Apple’s horizontal and vertical integration between all of its devices, software, hardware, and operating system give it a unique competitive advantage in the fast changing world of technology. Steve Jobs stepped down from Apple in August 2011 while he was battling cancer. He passed away in October of the same year. Apple thrived under his leadership and his death left a void that is not easily reconciled. Jobs was a visionary leader who brought Apple back from stagnation and built it into the world’s most valuable company. Although Apple has had some missteps without Jobs at the helm...
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...Strategies Contemporary Business BUS 508 Dr. Melinda Swigart January 18, 2015 Abstract This paper will examine Apple’s current position in regards to ethical and social responsibilities. The leadership under Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak has built this empire with great success and long term relationships. The violations that they have endured have strengthened their moral and ethical fundamentals. I have identified Apple’s current position and the background of this huge empire. The paper will also introduce the methods used for their success and overall advertising strategies: that has enhanced product sales. The loyalty of their customers and continued growth has factored in significantly increasing new product development. Apple’s contribution to this world has made them a well-known corporation. Introduction Apple Corporation Steve Job co-founder of Apple Computer alongside with Steve Wozniak pioneered a cycle of revolutionary technologies. In 1980, Apple Inc. had a market value of $1.2 billion during their first day of trading. Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is a conglomerate corporation that creates consumer electronics, computer software, and commercial servers. Apple’s foundation lines are the iPad, iPhone, iPod music player, and Macintosh computer line-up. The founder’s s Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak effectively created Apple Computer on April 1, 1976, with the release of the Apple I. On January 3 1977, they...
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...UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER ULSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL Graduate Certificate in Business Module: BUSINESS STRATEGY Topic: Coursework 2 is an individual written report focusing on the application of strategic models used to assist organizations in making strategic choices. The core areas which must be covered in the report are detailed below: Organization Profile – a brief description and profile of the specific organization chosen within the industry sector. Strategic theory - the identification and justification of the strategic choice model/s. Application of strategic choice model/s to the chosen industry sector - an assessment and critical evaluation of the ways in which the organization uses the chosen models to make strategic choices. References and Appendices Number words: 2016 ID Number: B00653228 Date: 17/01/14 Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Organisation Profile 3 3 Stategic Theory 3 4 model application 4 4.1 Question Mark 4 4.2 Risiing Star 5 4.3 Cash Cows 6 4.4 Dogs 7 5 Conclusion 8 6 Reference 9 Introduction In this paper I am going to describe and analysis the BCG matrix. The BCG Matrix may be a very helpful and widespread method of evaluating the portfolio of companies or product in a very business unit. The BCG matrix may be used to verify what priorities should provide to different products, and that method is also possible to use to given product or businesses. In this...
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...Comparative Analysis of Apple and Dell Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………….………………………………………………….…………………3 Apple Corporation Overview…………………………………………………………………………………….………………4 History Products Major Competitors Dell Corporation Overview……………………………………………..………………………………….…………………….4 History Products Major Competitors Ratio Analysis……..…………………………………………………………………………………………….……….……………6 Liquidity & Efficiency…………………………………..….……….…………………………….……………………6 Solvency………………………………………………………………………….………………………………….………8 Profitability………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..….…..8 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 Introduction The purpose of this report is to compare the financial statements of two companies, Apple Corporation (Apple), and Dell Corporation (Dell). The comparison will use ratios calculated from financials of each company. The reason for using rations rather than simply reviewing the financial statements themselves is that financial ratios are an efficient way to compare companies independently of size, volume or market share. Ratios go beyond just looking at the numbers to reveal just how profitable a company is, does it have enough cash to cover fund the business, or is it heavily dependent on debt (Ingram 2013). Examining ratios are instrumental in planning and making strategic decision within a company. Ratios are also valuable to investors...
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...Apple Inc. Written by John Smith August 2011 Table of Contents Abstract 3 Company History 4 Current Financial Health 5 Stock Performance 7 Bonds 11 Conclusions 12 Works Cited 13 APPENDIX I: APPLE’S SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 15 APPENDIX II: APPLE’S CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 16 Abstract Apple Inc. (Apple) is an American corporation that specializes in consumer electronics and software. Founded in 1976, it is difficult not to see their products anywhere in the world; they have revolutionized customer purchasing with chic products, outstanding customer service and phenomenal marketing. In August 2011, Apple surpassed Exxon Mobile as the largest company in the U.S. As a leader in its industry, Apple has had many successes that present excellent investment opportunities in the short, medium and long term. While impossible to predict future pop culture and trends, Apple has been leading the way for the past decade and shows no immediate signs of slowing down. Keywords: Apple, electronics, financial analysis, stocks Company History Founded in Cupertino, CA in 1976, and incorporated in 1977, Apple has a storied history in the computer industry. Though founded by three entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs stands out as the most famous and currently asks as CEO. In the first fours years, Apple’s goal was to break into the personal computer market; though successful, it was difficult to compete with nationally known brands as a start up...
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...hit us" any time soon and that we need to give our full attention to it. I watched all about it on History channel this last weekend and even the clips and photo's that they show do not convince me that it is the #1 concern that society and the world should have. I personally believe that it is just "big business." And those who are capitalizing on it...know it! Now, I don't mind recycling and simple stuff like that, but I won't give up my candy apple red convertible GT and drive an ugly car loaded with batteries that looks like my sons shoes going down the highway! Do people really think we'll all turn into eco-friendly hells angels riding mopeds? .... Right... I'm glad someone finally asked me my thoughts about global warming! Personally, especially this time of year I think the heat could be turned up a little bit more! I have a hard time believing it is the "most urgent possible disaster that could hit us" any time soon and that we need to give our full attention to it. I watched all about it on History channel this last weekend and even the clips and photo's that they show do not convince me that it is the #1 concern that society and the world should have. I personally believe that it is just "big business." And those who are capitalizing on it...know it! Now, I don't mind recycling and simple stuff like that, but I won't give up my candy apple red convertible GT and drive an ugly car loaded with batteries that looks like my sons shoes going down...
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...largest corporations in the world, he was a groundbreaking innovator in the technology industry. In 1976, along with Steve Wozinak, Jobs created Apple Computers (Wikipedia, 2013). Forbes (2012) stated that Apple has since become “the most valuable company in history[…]in terms of market capitalization” (para.1). In the late eighties he also co-founded Pixar Animation Studios, another highly-prosperous enterprise. With these two powerhouses alone, Jobs has redefined leadership by having one of the most extreme success stories in the business arena. Thousands of articles, dozens of books, several documentaries, a handful of feature films, and a play have been based on Steve Jobs’ success story. Starting Apple at the age of thirty, he had a rocky start as he was not very likable as a leader. Zenger (2013) stated, “Yes, he could be rude, unreasonable, fickle, and arrogant. He even took credit for others’ ideas. The list of his weaknesses is quite long” (para.6). Jobs was a highly-intelligent man that was first a computer programmer before managing and leading thousands in two multi-billion dollar companies. To sum this up, Zenger (2013) said, “Let’s be very clear: if Jobs had not possessed the remarkable strengths…these behaviors would have capsized him early in his career, but strengths eclipse shortcomings” (para.6). Early on at Apple in 1985, Jobs was stripped of his powers in the company due to his unfavorable disposition and, consequently, resigned. In 1996, he returned...
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...Story of Steve Jobs The Start of Apple Anusree Banerjee Table of Contents Executive summary 3 Pre-foundation partnership 4 Initial bootstrapping 4 Angel investors 4 Initial public offering 5 Success mantra 6 Appendices 8 Venture Capitalists tell their story: Arthur Rock on Steve Jobs 8 Preliminary confidential offering memorandum 9 Bibliography 10 Executive summary This report highlights the start of the entrepreneurial journey of Steve Jobs – the founder of Apple. The Apple journey started off as a partnership. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had been friends for some time, having met in 1971, when their mutual friend, Bill Fernandez, introduced 21-year-old Wozniak to 16-year-old Jobs. Jobs managed to interest Wozniak in assembling a machine and selling it. They bootstrapped for the first product – Apple I. Mike Markkula was the first angel investor who showed belief in the product and the team. Markkula had made his fortune as a marketing manager at Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, retiring at age 32. In 1977, Steve Jobs met with Markkula and convinced him that personal computers were an exciting opportunity. Markkula invested $250,000 in Apple for a one-third stake in the company and served as president from 1981-83. With Mike’s guidance and funding Apple ceased to be a partnership and was incorporated on April 1, 1976. Apple investors had a traditional exit through an initial public offering in 1980. When Apple went public, it generated more...
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...Apple and its Supply Chains Background Apple Computers, Inc. was founded by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in 1976. It was the first company to create and mass produce personal computers. The company has had its ups and downs in the past thirty eight years of operation. It has seen over five Chief Executive Officers since its creation, and has had to change its business approaches several times in order to keep up with an ever-advancing technological world. Apple’s first computer led the way to further computers production by many different companies. Over the years, Apple has branched out from personal computers, although they are still one of the leading companies in sales, and they have moved into areas such as music sales and online media. Some of their competitors include Microsoft, IBM, Samsung, HP and Alienware, and that is only a few of the many competitors of Apple. In order to remain as a leading competitor in such a saturated market Apple must be innovative and aggressive with its marketing campaigns. It must also maintain customer satisfaction by keeping up with the heavy inflow of orders. Apple products have been in high demand for several decades. In order to fulfill these demands they require factories full of hard-working people, and must have available resources to fulfill the public’s needs for their products. In the past, Apple has struggled to keep up with the demand for their products. In 1995, Apple had accumulated $1 billion in backorders and did...
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...“attached to their ear,” sending or reading a text message, on Facebook, tweeting, on insta-gram, or reading their e-mail. The iPhone has become the modern day icon for communication of all sorts and one of the most successful products marketed to the public. The Beginning of Apple Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs were friends and college drop-outs; Wozniak worked for Hewlett-Packard and Jobs worked for Atari. They decided to build and market their own computer in April of 1976; this was the beginning of a company known as Apple, along with their first product, the Apple 1. The company grew from that point, year by year, in leaps and bounds, such that in 1980 Apple employed several thousand employees ("Apple-history," 2013). Apple went through several ups and downs between 1981 and 1997, not to mention several CEO’s along the way. With the loss of Steve Jobs, it seemed that the company struggled until his return in 1997. With his return, Apple started to climb out of the hole it had fallen into (Mesa, 1998). From 1997 to 2007, With Steve Jobs at the helm, Apple became a leader in the technological world of computers ("Apple-history," 2013). Evolution of the iPhone In June of 2007 Apple entered into the cell phone market with the announcement of the iPhone. Much more than just a portable phone the iPhone allowed users to play music, movies, take and store photos, and access the internet, all through a colorful and convenient touch screen. It was introduced by...
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...Zack Berry 10/9/12 Ind. Case Assign #2 MGT 4195 Apple Apple Inc. has endured a long, storied history over the past 35 years since its founding in the 1970s. It was started as a computer company and today considers itself a leader in the mobile device industry. Apple has been successful over this time as a result of a number of different reasons. Apple has also been recognized as innovators in any industry they operate in. Historically, the three biggest competitive advantages that Apple has been able to sustain are its attractive, sleek designs, its’ ease of use/usability, as well as always gaining that pivotal first mover advantage. The personal computer (PC) industry was the first market that Apple operated in. Initially it was a favorable market but as time passed and technology was developing at a faster and faster rate, Apple was no longer able to compete as a leader in the industry. More recently however, Apple has been able to compete in the home PC market with its faster processing speeds by switching to Intel chips and it’s new compatibility with a broader range of software on its updated operating system. This update, coupled with their history of creating beautiful, easy to use products, has allowed them to compete in the home PC market and has been growing at an increasing rate and was back up to 5 percent in 2010. In order to sustain this competitive position in the PC market, Apple will have to continue to be leaders in innovation and continue to make their...
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...Harvard Business School Case Study Analysis Harvard Business School Case Study Analysis Description At the end of 2014, Apple Inc. recorded the most profitable quarter of any firm in history, and its market capitalization soon topped $700 billion. 'Apple Inc. in 2015' explores the history of Apple, its successes under Jobs, its continued growth under Tim Cook, and the challenges facing the company in 2015. With iPod sales continuing their freefall, tablet sales in decline, and the Macintosh's market share remaining small, Apple was increasingly dependent on the iPhone to drive its growth. Could Cook continue Apple's dominance in the smartphone market in the face of growing competition? Could he revitalize the iPad business, become a leader in payments, with Apple Pay, and replicate Apple's success in other device categories, such as the Apple Watch, the first new product the company had released since 2010? Introduction: Apple Inc has been an icon in American industry over the last three decades. The CEO Steve Jobs did a remarkable job turning around the company that was nearly bankrupt in 1996, however after his death in 2011 the questions has been brought forward of how sustainable will Apple be without Steve Jobs. Apple has always been trying to be simple and bring easy to use products to a large market of consumers. On the beginning Apple focused on producing low-cost computers merged with...
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...competitors to acquire ideas due to legal mistakes. Apple computer has faced many challenges throughout its 24 year history. Steven Jobs left Apple over disagreements with John Scully, whom Jobs recruited as Apples president and CEO and started next. During Jobs absence from Apple, Apple partnered with IBM and Motorola to produce the Power PC Chip. One of the key strategic challenges that Apple Computers faced was the loss of the exclusive rights to interface design, due to a poorly negotiated contract. With this loss Apple was now in a position in which it needed to gather d its resources and fight a battle toward standardized software as... Abstract Apple Computer, Inc. is a leader in the technology industry. Whenever one thinks of Apple, computers are the first product that comes to mind. A study of Apple’s history shows that while computers may be the public’s idea of their flagship product, in truth iTunes is the product that propelled Apple’s entrance in a host of other product offerings. Apple’s challenge remains how to maintain the music division of the company while continuing their sponsorship of two equally lucrative products: the iPhone and Apple TV. After all, few companies can have the Wal-Mart effect, being able to be a one-stop-shop. Entrance into the Music Business When Steve Job returned to leadership at Apple Computers Inc. in 1997, Apple was primarily concerned with resolving the dispute between Apple and Microsoft over making operating systems and...
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...organization’s success if it is properly implemented and utilized. Every company uses marketing to drive their business in a profitable direction and through some example companies below it will be obvious how marketing is vital to an entity’s success. Personal Definition of Marketing The definition of marketing in the words of the writer is the foundation of every company that is used to create, plan, and execute a successful product. This concept is derived from the research of a marketing department to improve or create a product that is appealing to consumers. Marketing from Other Sources While other definitions can be found throughout the business world, the ones chosen here give a good explanation and definition of what marketing truly means and the significant role it plays in the success of an organization. Marketing Definition 1 The business dictionary describes marketing as “the management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. It includes the coordination of four elements called the 4 P’s of marketing: (1) identification, selection and development of a product, (2) determination of its price, (3) selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer’s place, and (4) development and implantation of a promotional strategy.” (BusinessDictionary, 2013) To better explain marketing in simpler terms Investopedia describes how a business will use marketing within the organization. Marketing Definition 2 “Many people believe that marketing...
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