Business Profile (a) History and background Apple Computer, Inc. is largely responsible for the enormous growth of the personal computer industry in the 20th century. The introduction of the Macintosh line of personal computers in 1984 established the company as an innovator in industrial design whose products became renowned for their intuitive ease of use. Though battered by bad decision-making during the 1990s, Apple continues to exude the same enviable characteristics in the 21st century that catapulted the company toward fame during the 1980s. The company designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, software, and peripherals, concentrating on lower-cost, uniquely designed computers such as iMAC and Power Macintosh models.
Apple was founded in April 1976 by Steve Wozniak, then 26 years old, and Steve Jobs, 21, both college dropouts. Their partnership began several years earlier when Wozniak, a talented, self-taught electronics engineer, began building boxes that allowed him to make long-distance phone calls for free. The pair sold several hundred such boxes.
In 1976 Wozniak was working on another box--the Apple I computer, without keyboard or power supply--for a computer hobbyist club. Jobs and Wozniak sold their most valuable possessions, a van and two calculators, raising $1,300 with which to start a company. A local retailer ordered 50 of the computers, which were built in Jobs's garage. They eventually sold 200 to computer hobbyists in the San Francisco Bay area for $666 each. Later that summer, Wozniak began work on the Apple II, designed to appeal to a greater market than computer hobbyists. Jobs hired local computer enthusiasts, many of them still in high school, to assemble circuit boards and design software. Early microcomputers had usually been housed in metal boxes. With the general consumer in mind, Jobs planned to house the Apple II in a more attractive modular beige plastic container.

Jobs wanted to create a large company and consulted with Mike Markkula, a retired electronics engineer who had managed marketing for Intel Corporation and Fairchild Semiconductor. Chairman Markkula bought one-third of the company for $250,000, helped Jobs with the business plan, and in 1977 hired Mike Scott as president. Wozniak worked for Apple full time in his engineering capacity.

Jobs recruited Regis McKenna, owner of one of the most successful advertising and public relations firms in Silicon Valley, to devise an advertising strategy for the company. McKenna designed the Apple logo and began advertising personal computers in consumer magazines. Apple's professional marketing team placed the Apple II in retail stores, and by June 1977, annual sales reached $1 million. It was the first microcomputer to use color graphics, with a television set as the screen. In addition, the Apple II expansion slot made it more versatile than competing computers.

The earliest Apple IIs read and stored information on cassette tapes, which were unreliable and slow. By 1978 Wozniak had invented the Apple Disk II, at the time the fastest and cheapest disk drive offered by any computer manufacturer. The Disk II made possible the development of software for the Apple II. The introduction of Apple II, with a user manual, at a consumer electronics show signaled that Apple was expanding beyond the hobbyist market to make its computers consumer items. By the end of 1978, Apple was one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, with its products carried by over 100 dealers.

In 1979 Apple introduced the Apple II+ with far more memory than the Apple II and an easier startup system, and the Silentype, the company's first printer. VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet for microcomputers, was also released that year. Its popularity helped to sell many Apple IIs. By the end of the year sales were up 400 percent from 1978, at over 35,000 computers. Apple Fortran, introduced in March 1980, led to the further development of software, particularly technical and educational applications.

In December 1980, Apple went public. Its offering of 4.6 million shares at $22 each sold out within minutes. A second offering of 2.6 million shares quickly sold out in May 1981.

Meanwhile Apple was working on the Apple II's successor, which was intended to feature expanded memory and graphics capabilities and run the software already designed for the Apple II. The company, fearful that the Apple II would soon be outdated, put time pressures on the designers of the Apple III, despite the fact that sales of the Apple II more than doubled to 78,000 in 1980. The Apple III was well received when it was released in September 1980 at $3,495, and many predicted it would achieve its goal of breaking into the office market dominated by IBM. However, the Apple III was released without adequate testing, and many units proved to be defective. Production was halted and the problems were fixed, but the Apple III never sold as well as the Apple II. It was discontinued in April 1984.

The problems with the Apple III prompted Mike Scott to lay off employees in February 1981, a move with which Jobs disagreed. As a result, Mike Markkula became president and Jobs chairman. Scott was named vice-chairman shortly before leaving the firm.

Despite the problems with Apple III, the company forged ahead, tripling its 1981 research and development budget to $21 million, releasing 40 new software programs, opening European offices, and putting out its first hard disk. By January 1982, 650,000 Apple computers had been sold worldwide. In December 1982, Apple became the first personal computer company to reach $1 billion in annual sales.

The next year, Apple lost its position as chief supplier of personal computers in Europe to IBM, and tried to challenge IBM in the business market with the Lisa computer. Lisa introduced the mouse, a hand-controlled pointer, and displayed pictures on the computer screen that substituted for keyboard commands. These innovations come out of Jobs's determination to design an unintimidating computer that anyone could use.

Unfortunately, the Lisa did not sell as well as Apple had hoped. Apple was having difficulty designing the elaborate software to link together a number of Lisas and was finding it hard to break IBM's hold on the business market. Apple's earnings went down and its stock plummeted to $35, half of its sale price in 1982. Mike Markkula had viewed his presidency as a temporary position, and in April 1983, Jobs brought in John Sculley, formerly president of Pepsi-Cola, as the new president of Apple. Jobs felt the company needed Sculley's marketing expertise.

1984 Debut of the Macintosh

The production division for Lisa had been vying with Jobs's Macintosh division. The Macintosh personal computer offered Lisa's innovations at a fraction of the price. Jobs saw the Macintosh as the 'people's computer'--designed for people with little technical knowledge. With the failure of the Lisa, the Macintosh was seen as the future of the company. Launched with a television commercial in January 1984, the Macintosh was unveiled soon after, with a price tag of $2,495 and a new 3-inch disk drive that was faster than the 5-inch drives used in other machines, including the Apple II.

Apple sold 70,000 Macintosh computers in the first 100 days. In September 1984 a new Macintosh was released with more memory and two disk drives. Jobs was convinced that anyone who tried the Macintosh would buy it. A national advertisement offered people the chance to take a Macintosh home for 24 hours, and over 200,000 people did so. At the same time, Apple sold its two millionth Apple II. Over the next six months Apple released numerous products for the Macintosh, including a laser printer and a hard drive.

Despite these successes, Macintosh sales temporarily fell off after a promising start, and the company was troubled by internal problems. Infighting between divisions continued, and poor inventory tracking led to overproduction. Although Jobs had originally been a strong supporter of Sculley, Jobs eventually decided to oust Sculley; Jobs, however, lost the ensuing showdown. Sculley reorganized Apple in June 1985 to end the infighting caused by the product-line divisions, and Jobs, along with several other Apple executives, left the company in September. They founded a new computer company, NeXT Incorporated , which would later emerge as a rival to Apple in the business computer market.

The Macintosh personal computer finally moved Apple into the business office market. Corporations saw its ease of use as a distinct advantage. It was far cheaper than the Lisa and had the necessary software to link office computers. In 1986 and 1987 Apple produced three new Macintosh personal computers with improved memory and power. By 1988, over one million Macintosh computers had been sold, with 70 percent of sales to corporations. Software was created that allowed the Macintosh to be connected to IBM-based systems. Apple grew rapidly; income for 1988 topped $400 million on sales of $4.07 billion, up from income of $217 million on sales of $1.9 billion in 1986. Apple had 5,500 employees in 1986 and over 14,600 by the early 1990s.

In 1988, Apple management had expected a worldwide shortage of memory chips to worsen. They bought millions when prices were high, only to have the shortage end and prices fall soon after. Apple ordered sharp price increases for the Macintosh line just before the Christmas buying season, and consumers bought the less expensive Apple line or other brands. In early 1989, Apple released significantly enhanced versions of the two upper-end Macintosh computers, the SE and the Macintosh II, primarily to compete for the office market. At the same time IBM marketed a new operating system that mimicked the Macintosh's ease of use. In May 1989 Apple announced plans for its new operating system, System 7, which would be available to users the next year and allow Macintoshes to run tasks on more than one program simultaneously.

Apple was reorganized in August 1988 into four operating divisions: Apple USA, Apple Europe, Apple Pacific, and Apple Products. Dissatisfied with the changes, many longtime Apple executives left. In July 1990, Robert Puette, former head of Hewlett-Packard's personal computer business, became head of the Apple USA division. Sculley saw the reorganization as an attempt to create fewer layers of management within Apple, thus encouraging innovation among staff. Analysts credit Sculley with expanding Apple from a consumer and education computer company to a business computer company, one of the biggest and fastest-growing corporations in the United States.

Competition in the industry of information technology involved Apple in a number of lawsuits. In December 1989 for instance, the Xerox Corporation, in a $150 million lawsuit, charged Apple with unlawfully using Xerox technology for the Macintosh software. Apple did not deny borrowing from Xerox technology but explained that the company had spent millions to refine that technology and had used other sources as well. In 1990 the court found in favor of Apple in the Xerox case. Earlier, in March 1988, Apple had brought suits against Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, charging copyright infringement. Four years later, in the spring of 1992, Apple's case was dealt a severe blow in a surprise ruling: copyright protection cannot be based on 'look and feel' (appearance) alone; rather, 'specific' features of an original program must be detailed by developers for protection.

Mismanagement--Crippling an Industry Giant: 1990s

Apple entered the 1990s well aware that the conditions that made the company an industry giant in the previous decade had changed dramatically. Management recognized that for Apple to succeed in the future, corporate strategies would have to be reexamined.

Apple had soared through the 1980s on the backs of its large, expensive computers, which earned the company a committed, yet relatively small following. Sculley and his team saw that competitors were relying increasingly on the user-friendly graphics that had become the Macintosh signature and recognized that Apple needed to introduce smaller, cheaper models, such as the Classic and LC, which were instant hits. At a time when the industry was seeing slow unit sales, the numbers at Apple were skyrocketing. In 1990, desktop Macs accounted for 11 percent of the PCs sold through American computer dealers. In mid-1992, the figure was 19 percent.

But these modestly priced models had a considerably smaller profit margin than their larger cousins. So even if sales took off, as they did, profits were threatened. In a severe austerity move, Apple laid off nearly ten percent of its workforce, consolidated facilities, moved production plants to areas where it was cheaper to operate, and drastically altered its corporate organizational chart. The bill for such forward-looking surgery was great, however, and in 1991 profits were off 35 percent. But analysts said that such pitfalls were expected, indeed necessary, if the company intended to position itself as a leaner, better-conditioned fighter in the years ahead.

Looking ahead is what analysts say saved Apple from foundering. In 1992, after the core of the suit that Apple had brought against Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard was dismissed, industry observers pointed out that although the loss was a disappointment for Apple, the company wisely had not banked on a victory. They credited Apple's ambitious plans for the future with quickly turning the lawsuit into yesterday's news.

In addition to remaining faithful to its central business of computer making--the notebook PowerBook series, released in 1991, garnered a 21 percent market share in less than six months--Apple intended to ride a digital wave into the next century. The company geared itself to participate in a revolution in the consumer electronics industry, in which products that were limited by a slow, restrictive analog system would be replaced by faster, digital gadgets on the cutting edge of telecommunications technology. Apple also experimented with the interweaving of sound and visuals in the operations of its computers.

For Apple, the most pressing issue of the 1990s was not related to technology, but concerned capable and consistent management. The company endured tortuous failures throughout much of the decade, as one chief executive officer after another faltered miserably. Scully was forced out of his leadership position by Apple's board of directors in 1993. His replacement, Michael Spindler, broke tradition by licensing Apple technology to outside firms, paving the way for ill-fated Apple clones that ultimately eroded Apple's profits. Spindler also oversaw the introduction of the Power Macintosh line in 1994, an episode in Apple's history that typified the perception that the company had the right products but not the right people to deliver the products to the market. Power Macintosh computers were highly sought after, but after overestimating demand for the earlier release of its PowerBook laptops, the company grossly underestimated demand for the Power Macintosh line. By 1995, Apple had $1 billion worth of unfilled orders, and investors took note of the embarrassing miscue. In a two-day period, Apple's stock value plunged 15 percent.

After Spindler's much-publicized mistake of 1995, Apple's directors were ready to hand the leadership reins to someone new. Gil Amelio, credited with spearheading the recovery of National Semiconductor, was named chief executive officer in February 1996, beginning another notorious era of leadership for the beleaguered Cupertino company. Amelio cut Apple's payroll by a third and slashed operating costs, but drew a hail of criticism for his compensation package and his inability to relate to Apple's unique corporate culture. Apple's financial losses, meanwhile, mounted, reaching $816 million in 1996 and a staggering $1 billion in 1997. The company' stock, which had traded at more than $70 per share in 1991, fell to $14 per share. Its market share, 16 percent in the late 1980s, stood at less than four percent. Fortune magazine offered its analysis, referring to Apple in its March 3, 1997 issue as 'Silicon Valley's paragon of dysfunctional management.'

Amelio was ousted from the company in July 1997, but before his departure a significant deal was concluded that brought Apple's savior to Cupertino. In December 1996, Apple paid $377 million for NeXT, a small, $50-million-in-sales company founded and led by Steve Jobs. Concurrent with the acquisition, Amelio hired Jobs as his special advisor, marking the return of Apple's visionary 12 years after he had left. In September 1997, two months after Amelio's exit, Apple's board of directors named Jobs interim chief executive officer. Apple's recovery occurred during the ensuing months.

Jobs assumed his responsibilities with the same passion and understanding that had made Apple one of the greatest success stories in business history. He immediately discontinued the licensing agreement that spawned Apple clones. He eliminated 15 of the company's 19 products, withdrawing Apple's involvement in making printers, scanners, portable digital assistants, and other peripherals. From 1997 forward, Apple would focus exclusively on desktop and portable Macintoshes for professional and consumer customers. Jobs closed plants, laid off thousands of workers, and sold stock to rival Microsoft Corporation, receiving a cash infusion of $150 million in exchange. Apple's organizational hierarchy underwent sweeping reorganization as well, but the most visible indication of Jobs's return was unveiled in August 1998. Distressed by his company's lack of popular computers that retailed for less than $2,000, Jobs tapped Apple's resources and, ten months after the project began, unveiled the massively successful iMAC, a sleek and colorful computer that embodied Apple's skill in design and functionality.

Because of Jobs's restorative efforts, Apple exited the 1990s as a pared-down version of its former self, but, importantly, a profitable company once again. Annual sales, which totaled $11.5 billion in 1995, stood at $5.9 billion in 1998, from which the company recorded a profit of $309 million. In 1999, sales grew a modest 3.2 percent, but the newfound health of the company was evident in a 94 percent gain in net income, as Apple's profits swelled to $601 million. Further, Apples' stock mustered a remarkable rebound, climbing 140 percent to $99 per share in 1999. By the decade's end, 'interim' was dropped from Jobs's corporate title, signaling Jobs's return on a permanent basis and fueling optimism that Apple could look forward to a decade of vibrant and consistent growth.

In the year 2000 Steve Jobs announced that he would become the new CEO of the company and Mitch Mandich who was the former chief sales executive announced that he would be stepping down as well as the announcement of upcoming products and upgrades are provided such as the PowerMac Cube. Apples success continued with the launch of the PowerBook G4 in 2001 which included a series of Notebook home computers. Another great milestone for Apple INC. in 2001 was the launch of the popular iPod which is a small handheld media player. 2001 was the launch year for the OS x operating system. Another important milestone in 2001 was the licensing of Amazon’s 1 Click.

In 2002 Apple teamed up with Sun and Ericsson and the former Vice President of Education John Couch returned as well. Other notable advancements for Apple in 2002 were the acquisition of Magic, a music software company as well as the FireWire Company and the announcement that their retail stores would soon be expanding to include overseas locations. Apple was awarded an Emmy for technology in 2002 and there was also an announcement that Larry Ellison would be resigning form the board.

The CEO, Steve Jobs underwent surgery in 2003 for pancreatic cancer. The new ad campaign which features the musical band U2 was launched in 2004. One of the most exciting advancements of Apple in 2004 was the opening of the iTunes store. A new version of the iPod was also introduced in 2004 and featured the 4th generation iPod as well as the unveiling of the video iPod. In 2005 the release of the IPod Nano was successfully launched and Jeff Raskin who was the computer interface expert for Apple Computers Inc. at the time died from cancer. Further advancements and events in 2005 include the acquisition of Schema Soft as well as the switch to the use of Intel processor chips in Apple products. The success of Apply Computers was apparent with the download of more than one million videos within three weeks of the launch of the Video iPod.

In 2006 Avie Tevanian who was the software development leader for Apple announces his resignation and the announcement of the computer take bake program was also a buzz. The popular MacBook Pro line was also introduced in 2006 and offered a line of portable computers to consumers. Although Apple was already a leader in technology, the release of the iPhone in 2007 brought the company great gains and opened up a whole new world for users due to the sleek interface with a single button that featured a touch screen and virtual keyboard as well as the introduction of Apple TV and the iPod touch which was very similar to the iPhone without the telephone capabilities featuring wireless capabilities.

In 2008 the App Store was unveiled as an iTunes update and featured small applications which could be easily downloaded to your iPhone or iPod. These applications included everything from games to business and social tools. The MacBook air was also released in 2008. 2009 brought some problems for the company when CEO Steve Jobs had to take a leave of absence from the company due to health reasons. After a liver transplant he returned to work that same year.

Later in 2009 the iPhone 3GS was released as the new version of the original iPhone and sales for their iPod reached more than $200 million. In 2012 Cooks who filled in for Jobs during his medical leave was awarded bonus of $22 million dollars for his outstanding leadership during Jobs’ leave of absence in which time Apple’s stock prices increased by almost 70%. In 2010 the new iPad was also launched which features a large 10” touchscreen. It quickly claimed more than 80% of the tablet market by the end of the year.Music from the British band The Beatles became available on iTunes after much debate.

In 2011 the announcement was made that Jobs would take an additional medical leave of absence. The iPhone was now available through Verizon wireless which ended the monopoly which AT&T had with the iPhone due to the expiration of the contract giving AT&T exclusive rights to the sales of the iPhone in the United States. The IPad 2 and iPhone 4 Pro were also introduced in 2011 which offered new innovative features and a more streamlined and sleek design and style.

2011 also brought the launch of the iPhone 4S in October with the introduction of Siri - is a voice control friend which will quickly provide maps, directions, phone calls, and other features by verbal request. Four million units were sold within the first few weeks of release.

2012 brought the release of the release of the new iPhone five in September with more than 5 million being sold within the first 3 days of the release and caused a backorder and delay in shipment because the company did not anticipate the demand.

(b) Product and Service Category.

iPhone iPhone combines a mobile phone, an iPod, and an Internet communications device in a single handheld product. Based on the Company's Multi-Touch user interface, iPhone features desktop-class email, Web browsing, searching, and maps and is compatible with both Mac and Windows-based computers. iPhone automatically syncs content from users' iTunes libraries, as well as contacts, bookmarks, and email accounts. iPhone allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video files, as well as a variety of other digital content and applications. In September 2012, the Company launched iPhone 5, its latest version of iPhone. In addition to the Company's own iPhone accessories, third-party iPhone compatible accessories are available through the Company's online and retail stores and from third parties.

iPad iPad is a multi-purpose mobile device for browsing the Web, reading and sending email, viewing photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and more. iPad is based on the Company's Multi-Touch technology and allows customers to connect with their applications and content in a more interactive way. iPad allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video files, as well as a variety of other digital content and applications. In March 2012, the Company launched the iPad, its third generation iPad, and in October 2012, the Company announced its fourth generation iPad and iPad mini. In addition to the Company's own iPad accessories, third-party iPad compatible accessories are available through the Company's online and retail stores and from third parties.

iPod
The Company's iPod line of portable digital music and media players includes iPod touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle and iPod classic. All iPods work with iTunes. In addition to the Company's own iPod accessories, third-party iPod-compatible accessories are available through the Company's online and retail stores and from third parties.
The iPod touch, based on iOS, is a flash-memory-based iPod with a widescreen Retina display, a Multi-Touch user interface, and built-in iSight camera. iPod touch allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video content, as well as a variety of digital applications. The iPod nano is a flash-memory-based iPod that features the Company's Multi-Touch interface allowing customers to navigate their music collection by tapping or swiping the display and built-in Bluetooth for wireless listening. The iPod shuffle is a flash-memory- based iPod that features a clickable control pad to control music playback and VoiceOver technology enabling customers to hear song titles, artists and playlist names. The iPod classic is a hard-drive based portable digital music and video player.

Mac App Store
The Mac App Store allows customers to discover, download and install Mac applications. The Mac App Store offers applications in education, games, graphics and design, lifestyle, productivity, utilities and other categories. The Company's OS X operating system software and its iLife, iWork and other application software titles are also available on the Mac App Store.

The Company offers a range of software products for consumers and for SMB, education, enterprise and government customers, including the Company's iOS and OS X operating system software; server software; professional application software; and consumer, education, and business oriented application software. iOS is the Company's mobile operating system that serves as the foundation for iOS devices. iOS supports iCloud and includes features, such as Notification Center, a way to view and manage notifications in one place; iMessage, a messaging service that allows users to send text messages, photos and videos between iOS devices, and Maps, with turn-by-turn navigation. iOS supports Siri, a voice activated intelligent assistant, which is available on qualifying iOS devices. OS X, the Company's Mac operating system, is built on an open-source UNIX-based foundation.

(c) Organizational structure

A) Work Specialization
Work Specialization is dividing work activities into separate job task. Individual employees “specialize” in doing part of an activity rather than the entire activity in order to increase work output.

B) Departmentalization
Departmentalization is how jobs are grouped together so work gets done in a coordinated and integrated way.

C) Chain of Command
Chain of Command is the line of authority extending from upper organizational levels to lower levels, which clarifies who reports to whom.

D) Span of Control
Span of Control is the number of employees a manager can efficiently and effectively manage.

E) Centralization and Decentralization
Centralization is the degree to which decision-making takes place at upper levels of the organization Decentralization the ability of lower level employees to provide input or actually make decisions

F) Formalization
Formalization is how standardized an organization’s jobs are and the extent to which employee behaviour is guided by rules and procedures. Apple’s Organizational structure begins with the Board of Directors who oversees the Chief Executive Officer and other senior management in the competent and ethical operation of Apple on a day-to-day basis and assures that the long-term interests of shareholders are being served.

Business Environment
(a) Demand and Supply affect their Business,

The quantity of a product that people are willing to buy depends on its price. You're typically willing to buy less of a product when prices rise, we find products more attractive at lower prices, and we buy more at lower prices because our income goes further. To earn more profits for their business, there must organization that provides goods quality of product and good services. For demand produce some product that requirement to customer such as good design, packing and size of the product, if the products is growing fast then will demand more. In addition, Supply includes discount methods, adjustments to prices and payment terms.

(b) Essential factors of production are most central to the Firm’s operation

Factors of production have 4 types which are labor, land, capital and entrepreneur. We need 4 of this to produce services or products. The essential factors of production are most central to the firm’s operation is capital. Think of capital as the machinery, tools and buildings humans use to produce goods and services. Some common examples of capital include hammers, forklifts, conveyer belts, computers, and delivery vans. Capital differs based on the worker and the type of work being done. Apple needs capital to do a lot of research and development to investigate products to complete with common tates such as samsung to come out with new product and new strategy. Apple also can introduce some product such as apple TV.

(c) Fluctuations in economic indicators affect their business.
Economic policy decisions is one of the factors that will affect the economic indicators. The more weight economic policy decision makers attach to an indicator, the more significant this indicator is to the financial markets. It is worth noting, this significance is not independent of the aforementioned points. Indicators, which frequently provide false signals, are only given minor weighting in economic policy decision-making. The significance of an indicator also depends on how closely it is linked to the respective target value. However, as this link can change over time, it inevitably follows that the relative significance of indicators can also change over time. Moreover, indicators in different countries do not all have the same significance. For example, Malaysia government increase the GST so that those products and businesses increase price as well, it will cause peoples confuse want or don’t want to buy because the products become more expensive.

Internal Enviroment
1) Briefly describe basic management skills that are important in your business?
According to basic study in Diploma in Management, basic management skill is include: 1) Management 2) Planning 3) Organizing 4) Leading 5) Controlling

Management is to manage company resources for company future use. So that the company have enough resources to stay strong for any economy crisis. Planning is to make a future proposal to have a goal that the company will achieve and will do in the future. Organizing to keep the progress moving or keep the company running. Leading the worker to follow up the work. Controlling the company to have the best progress.

But according to Apple Company, they basic management skill is: 1) Management 2) Development practices 3) Role of management 4) Inspirational leadership
Most direction and major decisions are made by senior management. While in some organizations HR is powerful when it comes to people management issues, at Apple, Steve Jobs has a well-earned reputation for deemphasizing the power of HR. Although Apple was the first firm to develop an HR 411 line. The resulting decrease in overhead function interference, coupled with the increased authority and accountability, helps to attract and retain managers that prefer control. Focus on the work it is management’s responsibility to do whatever is necessary to keep work exciting and compelling. Strive for continuous innovation Apple’s emphasis on being “different” is so strong that it can’t be overlooked by any employee or applicant. It delivers industry-dominating innovation levels because everyone is expected to. Deliver on your brand Apple works hard to make sure that potential applicants, employees, and even competitors admire its products, the firm, and how it operates.

2) Briefly describe the specific business goals of your venture?
Apple main goal is to make good product, not money. In the coming future Apple will focus on innovating and coming up with great products. To provide consumer needs and helping out the consumer to finish their job and help out to make a simple and easy life. Apple believe that if they can make a good product for those consumer, consumer will support their brand and this is how Apple make money. Apple also looking for anyone that interested to join venture with Apple is feel free to contact us. Apple is now making a new proposal to everyone to work and join with Apple to make a new world and new business to create more business opportunity. Apple also believe that if we stay together we will stay strong. Apple also have slogan ‘We Want to Leave the World Better There We Found It’. We believe climate change is real. And that it’s a real problem. As a global company that makes some of the most popular products in the world, we know we use a lot of energy and material, which in turn generates greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. That’s the part of the problem we can help solve. We’ve found ways to use energy and materials more efficiently in our facilities, to get energy from cleaner sources, and to make some of the world’s most energy-efficient electronic products. We’re still the only company in our industry whose data centers are powered by 100 percent renewable energy and whose entire product line not only meets but far exceeds strict ENERGY STAR guidelines. And while we have a long way to go, our efforts are working even though we’re manufacturing and shipping more products, our carbon emissions per product are dropping.

(C) What managers can do to motivate employees to achieve these goals?

The inference which can be drawn from the model is that motivation depends on various external, individual and organizational factors. Moreover, the model makes clear that both incentives and threats are only part of the whole process. (Gilmore S, 2009) Yet doing so is easier said than done. 3 In this respect, it is worth considering John Adair’s 50/50 theory (Adair, 2006), which stresses that one half of motivation is attributed to intrinsic factors (e.g. culture or job design) and the other half to extrinsic factors (e.g. incentives or threats). This implies that extrinsic factors alone do not help to motivate employees. Organizations therefore, first of all, need to align the various organizational factors in a way that they become an employer of choice and contribute to intrinsic motivation. For example, Apple, which is considered the most innovative and admired company in the world (BusinessWeek, 2009; Fortune, 2009), attracts and retains employees in part owing to the benefits, or expected and non-performance related incentives, it offers, such as product discounts or insurances (Apple, 2010). But even more important is its outstanding creative culture. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, argues that the latter is the gravitational force that puts all the bright and creative people together (Burrows, 2004). With regard to innovative organizations like Apple it is argued that employees’ motivation is a key success factor and hence they need to be given incentives in order to foster creative thinking and sustain high motivation. As Gilmore et al (2009, p. 184) point out, “managing employee reward is a crucial element in encouraging flexibility, leveraging performance and competing for talent in tight labor markets.” However, many authors disagree over which incentives are most appropriate. There are only a few authors who acknowledge this, among them are Thomson (2003) and Armstrong (1993). 4 According to Silverman (2004), in order to understand the effect of incentives it is paramount to make a clear distinction between reward and recognition. He contends that performance-related rewards can adversely affect intrinsic motivation. Edward Deci also observed that employees who receive rewards for performing tasks feel threatened and out of control. Likewise, people might be inclined to put in only as much effort as is required to reach a goal. It is also worth remembering that “trivial rewards will result in trivial amounts of effort and thus trivial improvements in performance”. Silverman (2004) therefore believes that organizations should rather place more emphasis on incentives in terms of recognition. Apple, for instance, rewarded its executives by giving them a recognition bonus of 3 to 5 percent of their base salary, despite the fact that they missed their target. This implies that Apple was aware of the “fundamental attribution error” and tried to sustain employee commitment and motivation. Silverman (2004) further argues that money has no significant symbolic value, despite the fact that is often “the only reward organizations and their managers provide”. Rather, organizations need to embrace incentives which can be remembered, such as holidays, gifts or a simple verbal thank you and praise. These incentives might also be more effective and cheaper accordingly. For example, Apple’s employees received a free iPod Shuffle or iPhone as a thank you for their achievements (AppleInsider 2005). According to Armstrong (2007) organizations should embrace a total reward system that incorporates both financial and non-financial incentives. This is exactly what Apple has done to date and given its success, this approach has proven to be effective. It comes with no surprise, then, that Apple’s employees might even be motivated by Steve Job’s autocratic leadership style, as the positive aspects of working for the company outweigh the negative aspects of being threatened. And this is crucial because otherwise they might “engage in ‘defense routines’ designed to protect themselves and their colleagues”, which could decrease motivation accordingly. However, despite the effort spend to motivate employees, it is vital to bear in mind that “sometimes, no matter what a leader does, employees are dissatisfied with their 5 jobs, attain or exceed their work goals, and perform at a high level without a leader’s exerting much influence at all”. In conclusion, there is no doubt that employee motivation is a critical determinant of success and prosperity. In this regard it is crucial to see employee motivation as a consequence of interrelated external, organizational and individual factors and the way in which employees perceive their job and their employer. Apple is a perfect example of a company that was not only capable of getting employees to do something, but also of getting them to want to do it. In order to achieve this, organizations need to foster both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation through organizational factors such as a culture that encourages commitment or a total reward system that recognizes employees’ achievements and value by offering financial and non-financial incentives. Only in this case, and perhaps in times of high unemployment, might threats help to motivate employees.

MOTIVATION
MOTIVATION

Environment
External factor * Economic * Legal/political * Technological * Social

Environment
External factor * Economic * Legal/political * Technological * Social

Organization
Organizational factors * Leadership * Structure * Culture * Benefit * Processes

Organization
Organizational factors * Leadership * Structure * Culture * Benefit * Processes

Employees
Individual factor * Needs * Experiences * Aspiration * Personality * Occupation

Employees
Individual factor * Needs * Experiences * Aspiration * Personality * Occupation

What marketing strategies does your company use?
-have 5 key of marketing strategies we use to run our company

1. First is ignore the critics a. As a entrepreneur you will heard a lot of bad thing about your product and they are trying to figure it out what customers want which means they want you to listen your critics. So we (Apple Inc.) try to build what customers want even high cost or unlimited cost to fulfill they needs. As quite numbers of critics said Ipad will fail, but now we had decided to innovate. Even though they were laughed at , they prevailed anyway.
As Albert Einstein said “Great ideas often receive violent opposition fro medicore minds.

2. Second is turn the normal thing to something beautiful b. Actually a lot of peoples are enjoy to buy their own parts to build the own PC tower system. At the same time we are building some high quality hardware, standard application and unique looks part to attract some buyers. We are not only created a pc, and we are inventing the design standard as well. As we can see we have a Awesome looks iMac, a sexy Macbook, and everybody will not forget the Amazing IPhone.

3. Third is Standardize the price c. We have the pricing strategies all over the place. We make the product price all the same even exchange rate or currency from UK to US. And we ignores the standard by not only pricing their technology more than 2x what their competitors charge, but doing so without blinking. Our main point is Apple was like a Rolls Royce of the technology and design world and buyer will pay the price because of the quality

4. Forth is build a tribe d. It’s no secret that Apple has built one of the most hardcore fan bases of any product and of any time. There’s a reason they’re called “fanboys.”But who cares, right? Most of the chatter is out of jealousy more than anything, but Apple doesn’t really care. They know that they serve an elite audience, and rather than back away from that fact, they embrace it.

5. Fifth is become “the NAME” e. What the meaning of become the name? it’s was like our ordinary lifestyle we don’t buy tissue we buy “Kleenex”, or we don’t buy MP3 player we buy iPod , or we don’t say “ we buy Smartphone” and we are saying “we buy Iphone”. So you guys knows what we trying to say here? And we are not wanted to be the leaders of the sales, we are wanted to own the market. So we are created the name the the product. And we want buyer once think about smartphone will know is iPhone, or once think about technology will think about Apple Inc.

Evaluation and Recommendation:
Prospects of the Company
Apple Computer Inc. as a prospects seem a lot brighter than they were the last time Tim Cook introduced an iPhone.
When chief executive Cook unveiled two new smartphone models 12 months ago, Apple's stock was slumping and the company was losing market share to Samsung Electronics Co. and low-cost manufacturers such as Xiaomi Corp. Questions abounded about whether Apple could keep innovating without co- founder Steve Jobs.
Fast forward to a year later and the company's stock is flirting with a record high. Anticipation is building for the bigger-screen iPhones, a wearable device and a mobile-payments system that people with knowledge of the matter have said Apple is set to announce today. Even the recent stolen pictures of naked celebrities such as Kate Upton from Apple's iCloud service have done little to derail investor enthusiasm.
Driving the change are shifts in the smartphone industry and how investors have come to accept that Cook is firmly in charge of Apple. Rival Samsung is losing momentum as its multiple-device strategy to please all people at all prices is stalling, making Apple's decision to stick just with high-end phones look smart. Cook is also set to give investors what they've been seeking: a new category of products, and larger- screen devices that consumers have been craving.
"They're on top of the world," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies Inc. "The No. 1 difference between last year and this year is the fact that Wall Street and even the customers have embraced the fact that this is Tim's company -- he's proven that he not only can pick up the mantle of Steve Jobs but advance it."
Even Cook's venue choice for tomorrow's event is symbolic, Bajarin said. Apple will reveal its latest gadgets near its Cupertino, California-based headquarters at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts. That's where Jobs introduced the Macintosh computer in 1984 and the iMac in 1998, both of which triggered growth spurts at the company.
Cook still has a lot to do to maintain Apple's growth streak. The wearable device, which may include features for tracking health and fitness activity, along with a push into mobile payments, will test Apple's ability to integrate hardware and software to make the products easy to use. Competition against deep-pocketed Samsung remains stiff in smartphones and other mobile devices.
Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman at Apple, declined to comment.
Apart from investors, software developers are also optimistic about Apple's prospects. Mark Kawano, CEO and co- founder of Storehouse Media Inc., said he's looking forward to iPhones with larger screens, a better camera and an operating system that will likely let his company's storytelling application be better utilized.
"More and more, the iPhone is just getting better and better at things that a traditional computer used to be good at," he said. "Those things are what we are really well positioned for."
Apple's perceived renaissance dates back to earlier this year. At the end of 2013, Samsung, with its panoply of multipriced Galaxy devices running on Google Inc.'s Android operating systems, loomed large. The Suwon, South Korea-based company's share of the global smartphone market had surged to 31 percent, while Apple held about 15 percent, according to researcher IDC.
Apple, meanwhile, faced criticism from analysts and investors for holding to a single phone style and high prices. Its then-new iPhone 5s started at $199 with a wireless contract and the less-expensive iPhone 5c was offered at $99 with a contract. The unsubsidized iPhone 5c was priced at $549 in the U.S. and 4,488 yuan ($733) in China while Xiaomi's handset cost 1,999 yuan and Lenovo Group Ltd.'s flagship K900 IdeaPhone sold for 3,299 yuan.
"There was speculation in the tech media that the 5cs were going to be the low-price phones, so when they came out and the pricing didn't really address the broader emerging markets that wanted cheaper phones, that obviously led to some level of disappointment and sell off," Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC in New York, said.
Yet Samsung -- instead of ratcheting up its revenue at Apple's expense -- began facing slowing sales growth as it got squeezed by competitors such as Xiaomi on the low end and Apple on the high end. Samsung's global smartphone market share slid to 25 percent in the second quarter from 32 percent a year earlier, according to IDC. In July, Samsung reported sales and profit that missed analysts' estimates.
"The loss of momentum at Samsung creates an unforeseen buffer globally -- and is timed perfectly into a launch of larger screened phones with the potential to even get customers to switch back to Apple," Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Barclays, wrote in a July note to investors.
By contrast, Apple steadily reported increasing year-over- year iPhone sales that topped analysts' estimates. The new handsets "primarily" fueled Apple's 12 percent sales gain by unit during the first three quarters of the company's 2014 fiscal year, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
At the same time, Apple executives began a drumbeat to raise anticipation for new products. In May, Eddy Cue, head of iTunes, said products to be introduced later this year are the the best pipeline Apple has had in 25 years. In July, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri echoed that by saying he was "expecting a very busy fall." Cook chimed in and said the company has an "incredible pipeline" that "we can't wait to show you."
Cook has appealed to investors in other ways as well. In April, Apple said it would expand its shareholder payout program, increasing its share repurchase authorization to $90 billion from $60 billion and announcing a 7-for-1 stock split, as well as a bigger dividend. The company's stock surged in the aftermath of the announcements.
The CEO has also shown he's serious this year about boosting growth through acquisitions. In May, Apple agreed to pay $3 billion to buy headphones and streaming-music service Beats Electronics LLC, the company's biggest-ever purchase.
By the end of trading yesterday, Apple's stock was up 38 percent from a year ago, ending the day at $98.36. Shares are up 23 percent so far this year, exceeding the 8.3 percent gain of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
There's a new willingness by investors to see "the glass as half full rather than half empty," Piecyk said. "They've earned more investor trust."
Business Strategies to Improve the Company’s Performance
Competitive Strategy:
This is because Apple Computer Inc. as one of the leading pioneers of modern day computer technological advancements. By improving and enhancing their line of products to suit the needs of their clients no matter what ages they are, they can expect better profits to invest in more Research and Development towards creating a new product to sustain the technological thirst of clients and by keeping a step ahead from all other competitors.
Functional Strategy:
To manage specific areas in the Research and Development of a particular product, Staff in the company have to provide full commitment and service towards better improving the product whether it’s for themselves or for the consumers of the product.

References
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