Fatima Calderon
Professor Rob Freeborough
MGT231 Organizational Behavior
20 June 2015

TERM PAPER

Apple Inc. has without a doubt revolutionized the world of consumer electronics in the 21st Century. As the company became more customer-focused and improved its lean manufacturing model, it has to rise to the organizational challenges of becoming a leading global company in its industry. As Apple has reinvented its products, it has reinvented their organizational structure as well. The following is an analysis of Apple at an organizational level: its culture, leadership, ethical practices, and the use of power and political behavior. It is important to understand these factors because they represent a real-life learning opportunity for anybody involved in organizational management, based on one of the most recognized and successful companies of our time.
Innovation is definitely at the core of Apple’s success. It was the first company to introduce a Personal Computer and the first and currently the leading company to introduce mobile technology such as the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad (CITE). However, Apple was not always the leading company in profitability. It struggled behind the more affordable Microsoft. It is interesting to note that as Apple struggled or succeeded with selling its products, it also made changes within their organizational structure.
Throughout its history, Apple’s success has been influenced by its leadership, most famously of its co-founder, Steve Jobs. When one thinks of Steve Jobs, innovation comes to mind, which is at the heart of a leader’s role within an organization: “agitate for change and new approaches” (Nelson 187). Steve Jobs is a charismatic leader who regained control of the company in 1997, making several changes within the organization, from streamlining its products (for example, eliminating 15 of the company’s 19