Apple Inc. is a corporation that is internationally known organization known for producing consumer electronics, software, computers and servers. The founding members of the company include Steve Jobs, Ronald Gerald and Steve Wozniak in 1976. The company is commonly known as the company that revolutionized everything by creating the Macintosh computer in 1984. In those early years, most of the people did not know what a computer was let alone how to use it. However, apple developed a very simple and east to understand computer (Grady, 2009). The collaborative structure of the company has enabled it to stand out for many years. The employees are allowed to freely share their ideas for the progress of the company.

For an organization to be successful in this innovation era, it needs a very stable structure. The set up of any company will have an impact on the failure or success of the company directly. The company needs to have a structure that will best meet its goals and objectives. The structure also dictates the strategies and priorities of the management.

Apples structure is collaborative in nature. This is a structure designed to bring interested parties together to form a long lasting relationship in the hope of achieving a common goal. In this kind of an environment, different professionals’ work together with an aim of achieving a common goal(Grady, 2009). Such practice ensures that there is adequate and efficient collaboration of various talents. By applying this structure, Apple has opened its doors for new ideas not only from the employees but also from any willing person.

Apple Inc. is involved in the business of designing, manufacturing and marketing media devices, digital music players, personal computers and mobile computers devices. The company also sells software’s, peripherals, services, networking solutions and digital applications and content. Its services and products include iPod, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, software applications, iOS and OSX operating systems, accessories, iCloud and support offerings. These products are sold worldwide through the company’s retail stores, direct sales, wholesalers, online stores, retailers and third party resellers (Grady, 2009).

There are some factors in Apples external environment that can affect its success. There are some problems, which the company cannot control like health issues, terrorism, political uncertainties and authority to work. To reduce the operating costs, Apple has outsourced in countries like China, Korea, Czech Republic and cork (Grady, 2009). In case of political instability in these countries, which will delay manufacturing, this will spoil the trust the consumers and dealers have on the company. Another factor is the economic factors. The world economic conditions determine the purchasing power. When the prices of general commodities like oil increases, there is inflation in the world economy. This in return reduces people’s purchasing power affecting Apple sales. High unemployment rates being experienced all over the world also lowers the company’s sales.

The primary stakeholders in Apple include communities’, investors, employees, customers, and the government. All these stakeholders have a part to play in influencing the financial status of the company through different ways. The investors comprise the shareholders in the company meaning that their stake is considered superior to other stakeholders. The investors inject their money through buying of shares in anticipation of earning through dividends (Grady, 2009). The investors can influence the financial status of the company by influencing the activities of the company. In order to do this an investor should ensure that their shares in the company are high thus increasing their collective powers.

Other important stakeholders are the employees. The employees are involved in the day-to-day activities of the company. To be specific, managerial employees coordinate the daily activities and resources of the company. Such employees can influence the company’s financial status by being efficient in their work (Grady, 2009). When the managers are efficiently coordinating resources and activities, other employees will follow suit leading to an efficient company.

Customers are other important stakeholders in Apple Inc. They are the main source of revenue for the company. Without customers, the company will just collapse. The customers can influence the financial performance of the company by being loyal to the company. They should not give in to competition from other companies.

Other stakeholders are the communities. The company operates in the midst of different communities. Members of these communities provide labor and housing. The economic well being of such communities depend on the success of the company. These communities can influence the financial performance of the company by providing skilled labour locally which will lower the companies cost(Grady, 2009). This will lead to the companies success and an improvement in the communities well being.

The government is always a stakeholder in companies. It earns revenue in terms of taxes from companies meaning the failure of any company would be destructive to the government as well as the community. The government on its part can influence the company’s financial performance by reducing the rates of tax (Grady, 2009). Reduced taxes will improve the finances of the company by increasing the profit after tax.

A controversial corporate social responsibility concern associated with Apple is the suicides at Foxconn. Apple contracted Foxconn to manufacture electronics. Foxconn manufactures iPads and iPods. It has employed over 900,000.

In the year 2006, Chinese press reported that Foxconn workers excessively long hours and were discriminated by Taiwanese superiors. In 2010, several cases of suicide were reported at Foxconn. After investigations, it was discovered that the reason for the multiple suicides was internal management (Babetti, 2013). The management at Foxconn was discovered to be very poor though the facilities are good. The workers were disallowed from socializing with each other and those who broke the rule were held in contempt or fined. The weekly working hours were ten hours above the maximum set Apple Supplier Code.

For any company to succeed, it must have a stable organizational structure. The ideal set up of any organization will determine the failure or success of the organization. Apple Inc. recognizes this explaining why it applies a collaborative structure. The company is the leading designer and manufacturer of different products and services (Backer, 2013). However, some external economic and political factors can affect the success of the company through political unrest and inflation.

The company’s primary stakeholders can in different ways influence the company’s financial performance. From the government to the community, every stakeholder has a duty to improve the performance of the company for their own benefit. Though Apple has been recognized with success, it has its share of social responsibility concerns. Massive suicides have been reported associated with poor management and strict penalties. The company is said to have quality facilities for the employees but the management is very discriminative.

References

Babetti, H. (2013). Ethical Responsibilities of Multi-National Corporations: A Critical Analysis of Why Morals Matter. Sociological Imagination: Western’s Undergraduate Sociology Student Journal, 2(2), 9.

Backer, L. C. (2013). Transnational Corporations’ Outward Expression of Inward Self-Constitution: The Enforcement of Human Rights by Apple, Inc. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 20(2), 805-879.

Grady, J. (2009). Apple Inc. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press

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