Apple Inc. Case
Apple Inc. Case
Apple Inc. Case
case
2014
WRITTEN BY
1132300037
1132300075
1132300263
1132300120
NGUYN C TUN
1132300374
I.
I.
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
References .......................................................................................................................... 21
II.
Introduction
According to the text book, organizational behavior covers the study of what individuals,
groups, and structure impact on the performance of organization. In contemporary world, the
understanding of organizational behavior is so crucial in business management. There are many
aspects and issues involved in the relationship, behavior and attitudes between people and within
each person as well in organization. Conflict occurs every day in organization, group and even
the inner of one person. The nature of conflict is apparently inescapable, but people possibly
manage the conflict. Under the umbrella of conflict management, people can control of
unpleasant dispute as well as conflict for the purpose of improving the company performance.
By this paper we would like to express ideas about one of the most common phenomenon in
each organization the conflict. It is believed that when fully understanding the meaning of
conflict, the process of conflict, the conflict outcomes and the manner of controlling conflict
effectively bring us the bulk of meaningful lessons in management.
III.
Thirdly, one or (two) social entity (ies) wants some mutually desirable resource that is in
short supply, such that the wants of everyone may not be satisfied fully.
Fourthly, one or (two) social entity (ies) possesses attitudes, values, skills, and goals that
are salient in directing ones behavior, but that are perceived to be exclusive of the attitudes,
values, skills, and goals held by the other(s).
Fifthly, one or (two) social entity (ies) has partially exclusive behavioral preferences
regarding joint actions.
Finally, one or (two) social entity (ies) is interdependent in the performance of functions
or activities.
Finally, intergroup is conflict that happens amongst different groups. For example, the
conflict between Apple and Samsung about software patents.
In workplace, conflicts always happen as well as we cannot avoid them. The
responsibility of leaders is to deal with conflicts. There are 5 most common types of conflicts in
workplaces:
1)
Interdependence conflict:
This kind of conflict happens when people in organization depend on each other to do
related works. For instance, a sale person who often provides the monthly sale figure late will
cause the accountant to be late with report also.
2)
Differences in style:
It occurs when people have different ways to get a work done. Some leaders tend to
follow task oriented style; they only want to get work done quickly. In contrast, some leaders
prefer to use people oriented style which requests all members have a say in how to works get
done. For example, steady people who always think carefully before making final decision will
conflict with dominating people who make decision quickly and offer opinions freely.
3)
Differences in background/gender:
Differences in leadership:
There are many different ways of leading a team. Therefore, conflicts will easily happen
if employees cannot adapt with different leaders. For example, the conflict will happen when a
leader tends to be conservative in the morning and be more open in the afternoon.
5)
Personality clashes
This kind of conflict often occurs when many people cannot harmonize their personality,
because they are controlled by their emotion and perception about others. For example, the
conflict will appear when leader has sympathy with a female staff and forgive her for being late
while he punishes a male subordinate for the same mistake just because the leader does not like
him (Type of conflict, n.d.).
Firstly, latent stage in which specific factors like communication, structure and personal
characteristics can result in conflicts.
Secondly, cognition and personalization phase shows the effects of the first stage
elements. And in this stage, we have two other small stages, the first one is that the
participants do not know about the existence of conflicts and the second one is the
awareness of participants about the occurrence of conflicts.
Thirdly, conflict manifestation in which the participants display their disagreements with
others.
Finally, this is a conflict outcome stage, which illustrates the results of conflicts. The
outcomes of conflicts can be expressed through increasing the productivity or in the
contrast.
another. This is not always bad at all. However, it can be a chance for the CEO to have the most
suitable alternative (Uhappyme, 2012).
Rising the participation and creativity. It is clear to see that when co-workers have
disagreement with their colleagues, they try to show their abilities in order to dominate or
compete the competitors. As a result, the more creative ideas are given.
The most important positive outcome of conflict is helping the manager to control the
company.
In reality, each organization needs conflict between their staff so as to easily manage
them. Since, there is no debate and co-workers just support each other, so when employees want
to increase salary and then others try to agree. Consequently, the company is in trouble.
Besides, when there is any misconduct or problems within the company, conflict is very
helpful. Because the manager would have a whistle-blower that will report the issue and then the
manager can find the solution and solve immediately.
Then, we look at some negative outcomes of conflicts:
Increasing stress and anxiety among individuals, which would drop the productivity and
satisfaction.
For example, when there are conflict among members in team of 5 people, they may
break the team commitment and when there is a project assigned to that team. Everyone in group
will not want to contribute and co-operate with others. As a result, a decrease in the productivity.
Enhancing turnover. Since for some people who are self-esteem, they are confident about
themselves and when they fail or not receive support from their boss, they may think to quit the
company and find another job. So, the company will lose talent workers.
Finally, the trust and co-operation between each other may lose. In my experience, when
I worked part-time for an English central. I was in the position of staff advisor that introduce and
try to attract parents to put to bring their children to our English central. After that, because of
the competitors, the manager applied a new rule that will give bonus for those who have the most
customer. Then, when any customer went into, every staff competed each other to have
customer, then we started to compete and lose aggressively the commitment and cooperation as
before.
may lead to the loss of property or people. In the order hand, there are certainly good outcomes
in relationship with the conflict. Task conflicts could stimulate creativity, better decisions or
constructive ideas and comments from employees and staffs. According to Allen C. Amason
(1996), surprisingly, a moderate amount of conflict can actually be a healthy (and necessary)
part of organizational life.
The Inverted U Relationship Between
Performance and Conflict
In the organizations, managers try to keep conflicts in the middle level as there are
benefits of that, in which healthy debate takes place.
As regard both advantages and disadvantages of conflicts, the role of conflicts in the
organizations is to create the competitive environment in which staffs and employees attempt to
work, to increase productivity, to create new ideas or even to invent new methods, technology in
order to build up the company.
To manage and maintain the middle conflicts requires managers skills and general
knowledge. They are certainly good at interpersonal skills, communication skills or even
prediction skill where they need to understand what may happen when conflicts happen in order
to having effective ways to manage them.
In every situation of occurring conflicts, collaboration handling style is considered a good
method to deal with the conflict. In this case, managers should be the third-party in the conflicts,
they have to be fair, know how to listen and respect the parties arguments. The final adjustment
should be the win-win solution.
IV.
stereotype in peoples mind is that any disagreement always leads to the unfavorable, unpleasant
and unproductive circumstance at workplace. Hence, people try to eliminate or diminish the
presence of dispute at any cost; in this sense, almost people figure out themselves that the less
number of conflict happen in the company, the more successful the management. In reality, many
outcome of conflict, either negative or positive consequences, depends crucially how you manage
the conflict. There are variable solutions for many types of disagreement. It could be to alter the
structure, to change the composition of the team, to give a distorted force focusing on the common
enemy, to consider majority rule, or solve the cause of conflict. In these terms, the spirit of dealing
with conflict effectively emerges the view that any conflict is not issue at all for company (Ingram).
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Besides, the manners to control the level of disagreeableness must be based on the degree of equity,
clearance in system, deeply understanding the causes of conflict (Ingram). By the way, the here
mentioned ways to confront the problem is looked from the organization view. The organization
appears as the mediator between adversaries or as arbitrator (Turkalj, Fosi, Dujak, &
Strossmayer). Another factors impact on the way of handling conflict, according to Thomas
Kilmann model, are assertiveness and cooperation in each person. In fact, every person has a
distinguished and default mode of confronting the conflict (Thomas & Kilmann). But the key of
success is that what approaches you use is suitable and feasible at right moment. Heres a quick
snapshot of the five modes of managing conflict:
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Avoidance is the style of uncooperativeness as well as the low persistence in pursuing the
other peoples satisfaction. In some cases, it is the best move. That means you does not address
immediately issues or you can postpone it until the better time or simply one of rivals in the
disagreement naturally withdraw the threating situation. This is also the mode most people who
care much on the affiliation choose. However, the issue of this is what happen if people are facing
the significant problem. The question arises whether people can ignore to solve the problem or
they still maintain the relationship. In daily, you find themselves get trouble with one of collaborate
because she think that you do not have enough condition as well as competency to work in your
company. You are encountering the type of interpersonal conflict. But this issue is not important
and then you can delay solving it. Sooner or later, if you are good at your major, she will accept
them, in the other world, she withdraw the strain of you and she.
In the opposite side of avoiding, we have the collaborating mode where people want to
fully satisfy the concerns of both side by listening attentively to the other people. It could be type
of problem-solving. People, in this mode, are willing to sit together, discuss and find the solution
for themselves which meet their needs. This sounds great as people can come up with the
integrating solution and building the relationship. Specifically it will produce the following
results:
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However, we must concern that the responsibility of people since everybody has a different
role in organization. It is not feasible situation that one person must involve so much the task of
the other. They also have the conflict between each other and want to solve it. However, it waste
time and distort the purpose of those people.
An additional mode is competition as people protect themselves, keep maintain the ideas
aligning to their expectation regardless of what the other concern. It happens in the situation which
is high on assertiveness and low on cooperativeness. The fact that this style will be superior if one
has strong moral objectives, the other ones objective is entirely opposite, unethical and harmful.
Through that, the company can utilize the conflict for the purpose of enhancing the performance
with eliminating the bad behavior, and attitudes as well.
Accommodating This mode is high on cooperativeness and low on assertiveness. This
means that people in some cases are willing to give up their purpose and appreciate the opposite
ideas as they think it reasonable. If you overuse the accommodating mode, you can find yourself
being taken advantage of, having your influence limited, and feeling resentful because youre
always the one making concessions to resolve conflict. The shy person choose this way as they
are afraid of speaking up their ideas. Moreover, neglecting personal interests and well-being is
acceptable.
The last but not least style is compromising which is middle-ground in two factors. That
means people still want to express ideas for protecting themselves but respect the other persons
goals. For many important decision, this seems to be the best solution for the issue as people
diminish their self-egocentrism at acceptable level where they also could speak up to protect
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their voice. But deepening on the situation, the concern on overusing this style is whether
satisfying both side is better to the company as possibly one of two sides completely harms to
your company.
Conflict management is very important in the role of top manager, especially to CEO.
According to Gavett, it is just about anything that gets to the CEOs desk has an element of
pleasing someone and making someone else unhappy. When the CEO avoids conflict, it can shut
down the whole organization from the things like decisions are not made and problems still exist,
then it creates a domino effect of unproductive behaviors down the ladder. A CEO who can
manage and channel conflict in a constructive way can get to the root of issues by applying rigor
in term of teams thinking and ultimately drive the best outcomes. So that cultivating these skills
can be a powerful tool to assist the entire organization (2013).
In order to manage the conflict situations in the workplace by collective bargaining and
conciliation which are often an optimal way.
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and resolve issues. "Collective bargaining" is named in this process, because representatives of
each group come together with a mandate to work out a solution collectively (ETU, n.d.).
The conciliation is identified as well as the act of procuring good will or inducing a
friendly feeling. For instance, South African labor relations legislation provides for the process
of conciliation in the workplace, whereby groups who are in conflict and who have failed to
reach agreement, can come together once again to attempt to settle their differences. This is
usually attempted before the more serious step of a strike by workers or a lock-out by
management is taken; and it has been found useful to involve a facilitator in the conciliation
process. Similarly, any other organisations such as sports club, youth group or community
organization that it could try conciliation as a first step (ETU, n.d.).
V.
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Another contributor of debate is the personality difference. Both of them have the different
ways of seeing and behaving. Therefore, this person does disagree that try to criticize by figure
out some disadvantages and justify his or her proposal was the best and feasible one.
Poor relationship skill also leads to conflict. Some have difficulty getting along with others
or some may prefer to work on their own instead of in team working (Josphe,C. n.d.).
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Also report says that only top executives are compensated and appreciated for jobs done. The
employees claiming that even if they come out with new product, they dont get enough
appreciation. Also the promotions are given depends on the interest of the managers. There are
comments from employees that they are not given enough opportunities grow their career.
Apple offered various benefits to its employees. While benefits packages varied depending
on location and employment status, the common benefits included insurance coverage, Flexible
Spending Accounts, an Employee Stock Purchase Program, and a 401(k) Savings and Investment
plan. Product discounts, on site fitness centers, and the opportunity to work on big projects with
some of the experienced players in the industry were added bonuses (Refer to Exhibit IV for the
benefits offered to Apple employees). Salary and compensation reviews included year-end
bonuses, vacation time and other perks, and reimbursements. It was reported that the company
handed out free iPhones to its employees just after the product was launched. In 1995, Apple
created the Apple Fellows program in order to recognize the best of its employees who had made
extraordinary contributions to personal computing while at the company. Each Apple Fellow acted
as a leader and a visionary, guiding the company in their particular area of expertise. Apple also
offered the Flex Benefits program to its employees where they could choose benefits that best fit
their lives. In October 2008, it became known that Apple was setting up a new program called
Apple University with Joel Podolny38 as the head in 2010. It was then widely speculated that Jobs,
who had been the largest shareholder at Pixar Animation Studio39 before it was sold to The Walt
Disney Company, was trying to replicate the successful Pixar University40 in his own company.
Obviously Steve Jobs knows about this concept but I wonder if he finally decided to tie together
and probably expand a lot of separate parts of employee enrichment at Apple much like they have
17
at Pixar under the University banner with a dean. Wouldnt be at all shocked if Apple mirrored
Pixars healthy and successful model, said a former Pixar intern.
18
The company manufactured those products which were meaningful and profitable. For
creating such products, it employed people who were hard working and committed. It fostered a
culture of dedication and hard work in the company. Experts opined that, at Apple, all the
essential elements of culture mainly clarity, authenticity, and talent were ingrained and these
contributed to the success of the company. The employees at Apple felt that only what was fun
and unique got the big rewards. Fun was an integral part of the culture and the company engaged
in many rituals that were designed to be fun. For instance, it organized after hour parties,
promoted playfulness at work, and even organized magic shows at training programs.28 Apple
was one of the pioneers of the work hard, play hard ethic. Analysts said Apple adopted a style
that was not too formal or hierarchical and an approach that was more results-driven. This
worked best for them. Despite Apples image of being very cool, there was a very strong work
ethic and commitment to deadlines which was not so common in other companies that were in a
similar field, they said. Experts characterized the work culture at Apple as - fun, yet demanding.
For instance, a typical Apple employee, on an average worked for sixty or seventy hours a week.
The higher the position, the greater was the commitment required. According to industry
observers, at Apple there was always more work to do than the number of employees. Hence, the
company preferred workaholics who would completely commit themselves to their job, they
said.
Some analysts felt that Apple had an admirable corporate culture and employees felt
proud to work for a company recognized as an innovator. There was an amazing level of
coherence among the executive teams at Apple. The values of the company were well entrenched
in employees working in all areas of the company right from engineering to marketing to
operations and sales. Commenting on the values imbibed by Apple, Daniel Ernst, an analyst at
19
Hudson Square Research said, Jobs has driven into the DNA of Apple that they want to make
products that are very well-built and very easy to use. Everyone Ive met at Apple, from the clerk
to the chief financial officer, gets that. If Jobs were to disappear permanently tomorrow, it
wouldnt change this company one iota. Apples corporate culture was exemplified by its intense
work ethics. The work environment was relaxed and casual. In a survey conducted by Vault.com,
an employee of Apple said, - Funny, brilliant, relaxed co-workers and modern, spacious,
beautiful offices filled with comfortable couches and huge picture windows make work time a
pleasure. Apples commitment to being casual was so thorough that Jobs reportedly walked
around the Apple campus barefoot in cut-off shorts and also went bare-footed to meetings.
Employees also dressed casually in the office.
According to a customer solutions specialist, who worked for Apple in Austin, I never
dressed nicer than sweat pants. I often came in whatever I slept in the night before and walked
around the office barefoot. Nobody cared. According to some employees, the work culture at
Apple was driven by a passion for products and attention to the minutest details. There was no end
to challenges and opportunities to work on some big projects, they said. Apple was a great training
ground for new recruits who got a chance to work with some of the most experienced and talented
employees in related fields. Commenting on the work environment, Dona, a senior engineer at
Apple, said that I find Apple to be an exciting environment because I am surrounded by very smart,
creative, and hard-working people. In my department, there are managers who have studied
biology, physics, English, and art, engineers who have studied philosophy, and several people who
are professional musicians. My department is like a real family. We support each other, argue with
each other, respect each other, work closely together, and enjoy each others company (UK
Essays, 2014).
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VI.
Recommendation
Nowadays, conflict occur as well as a natural part of any relationship or any organization.
If the management performs effectively, it can lead to bonds of trust and commitment deeply and
strongly. The key is to diagnose the situation, determine your preferred outcomes, and use the
mode most appropriate to assist you achieve your goals.
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VII.
References
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