Managers have the role of synchronizing and combining human, financial, and physical resources within their organization; effective managers ensure the above resources are utilized to their optimal level.
When synchronizing and combining resources within their reach, managers start by understanding the potential their organization has in particular areas then take such strategic management measure to maximize and improve their organizations use of resources as they minimize the effects of their industry threats and internal weaknesses.
Apple Incorporation is an American multinational company in the electronic industry; the company manufactures computer software, phones, Ipones, consumer electronics, and personal computers.
The company was founded on April 1, 1976 in Cuperino, California, since then it has been a major competitor with companies in the same industry like IBM, HP, and DELL; according to fortune 500 report of 2011, Apple is the largest publically traded company in the world by revenue and profit.
The success of the company can be attributed to its effective human resources management and strategic knowledge management style in the company. This paper discusses the human resources and knowledge management styles as adopted at Apple Incorporation.
Apple Human Resources Management
The human resources management department at Apple has the role of ensuring that the company has the right number of people with appropriate knowledge to drive the organisation to the next higher level. Well-managed human resources results into an orchestrate team. Apple’s human resources department is responsible for looking at its staff’s welfare.
The department is responsible for planning, deploying, employing, training, retaining, and dismissal of employees. To manage their personnel’s effectively, the company undertake the following management approaches to its personnel:
Personnel need Planning
Apple human resources department is mandated with the task of analysing the labour market, and its internal needs of employees so that they can come up with the right decision on when they should seek more talents, expertise or manpower. Through its planning role, the department ensures that the company has an orchestrate team and makes sound prediction of any future changes in human resources markets.
Hiring
When a particular department establishes area/areas that require more employees, Apple’s human resources department starts the hiring process starts timely enough that at no point will the organization suffer a deficit.
Hiring may be from internal staffs or can involve seeking for talents and people of certain cabers in the external labour market; whichever the method the company decides to use, the main objective is to get people with talent, experiences, expertise, and energy to do the job.
After an advert, whether internal or external, applications are expected to have been received at a certain period, they are sorted, and short listed candidate are contacted for interviews; it is the policy of the company that unsuccessful applicants papers are kept in its database for future consideration (Smith & Mazin, 2004).
Orientation
After completing of the hiring process, successful candidates need to be oriented to their new environment by the human resources management team; they need to learn the organizational culture and code of conduct of their new company.
Organizations code of ethics defines how an organization responds to internal or external stimulus; Apple has freelance organisational culture thus new entrants have to be oriented to the company’s unique way of operation.
In most organizations, they are in blue prints and an internal policy. They form part of organizational training needs. Organizations that uphold high respects for their code of ethics maintain good internal and external relations with their stakeholders
Training, appraisal and motivation
To enable employees perform their duties effectively, continuous training system and employee’s appraisal is done by the human resources management will the help of supervisors and line managers. It helps management establish areas that needs improvement and acknowledge those employees whose talents have not been fully exploited.
The organization has its employees train as a continuous process to ensure that employees are up-to-date with the changes in the industry. Motivational measures should be put in place to ensure that employees are loyal to the organization and they work efficiently (Renckly & Renckly, 2003).
Knowledge management
Apple has adopted the policy of knowledge management; the company’s style cannot be given a single definition but it entails a combination of issues and processes that offer room to use internally and externally generated information to make inventions and innovations in the company. Knowledge is an intangible asset which is unique to different business and can be improved with experience and information interpolation.
The most important factors that are considered are human assets that a company have. Human beings have different talents and capabilities; however tapping this asset requires strategic operation and management. Other than utilising the knowledge and experience that the employees have, there is the need to use available information to grow and develop knowledge and expertise in employees.
Information can be internal and external information and how well the information is utilized can result to growth of knowledge; effectiveness, and efficiency in doing business; Apple research and development supported by other departments collect internal and external data that is then analysed to give room for innovation and invention (Chong, Keng-Boon, Binshan & Pei-Lee, 2010).
It is from knowledge gathered from internal and external sources that the company has been able to innovate and invent new consumer focused commodities.
Justification that Apple Inc. has utilized its resources effectively
Initially, the founders of the company engaged in designing, developing, marketing technical products, single board monitor and keyboard-free personal computer; currently the company concentrates on computers, laptops, portable media players (ipods and Iphones), mobile phones, tablets, computer software, computer hardware, and accessories.
It does not focus on local markets only however, it is one of the world’s most successful international business companies; change within the company is triggered by the need to improve its efficiency and to be better than its current state remains the impetus of very organization towards change; this will make the organization competitive and stand out among other players in the industry.
The main changes that the company has undergone through are as follows:
- In 1996, the company reinstated Steve Jobs as in the company’s management team where he assumed the position of acting chief executive officer
- In 1996, the company acquired NeXT Software Company, which provided the company with software compatible with Window 95, named Copland and
- In 2006, the company introduced Intel-based Mac computers, MacBook Pro and iMac one year later the company changed its name to Apple Inc. it dropped the name computers as computer; in line with the changed name, the company launched ipads in January 9, 2007
- In January 2010, the company launched the much awaited ipads technology
- In November 2011, the company was named as the most profitable publically traded company in the world by a research conducted by Fortune 500
The above change are among the numerous that the company has undergone through; they are indicators that the company manages its human capital and knowledge effectively (Chong, Keng-Boon, Binshan & Pei-Lee, 2010).
Conclusion
The success of an organisation depends on the effectiveness of managerial decisions; Apple’s responsive strategic management styles have enabled the company to remain competitive in the fiercely competitive electronic industry.
The management has ensured it mains an orchestrate team that is highly motivated to undertake their duties diligently; its knowledge management strategy has enabled the company innovate and invent new products as well as differentiate its products.
References
Chong, A., Keng-Boon, O., Binshan, L., & Pei-Lee, T. (2010). TQM, knowledge management and collaborative commerce adoption: A literature review and research framework. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 21(5), 457-473.
Renckly, B. R & Renckly, G. R. (2003). Human Resources. New York: Barron’s Educational Series.
Smith, A. S. & Mazin, A. R. (2004). The HR answer book: an indispensable guide for managers and human resources professionals. New York: Amacom Div American Mgmt Assn.