Introduction
Apple Incorporated is a leading firm in the computer industry with computers and software as its main products. The company was started by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, and later on incorporated in the same year.
Currently, the company’s main products include the iPad, iPhone, the iPod music store, and the iMac. Over the years, Apple has painstakingly embraced innovation and technology in the manufacture of high-end products that have given it a niche in the market. Consequently, Apple has gained global repute as a leading brand.
Today, Apple is the most valuable brand in the technology industry having surpassed Microsoft (Miguel and Vance para. 2). This is indicative of one of the most stunning turnarounds in the business world in recent years, bearing in mind that the company had almost hit rock bottom a decade ago.
Investors also value the Apple brand highly, and this is indicative of a significant cultural shift (Miguel and Vance para. 2). This means that consumer taste now shapes technology, as opposed to the needs of a business.
The current research paper endeavors to examine the social phenomenon cause by Apple and its products. The paper begins by tracing the historical background of Apple and what caused the emergence of this social phenomenon.
The influential players behind the success of Apple at its inception will also be assessed, along with tracing some of the historical events of Apple.
Under the theoretical analysis section, the conflict, functionalist and interactionalist theories shall all be defined. In addition, the writer shall also attempt to link the three theories with the social phenomenon cause by Apple and its products.
History
Apple Incorporated is a global company that manufactures software, computers, and consumer electronics. The company’s main product lines include the iPhone, personal computers, and the iPod music store.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started the company in 1976 (Wozniak para. 2). Although it was faced with marketing problems in the 1990s, over the years, Apple has embraced innovation in the manufacture of its various products to emerge a leading global brand.
Apple Inc. identified a lack of creativity and innovation among its competitors in the market and sought to manufacture products that fulfilled this unmet need.
For example, Apple II was different from similar products by key competitors such as the Commodore PET and TRS-80, in that it had an open architecture, in addition to its color graphics based on character cells (Wingfield para. 5).
On the other hand, the Visicalc spreadsheet program installed on Apple II appealed to the business world, thereby making it the desktop platform of choice. In addition, Apple II was also compatible with both the office and home, thereby appealing to many consumers.
Steve Jobs is one of the individuals who have greatly influenced the history of Apple. During the 1970s and 1980s, Steve Jobs, former CEO and co-founder of Apple helped to change the direction of the computer industry.
For example, he helped to introduce the PC era. Under his tutelage, Apple Inc launched graphical user interface in 1984 and since then, virtually all other computers have aped the technology.
When he returned to Apple in 1997, Jobs once more altered the consumer electronics dynamics with the iPod, the iTunes, the iPhone, and the iPad. Steve Wozniak was also influential in the history of Apple, as the other co-founder.
He is credited with designing Apple II single-handedly in 1997. Following its success, this ushered in the age of modern day computer industry. Through his creative and innovative ideas, Wozniak has immensely influenced our everyday lives because now we have access to all the information that we need at our fingertips.
Some of the significant events in the history of Apple include the first Apple I personal computer kit, built by hand in 1976. On January 03, 1976, Apple was incorporated.
On April 16, 1977, Apple Inc introduced Apple II into the market. In May 1980, the Apple III was introduced. Four years later, the company launched Macintosh. In 19991, the company introduced the PowerBook, while the iMac was introduced in 1998.
The first Apple retail store opened its doors on May 19, 2001 in Virginia, California (Bagnall 109). In 2003, Apple introduced the iTune store. Between 2007 and 2011, Apple launched the iPhone, the iPad, and iPad Touch.
Theoretical Analysis
Conflict theory
Conflict is a term used in reference to a situation whereby two or more individuals fail to agree on a given issue. Karl Marx has been defined as a conflict theorist and according to him human beings define themselves through conflict.
Marx opined that regardless of one’s social-economic status or class, we cannot run away from our individual consciousness. Marx asserted that our history may be regarded as a class struggle hell-bent on the acquisition of wealth and as such, our consciousness is a reflection of our social group (Stark 87).
The conflict of socialism as postulated by Marx hinges on the assertion that socialism is inevitable, as well as on the doomed nature of capitalism and free enterprise. To him, socialism was the way out.
Marx argued that individuals used their capabilities and labor to dominate the world and become what they are though the process of production. Production enables them to manufacture goods by utilizing the raw materials, labor, and machinery.
Labor and capability enables leading firms to dominate the world. Currently, Apple is a leading global brand. This shows that the company has utilized its labor capability well and for this reason, the company has managed to dominate the world.
Apple has also realised that the idea of free enterprise and capitalism are inevitable. Thus, the company has endeavored to utilize its human resources and raw materials to ensure they produce quality products. In addition, Apple has also opened outlets all over the world in order to maximize its sales.
Apple products are of high quality and as such, they come at a premium compared to those of the competitors. However, Apple Inc has helped to revolutionarize the computer industry.
The opening of Apple stores globally has helped to create thousands of jobs, thereby reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. Apple Inc has embraced the concept of free enterprise to extend its tentacles to virtually every corner of the world.
By using specialized human resources, innovation and new product development concept, Apple Inc has managed to dominate the world as a global icon in the computer industry.
Functionalist Theory
Classical functional theorists are more concerned with social evolution. Emile Durkheim was a functional theorist who was more concerned with the ability of a group to survive in the absence of sound controlling institutions or centralized governments.
Through his research studies, he sought to assess the ability of diverse segmented societies to eventually merge with others, ensuring solidarity by sharing systems of exchange and values (Forrest and Kaufmann 26).
Functional theorists view societies as bounded, fundamentally relational and coherent constructs that functions just like our organs. As such, all cultural and social phenomena are regarded as functional in that they not only have “lives”, but also work together.
Durkheim underscored the importance of division of labour in regulating the modern society. Individual tasks are very important because they aid in the establishment of value consensus.
Consequently, people are able to share common goals, leading to proper functioning of societies. In trying to develop the work of Durkheim, Parsons identified four functional perquisites. They include goal attainment, adaptation, pattern maintenance, and integration (Forrest and Kauffmann 28).
In the case of Apple Inc, the company has managed to maintain high quality products through constant innovations, research and development. As a result, Apple’s products have propelled the company to greater heights. Adaptation to the business environment is vital for the survival of a business.
In 1981, Apple was the leading PC manufacturer but because the company ignored industrial changes, it was quickly overtaken by IBM (Fisher 66).
Apple had also failed to use trade secrets and patents to protect its products, resulting in a re-engineering of Apple II products by competitors, who produced similar but cheaper products.
This made it hard for Apple to compete in the market. In recent years however, Apple has responded to the market demands. Consequently, the company has diversified its product portfolio.
For example, Apple has integrated hardware and software. In addition, the company’s technological improvements are characterized by unique design. In addition, some of its unique products such as the iPod, iTunes and iPhone have seen the company transcend beyond the computer industry barriers.
Apple Inc has managed to become a leading global brand because of the working cohesion between the management and the employees. The same cohesion has also led to the manufacture of innovative products.
Such cohesion is necessary especially in a cutthroat industry such as the computer industry. Apple Inc has like-minded employees and as such, the company has managed to maintain social order and in the process, ensure solidarity. Because Apple has turned into a complex organization, this has also complicated division of labor.
Therefore, people have to be rewarded according to their contribution to their firm. The founding of Apple was a major breakthrough in the computer industry because it allowed for sharing of valuable information, knowledge, and experiences.
As such, it can be seen as an aid towards the transformation of society from “primitive” to “advanced”, in line with the arguments held by Emilie Durkheim.
Interactionalist Theory
The interactionist theory is useful in explaining social dynamics. The theory explores the symbolic meaning of group-to-group, face-to-face, and individual interaction.
Max Weber was an interactionsit theorist who endeavored to examine how individuals created ideas and made sense of the world through group memberships, social relationships, as well as discourse.
Foucault was another interactionist theorist who theorized that by taking up routines, practices, and habits, people create their personalities and identities to turn into certain kind of individuals (Stark 89).
The social phenomena that is Apple appears to uphold the arguments held by both Max Weber and Foucault in that the various products manufactured by the company also happen to be the tools for social interaction in the modern day information age.
For example, Apple computers enable members of the society to interact via such social media as Facebook and Twitter. The iPad and iPhone products have also been manufactured with the main goal of facilitating human-to-human interaction.
Accordingly, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, as well as the rest of the employees at Apple have helped to advance the interactionist theory.
Conclusion
Apple Inc has overtaken Microsoft as the most valuable brand in the technology industry. This is because the company has adapted to the business environment by giving preference to the tastes of the consumers, as opposed to the needs of the business.
The social phenomenon that is Apple emerged when the company’s founders identified a lack of creativity and innovation among its competitors, forcing the firm to start manufacturing products that fulfilled the unmet needs.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are two of the most influential individuals behind the success of Apple. Apple has utilized its labor capital well in the manufacture of leading products and software.
In addition, the company has embraced the idea of free enterprise and capitalism, in line with Karl Marx’s conflict theory. As a social phenomenon, Apple also upholds the arguments by Foulcault and Max Weber on the interactionist theory.
Works Cited
Bagnall, Brian. On the Edge: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Variant Press, 2005. Print.
Forrest, Baird and Kaufmann, Walter. From Plato to Derrida. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
Fisher, Anne. “America’s Most Admired Companies”. Fortune, 157.5(2008): 65- 67.
Miguel, Helft and Vance, Ashley. “Apple Passes Microsoft as No. 1 in Tech.” The New York Times 26 May 2010.
Stark, Rodney. Sociology (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Wadsworth, 2007. Print.
Wingfield, Nick. “Apple’s Lower Prices Are All Part of the Plan”. 23 October 2011.
Wozniak, Stephen. Homebrew And how The Apple Came To Be. n. d. Web.