Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness
In various instances, we realize that certain corporations release products that sell highly in different market segments (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 21). The improved industrial operations and high sales rely on vital processes like performance analysis, decision making, and accurate execution plans. Under strategic management, a corporation analyzes the business environment, makes decisions that will lead to accurate and measurable action plans with the main objective of outperforming other firms in the same industry. On issues involving strategic competitiveness (Kossowski, 2007, p. 53), a corporation must recognize industrial competition as one important aspect in production. The urge to expand production processes and deliver goods and services recognized by consumers across international borders increases with an increase in the market niche. In this line, the conditions that will make a corporation remain at the highest level of operation with an expanded market share revolve around strategic competitiveness (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 21). This is a study based on strategic management and strategic competitiveness as production plans used by Apple In. Corporation. In relation, the study focuses on aspects of globalization and changes in technology and how the duo affects Apple In. Corporation.
How globalization and technology changes have impacted Apple Inc. Corporation
Apple Inc. The corporation is an American public company that specializes in the production of highly technological products such as computers and computer software, iPhone, iPad, iPod, MacBook, and MacAir alongside providing special repair services to their own products. The Apple Company operates within an integrated market and serves both the American domestic market and international markets with highly differentiated products according to consumers’ tastes and preferences (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 29).
From its initial establishment, Apple’s production processes have always remained inclined to changes in technology, and the products released into different markets are constantly changing and becoming more advanced (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 31). For example, Apple has been operating on a platform of modifying some of its products corresponding to changes in technology. The iPhone product series is a perfect example in this case and the marked changes from iPhone 3gs, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5s to iPhone 6 are perfect illustrations of the companies rising needs to match the taste of consumers of iPhone products with the basic technological requirements. In areas of communication using the internet, for example, the initial iPhone series, 3gs, and 4s were 2G internet enabled. With improvements in speed of internet accessibility from 2G to 3G and now 3G+, Apple had to release new brands of products that are compatible with changes in internet accessibility.
Significantly, changes in technology have affected the annual sales and revenues for the company (Kossowski, 2007, p. 56). The use of the internet for advertisement, retail selling, and individual consumer purchase reduced the level of in-store displays and merchandising where retail sellers had to be physically available to conduct a one-on-one business transaction with the company’s retail management. The shift from in-store merchandising to online merchandising has significantly improved the number of sales for the company since consumers prefer making their purchases online. Online purchase is today proving to be more cost-effective, efficient, convenient, and secure for daily transactions. This means that Apple Company has to make several advancements in methods of delivery that link to the changing consumers’ preferences.
Globalization signifies increased market coverage as well as an increase in consumers’ demand for specific products. Improvement in industrial activities within Apple Corporation is a strategy to manage global production and supply of a variety of products with an interception into international markets (Kossowski, 2007, p. 63). The impact created by globalization, therefore, would link to improved production standards to fully satisfy not only domestic and national markets but also global markets. Since the company’s activities are now open to high competition levels as a result of merged markets, Apple is compelled to redefine its strategies of production and product delivery methods to enhance product availability to consumers while controlling instances of market shocks (Kossowski, 2007, p. 64). As observed, globalization opens industrial performances to new challenges as much as there are advantages associated.
The impact of globalization might as well be viewed in other two folds. There is an impact on suppliers of the labor force, raw materials, and suppliers of industrial equipment. Alternatively, there are impacts created by globalization to the company investors, shareholders, and the company’s amount of stocks (Kossowski, 2007, p. 69). On the supply, the need to expand production processes to meet the increased demand will require significant adjustments in the labor force. Apple Company had to increase the number of employees in various areas and departments in order to make industrial processes more efficient. Similarly, the company had to expand its resource base more specific sources of raw materials, with an aim of producing more items to withstand the changing consumption levels. Apple company had to produce its products in large numbers and at the same time convince consumers across the world on quality and pricing (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 39). On the investment side, globalization has created a platform within which investors across the world can control industrial processes by closely monitoring the company’s performances alongside getting involved in the planned production processes. The opened investment space gives investors the opportunity to make comparisons on the basis of returns and objectively invest in companies that have high percentage returns on equity. Thus Apple Inc. Corporations must remain elliptical in their production and ensure a high growth rate in returns in order to retain investors.
Applying industrial organization model and the resource-based model to Apple Company
From the perspective of the firm’s theory, there is a high relationship between the initiated levels of competition and Apple’s industrial organization model. The use of the industrial-organizational model in Apple Company operations helps in reducing certain complications that are prone to business transactions. The model allows for the prior identification of instances such as high costs of the transaction, imperfect market information, and certain barriers to market entry (Kossowski, 2007, p. 74). In every aspect of production, the most prominent objective is to maximize profits by significantly reducing the costs incurred both at the production stage and at the time of delivery into the required markets. The use of the industrial growth model by Apple Inc. The corporation is one of the strategies to reduce losses that the company can make due to untimely production or mismatch in consumer tastes.
The use of a resource-based model in production processes allows a firm to gain a production advantage over its close competitors. The mode becomes valuable in transforming short-run competitive advantage into long-term and sustained competitive advantage. For the Apple Company, the use of heterogeneous resources will translate into valuable products that are not substitutable by any means (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 39). Using a resource-based model will make the production processes of Apple Company unique and different from other competing firms within the industry.
How the vision statement and mission statement influence the overall success of Apple Company
In Apple Company, the major product objectives are contained within the company’s mission and vision statements. Apple’s mission and vision statements are more of product/service and market orients (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 39). The company’s objective is to produce ethologically integrated products that serve various markets and give consumers that taste of perfection across international borders. The company is compelled to put in place the most appropriate strategies and must work towards fulfilling its own production objectives. In order to capture the intended markets, Apple Company is strategically outsourcing its production processes in other countries with the same production approaches (Kossowski, 2007, p. 78). The mission and vision statements also motivate employees within the company to work with a common goal of achieving in their respective areas of operation.
How each category of stakeholder impacts the overall success of Apple Company
Apart from the legal provisions of the federal government, the overall success of Apple Company underlies the roles performed majorly by investors, employees, and customers who are considered as the main stakeholders of the company (Hitt, Hoskisson & Ireland, 2013, p. 39). Investors chip into the production processes through funds and expect returns from the invested capital (Kossowski, 2007, p. 78). In the same line, consumers facilitate the company’s growth by constantly purchasing the products and in effect creating a base for further production. Consumers offer a wide range of markets, remaining loyal to the company, and through the feedback approach, the company is in a position to identify areas of weakness and make improvements. In addition, employees remain part of the company’s assets and through their production efforts, skills and experiences determine the company’s long-term success (Kossowski, 2007, p. 78). The range of products released by the company is a manifestation of employees’ levels of commitment and innovative approaches towards making the company highly competitive and advanced in its relationship with other stakeholders.
References
Hitt, M. A., Hoskisson, R. E., & Ireland, R. D. (2013). Strategic management: Competitiveness & globalization: cases. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning.
Kossowski, A. (2007). Strategic management: Porter’s model of generic competitive strategies – theory and analysis. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH