Strategic Leadership

Apple's strategy is focused on innovation. They think about and try to design the next big thing while improving and coming out with new generations of their current devices. In my opinion innovation and strategic thinking go hand-in-hand. Steve Jobs who is a co-founder of Apple in 1976 became CEO (first as a interim CEO) back in 1997. According to our textbook a top management team is anyone with status of VP or hire. Located on Apple's website it lists their executives and currently has 11 different people. Unfortunately none of them are female, but they do divide up the duties such as industrial design, Mac hardware engineering, software engineering, devices hardware, iPhone software and a few others. This division kind of relates to a heterogeneous management team because it breaks of the duties down further rather than having a VP for software and VP of hardware. The divisions are able to get more detailed and innovative as ideas move up and down the chain. Currently having a co-founder as the CEO provides benefits because in this case he is always looking forward and towards change. Jobs is dedicated to the company. Apple also has a great deal of human capital that includes the designers and engineers who are developing the new iPhones and iPads. Steve Jobs is a strategic leader and surrounds himself with other strategic leadership to continue to keep the sound image of Apple and their innovative products.

Apple's Structure

When taking a look at Apple's organizational chart one will see Steve Jobs at the top. Branching off would be Senior Vice Presidents in different areas such as Marketing, Sales, Applications, Software Engineer and so forth. From there the chart branches further into lower positions but still specialized and each divided into different areas. This chart represents a functional structure whereas a CEO is at the top followed by executive officers followed by functional line managers. Jobs was a co-founder back in the late 70s and still serves as CEO. It seems to me that there is constant flow of information back and forth between the different levels. This communication helps lead to the success and innovation of Apple.

In other news, Apple just posted their 2nd quarter earnings and had revenue of $13.5 billion and ned quarterly profit of $3.07 billion compared to revenue of $9.08 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.62 billion a year ago. They also listed that international sales accounted for 58 percent of the this quarters revenue.

Cooperative Strategies of Apple

Apple has teamed up with other organizations such as Nike, IBM, and HP to create strategic alliances. In 1991 Apple and IBM had a joint development of software to facilitate links between Apple's personal computers and IBM's personal-computer networks. They also joined with Motorola for a new set of microprocessors. IBM and Apple also established a joint venture for software design for Apple, IBM and other computers. They also established a joint venture to formulate joint standards for "multi-media" Both IBM and Apple are in a fast-cycle market where they are constantly looking for new competitive advantages. After IBM, Apple formed a strategic alliance with Intel and changed the computer industry. Together they allowed users to have Windows or Mac software on any device with an Intel processor.

Another alliance was between Apple and Nike and the development of Nike+ipod. Their goal was to combine the worlds of sports and music. The Nike+ footwear communicates with your iPod and lets you keep track of your distance, time, and calories burned.

Apple has formed other strategic alliances to help share risks and to get their products with other products that they do not produce. They use their innovation for hardware and combine it with other companies software and vice versa.

Apple's International Presence

Apple currently has business all over the globe. Most of the Apple retail stores are located in the United States but are also located in 7 other countries. The first international store opened in Japan and followed by England. With Apple having physical locations as well as having very strong online sales, the website itself provides information to every countries were sales are made. It even allows you to choose the language of the website to suit your needs.

When researching their international business, I would have to say that the majority of Apple's international trade would be exporting. When a customer orders a product online it can be shipped to that country. When I bought my computer and ipod online, the ipod its self was assembled in China. With the ability to ship products around the world, Apple increases their market and sales. Their website is very helpful for the other countries to be able to buy products off of the website that translates the products and prices into their language. I would also say that Apple has a global strategy in the sense that they offer the same products across the different markets. The decisions are made in the home office and then made available to the other locations. As of right now the iPad is only offered in the United States, but is planning on expanding in late April for some other countries.