Slideshare Assignment #2

1. Prospects & Corporate
Culture of Apple
by Kristin Sample

2. Article Overview
“CEOTim Cook talks Apple Watch, Apple corporate culture in
new interview”
• CEOTim Cook discusses Apples Corporate Culture, Apple
Watch and prospects, and if product ecosystem is still
manageable.
• Claims company still tries to follow some values and
philosophies set by the late co-founder Steve Jobs

3. Article Overview
• Discusses the technology and movement behind the Apple
Watch and why it is better than other smartwatch makers
• Discussed the Apple “product ecosystem.”They now have
hardware, software, media, and cloud services to manage
and claim it is not too much to handle.

4. Organizational Culture
• A system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that
shape how people behave.
• Qualities that make one organization stand out from another.
Each has its own way of doing things, and its own way of
talking about it.
• The idea of organizational culture spread. “It made sense to
see organizations as complex arenas of stories and values
rather than entirely rational institutions.”

5. Deal & Kennedy’s “Strong Cultures”
• Deal & Kennedy believed development of a strong culture in
an organization could greatly enhance business success.
• They identified four main components to a strong culture:
– Values: Beliefs and visions for the organization.
– Heroes:Those who exemplify the organizations values.
– Rites & Rituals:Ceremonies celebrating values.
– Cultural Network and Communication Systems: Informal/Formal

6. Apple’s “Strong Culture”
CoreValues of Apple:
• We believe that we’re on the face of the Earth to make great
products.
• We believe in the simple, not the complex.
• We believe that we need to own and control the primary
technologies behind the products we make.
• We participate only in markets where we can make a significant
contribution.

7. Apple’s “Strong Culture”
CoreValues of Apple cont.’:
• We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can
really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to
us.
• We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our
groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
• We don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in
the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re
wrong and the courage to change.

8. Apple’s “Strong Culture”
• Heroes: Steve Jobs &Tim Cook

9. Apple’s “Strong Culture”
• Heroes cont.’
– Although Steve Jobs is no longer with us, he will always be the face of
apple.Tim Cook still tries to operate under many of his philosophies.
– In the articleTim Cook states: "Steve felt that most people live in a
small box.They think they can't influence or change things a lot. I
think he would probably call that a limited life. And more than
anybody I've ever met, Steve never accepted that.”
– "WhenApple looks at what categories to enter, we ask these kinds of
questions:What are the primary technologies behind this?What do
we bring? Can we make a significant contribution to society with this?
If we can't, and if we can't own the key technologies, we don't do it.
That philosophy comes directly from him [Jobs] and it still very much
permeates the place.”

10. Apple’s “Strong Culture”
• Heroes cont.’
– The most touching part of this article was Cook’s ending
statement, which I felt perfectly showed the impact of Steve
Jobs to the Apple Culture: Jobs’ office is largely untouched,
down to the nameplate, the desk, and even whiteboard
drawings made by his daughter Eve. He typically avoids going
in, and doesn't know what the company will do with the space
in the long run. "I don't know. His name should still be on the
door.That's just the way it should be.That's what felt right to
me."

11. Apples “Strong Culture”
• Rites & Rituals
– This article does not talk specifically about rites and rituals they
have to celebrate their values. It did however have a picture of
the launch of iPhone 6

12. Apples “Strong Culture
• Communication Systems
– Apple communicates in many ways.They have different
teams, different departments, and regularly acquires
other companies as it prepare to introduce new products.
Communication must take place in multiple forms to be
effective.

13. Peters &Waterman’s “Excellent
Cultures”
Identified 8 themes for excellent organizations:
1. A bias for action
2. Close relations to customer
3. Autonomy & entrepreneurship
4. Productivity through people
5. Hands-on,Value-driven
6. Stick to the knitting
7. Simple form, lean staff
8. Simultaneous loose-tight properties

14. Apples “Excellent Cultures”
Examples of the 8 themes in Apple:
1. A bias for action: Apple turns down some projects in order to give
all effort to projects that will create the biggest difference.
2. Close relations to customer:Try to create products to best suit
what the public wants.They reserve the right to change their
minds on what they are doing in order to make customers happy.
3. Autonomy & entrepreneurship: Employees must continually come
up with new ideas and technology in order for the company to
progress further, create new products, and remain innovative.

15. Apples “Excellent Cultures”
Examples of the 8 themes in Apple cont.’:
4. Productivity through people:Tim Cook encourages employees as
Steve job did. He continues the philosophy not to live in a small box,
and to smash the idea that you can’t influence things or make a
difference. He wants his employees to contribute their ideas and skills
to keep productivity moving smoothly.
5. Hands-on,Value-driven: Apple managers and employees share the
same core value of productivity and performance.Their number one
concern is “making the best products in the world.” Quality comes
before quantity and sales numbers.

16. Apples “Excellent Cultures”
Examples of the 8 themes in Apple cont.’:
6. Stick to the knitting: Apple wants to stick to what they do best but
also be innovative. So going into projects they evaluate what
technology is behind it, what they need to bring, if they can make a
significant contribution to society with it. Cook says if they can’t, or
can’t own key technology behind it, they don’t go through with it. Of
course they still need to come up with new ideas and products, but they
strongly evaluate what they will be able to do so that they don’t waste
time, money, and effort on something they aren’t able to finish.

17. Apples “Excellent Cultures”
Examples of the 8 themes in Apple cont.’:
7. Simple form, lean staff:There is clearly some sort of
hierarchy at Apple, withTim Cook as CEO and other
executives below him.There are also different groups that
deal with certain parts of each project and they have to be
able to communicate between groups.The division of
labor is probably more complex than many companies
would be which can cause difficulties at times.

18. Apples “Excellent Cultures”
Examples of the 8 themes in Apple cont.’:
• 8. Simultaneous loose-tight properties: I think two of
Apple’s core values really demonstrate the unity of purpose
and diversity for innovation that this theme is about:
– We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our
groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
– We don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group
in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when
we’re wrong and the courage to change.

19. Questions for Apple
• What organizational approach best describes your
companies hierarchy, division of labor, etc?
• How/ why does this approach work best for Apple?
• How are ideas heard from all employees?
• How does Apple gather input and feedback from the public
about existing products?
• How does Apple get ideas on what the public would like to
see in future products?

20. Works Cited
Fingas, R. (2015, March 15). CEOTim Cook talks AppleWatch,Apple corporate
culture in new interview. Retrieved February 08, 2016, from http://
appleinsider.com/articles/15/03/18/ceo-tim-cook-talks-apple-watch-
apple-corporate-culture-in-new-interview
Miller, K. (2015). OrganizationalCommunication: Approaches and Processes (7th
ed.). Stamford, CT:Cengage Learning.