Strategy Implementation and Execution Report Apple Computer 1992
Implementation strategy - 1992
Executive Summary: Apple Computer's implementation strategy in 1992 was to gain market share through the expansion of the Mac business, expand into corporate enterprise computing, and diversify into related technologies that leveraged Apple's strengths in software. According to the Executive Management Team (EMT) of John Sculley, Michael Spindler, and Joe Graziano et. al, gaining market share could be done by lowering prices and costs to attract a larger number of users. By making Apple more "open"-both technically and organizationally - they could satisfy corporate enterprise growth. Furthermore, by moving beyond computers into consumer electronics, the Apple brand could be leveraged for growth. This strategy was to be implemented through the interconnection of existing structures, systems, and people management practices.
Structure Analysis: Bringing a new organizational culture into Apple or any young creative company is very difficult and the evolving structure within Apple in 1992 failed to support the firm's strategy. Perhaps the biggest obstruction to the EMT's strategy was the loose and unstructured way people and units were structured at Apple. The employees at Apple were proud of the fact they did things differently than most companies. They were corporate in name rather than in culture. Work was done in groups and committees and decisions were made by consensus. Naturally, the directives handed down by the EMT in the early 90's were approached with suspicion and uneasiness. This is reflected in the increase of dissonant criticism found on the Applelink message boards. Furthermore, internal reviews of the quality of work life showed significant spikes in the level of employee dissatisfaction. People were beginning to feel like their company was losing its competitive advantage, its easy style of doing business, and that many of its qualified employees were being passed up for promotions. The people and groups within the
Executive Summary: Apple Computer's implementation strategy in 1992 was to gain market share through the expansion of the Mac business, expand into corporate enterprise computing, and diversify into related technologies that leveraged Apple's strengths in software. According to the Executive Management Team (EMT) of John Sculley, Michael Spindler, and Joe Graziano et. al, gaining market share could be done by lowering prices and costs to attract a larger number of users. By making Apple more "open"-both technically and organizationally - they could satisfy corporate enterprise growth. Furthermore, by moving beyond computers into consumer electronics, the Apple brand could be leveraged for growth. This strategy was to be implemented through the interconnection of existing structures, systems, and people management practices.
Structure Analysis: Bringing a new organizational culture into Apple or any young creative company is very difficult and the evolving structure within Apple in 1992 failed to support the firm's strategy. Perhaps the biggest obstruction to the EMT's strategy was the loose and unstructured way people and units were structured at Apple. The employees at Apple were proud of the fact they did things differently than most companies. They were corporate in name rather than in culture. Work was done in groups and committees and decisions were made by consensus. Naturally, the directives handed down by the EMT in the early 90's were approached with suspicion and uneasiness. This is reflected in the increase of dissonant criticism found on the Applelink message boards. Furthermore, internal reviews of the quality of work life showed significant spikes in the level of employee dissatisfaction. People were beginning to feel like their company was losing its competitive advantage, its easy style of doing business, and that many of its qualified employees were being passed up for promotions. The people and groups within the