Steve Jobs (1955-2011), one of the most influential geniuses on the globe, has profoundly changed the modern world. The majority of people on the street have nothing to do but play with their iSeries Apple products. This proves that Jobs’ strong leadership and innovation chiefly contributes to the success of Apple Inc. However, Apple is now facing difficulties and threats owing to the keen competition against other brands. This situation worsens when Steve Jobs died recently. This essay will first introduce Apple Inc. and Steve Jobs, and then the impacts on Apple under his resignation and death.
Background
On 24th August 2011, Steve Jobs resigned as the CEO of Apple, and Tim Cook became the new “navigator” of the company, marking the new era of modern technology. Having established Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne since 1976, (Linzmayer, n.d.) Jobs has worked for Apple for 30 years. During these 30 years, Apple has been marketing and manufacturing various types of electronic gadgets, mobile devices and related applications. It is undeniable that Apple Inc. is one of the most prestigious and successful companies nowadays with huge brand equity and customer support.
Steve Jobs and Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. has been facing numerous plights in these 30 years; a renowned example would be in the 1980s when Apple experienced disastrous response to the introduction of the Centris line, a low-end Quadra offering. (Vectronic’s Apple World, 2010) Another hard time is the failure to improve Mac OS, resulting in a financial crisis in mid-1990s. Jobs then used revolutionary technology and surprising products to face up to the challenge, and make it an even more successful company.
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... succession plan. (CI#4) M. WHAT? The company has to deal with Steve Jobs eventual departure. N. HOW? Steve Jobs has to delegate some of his ... bringing its highest quarterly total for that market in seven years. Apple has a strong balance sheet with a lot of ... continual effort to become vertically integrated during these two passed years. Apple work only with suppliers that meet the criteria from their ...
Jobs’ unique innovation and courage made Apple the pioneer and market leader in this competitive market. He can surprise all Apple customers and fit their taste every time. For example, in the 1970s, Steve Jobs and other Apple co-founders designed and marketed a groundbreaking line of personal
computers, the Apple II series, starting the new era of personal computers. (Linzmayer, n.d) In the early 1980s, he saw the potential of Xerox PARC’s mouse-driven graphical user interface, and created Macintosh. (Kahney, 2006) Steve Jobs had been once no longer the CEO of Apple. During that time, Apple was facing three-year record-low stock price and crippling financial losses. With the introduction of iMac in 1998 after Jobs’ return, which drew customers’ attention again, he was credited with revitalizing the company and putting it on track. (A&E Television Networks, 2011) With his effort, Apple’s stock price keeps on increasing more than tenfold during these years. (Yahoo Finance, 2011)
Stepping into the 21st century, Jobs decided to change the main focus of Apple from personal computers to mobile electronic devices. Many inventions were introduced into the market, such as iPhone 4S, Macbook Air, iPad 2 and multi-touch interface, etc. Apple has been the customer’s focus in every new product press release and they surprised everyone. Hence, Jobs had brought Apple into a new and more rewarding direction to develop its own business.
Impacts on Apple without Jobs
The over-dependence on Steve Jobs is the most crucial threat to Apple Inc. Subsequent to resignation of Steve Jobs as the CEO of Apple, the question for future never ceases. Worse still, one month later, the announcement of Jobs’ death after the issue of iPhone 4S shocked all Apple lovers. Not only do they become worried about whether Apple can surprise them by endless innovation anymore, but they are also afraid that Apple would lose its creative capability in the future. Yet, a recent survey held by ChangeWave showed that there is only a little impact on product sales despite Jobs’ resignation: only 4% say that Jobs’ resignation made them “Less Likely” to buy an Apple product and 89% saying it had “No Effect”,(Brian, 2011) which seemed that the absence of Jobs would not threaten Apple’ future at all.
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There are various strategies of expanding one’s business. The decision of which strategic move to choose is generally depends on internal conditions of the business in discussion. There are companies that manage to stay in their local markets and continue to harness growth from it, while others discover potential markets in foreign countries that drive them to expand. In the case of business ...
In fact, stock prices immediately fell to a large extent after Jobs’ resignation and death, worrying the investors about the future of Apple. (Yahoo Finance, 2011) Moreover, the press release of iPhone 4S had received negative feedback that is abnormally happened in Apple, and this evoked investors to worry about the innovative capability of the future plan without its founder anymore. There lied an unanswered question over the change of business strategy of Apple. – The prospect of Apple becomes gloomy.
Although the new CEO, Tim Cook, has been the CEO of Apple twice due to Jobs’ leave for pancreas cancer in 2004 and 2009 and hence gathering some relevant experience, (Brian, 2011) (Helft, 2011) Cook lacks unique intuition of Jobs, which was deemed to be the most crucial factor for Apple’s success. This unique intuition perfected Jobs’ fantastic ideas and thus kept Apple on advancing. Hence, the death of Steve Jobs did matter for the future plan of Apple.
Besides, there are keen competitions in the electronic gadgets market. In these days, it is unavoidable for Apple to face keen competitions against Android system and Samsung Galaxy S II. With those rivals keep pacing behind Apple, it is necessary for Apple to keep its speciality– unique innovation and creativity, to maintain their positioning and the market share. However, the success formula in former times cannot be fulfilled and followed by the death of Steve Jobs. In other words, its leading position and market share will be in a serious danger without him.
Conclusion
If Cook cannot carve out a clear direction for Apple’s future, Apple will only focus on improving the current design, but not keep launching fantastic products that Apple’s customers are proud of. Apple will soon be caught up by other competitors under such a competitive environment.
Admittedly, the loss of a founding executive would adversely affect the whole company. (Farivar, 2006) Yet, the big challenge lies even ahead. The departure of Steve Jobs is not the end, but the beginning of an ever keen IT competition. The road without Steve Jobs is a definitely rougher road.
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A transformational leader is a person that lays his/her goals out and takes extraordinary measures to accomplish them. Their goals usually focus on the well being of the situation and their people. They strive to change the views of others and convince followers that the ethical behavior is morally correct of the leader’s. An example of an exceptional leader would be Steve Jobs, the current ...
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Who is Apple CEO Tim Cook? Retrieved from http://appleheadlines.com/2011/08/24/who-is-apple-ceo-tim-cook on Oct 11, 2011
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The Understudy Takes the Stage at Apple. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/technology/24cook.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all on Oct 11, 2011
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We’re All Mac Users Now. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2004/01/61730 on Oct 10, 2011
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