Apple Inc. – Corporate culture and policy

Résumé du document

Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational corporation established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California. The company designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. For its first 30 years, the company was named Apple Computer, Inc., but the word "Computer" was removed on January 9, 2007 to reflect the company's expansion into the consumer electronics market. Its best-known hardware products are the Macintosh computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. The company owns 301 retail stores in ten countries, and an online store where hardware and software products are sold.

Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry and was named by Fortune magazine the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world in 2008, 2009, and 2010. In a first part we will present the company in more detail to understand why it is so popular. But the company has also received criticism for its labor practices. So in a second part we will focus on Apple's employees.

Extraits

[...] Apple Inc.'s policy a. Lauch events Apple, and Steve Jobs in particular, are known to make press conferences or 'events' throughout the year. These are closely followed. These events are usually to introduce new products or product updates. There is the European Apple Expo and the San Francisco Macworld Conference & Expo trade shows Mac developers meet each other at the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. If these events are looked forward by the public, they are also very exciting for the employees involved in the new product. [...]

[...] On campus there is the Apple Inc.'s store and all software are 50% off. Security Security is Apple's culture. It is not just the rules, it is the job itself. The measures that Apple takes to protect its creative and intellectual environment are unparalleled. Apple's security policy extends to blogs, to speaking engagements, to what employees talk about with their spouses/husbands. If they don't respect it, they are laid off. The security is so precious that every employee has a different codename in order to see who slips up or leaks. [...]

[...] This policy of secret is also very strong inside the company. Here is an account of an engineer for Apple : "Internally, the culture is of extreme secrecy, even more extreme politics and marketing driven decision making. Everything, and I mean everything, is decided by the marketing team at Apple, and two reviewers in east coast newspapers. I was shocked and flabbergasted at the role these reviewers had at Apple. As an engineer, I was told to tend to feature requests that were made by Mossberg and party. [...]

[...] Be that as it may Apple seems to be a responsible company. Apple also tries to keep information secure by any means possible. This implies a restrictive policy of secret. All this contribute Apple Inc. to become what it is today and the company still has its best days ahead. Sources Film: "Les cinglés de l'informatique" : A documentary about the history of computers and the rise of computing company including Apple Website: http://www.apple.com/ http://www.aventure-apple.com/ http://www.quora.com/Apple-Inc-2/What-is-the-internal-culture-like-at- Apple http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc. [...]

[...] In May 2008, Climate Counts, a nonprofit organization, gave Apple 11/100 points, which placed the company last among electronics companies. By 2010, Apple had earned a score of 52/ 100. The Environmental Protection Agency rates Apple highest amongst producers of computers. Apple also offers detailed information about the emissions, materials, and electrical usage of each product. Moreover, all Apple computers also have EPEAT[5] (Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool) Gold status. This prove the company's strong desire to change and to reduce its environmental impact. However, Apple still encounter criticism about environmental issues. [...]