Comparative Study of IBM and Apple

INTRODUCTION

Organisational behaviour is the practice of how the people interact within the organisation with the ethical practices and principles in order to meet their job role and responsibilities for achieving the business goal and objectives. Through this study, it is possible to demonstrate the organisational behaviour through analysing the team building and team developmental activities, motivational theories and practice in the organisation as well as philosophies of organisational behaviour. The organisations IBM and Apple will be evaluated for analysing their internal culture and organisational behaviour to manage the employees and achieve the organisational aim in long run. For those who are seeking insights into organisational behavior within the context of a business dissertation help, evaluating the strategies employed by companies such as IBM and Apple can provide the most valuable insights.

IBM case study analysis

IBM or International Business Machines Corporation is an American multinational technology company producing and selling the computer hardware, middleware and software systems, cloud-based offerings and cognitive computing to the customers across the 177 countries. Total numbers of employees of the company is approximately 345,900 and total asset of IBM is US$155.97 billion in 2020. The organisation is famous for its quality products and efficient services for which IBM is successful to expand their business activities across 177 countries around the globe (IBM, 2021).

LO3: Team Building and Team Development Theories

Team building activities are mandatory for the organisation to create strong team, work and hire the experienced employees in the business for maximising the overall performance of the firm. An effective team can lead the workforce through continuous motivation and guidance towards business productivity and performance.

Tuckman theory

The major characteristics of an effective team in the organisation are such as clear goals and defined organisational visions, clear communication and information sharing among the employees, effective decision making practice and partnership working in the organisation. In this context, Tuckman theory is effective to develop good team work and through this theory, it is also possible to review the strategies of IBM in order to develop good team in the organisational workplace for meeting the brand objectives. As per the Tuckman theory, there are five stages which are forming, storming, and norming, performing and adjourning. Forming stage is associated with little agreement, unclear purpose and proper guidance and directions. Storming refers to internal conflicts, coaching management style and power struggle and on the other hand, norming is associated with clear roles and responsibilities, facilitation and agreement. Performing refers to clear vision and purpose, focusing on individual and group goal and delegation. The adjourning stage is related to task completion and achievement. IBM must focus on managing internal conflicts through enhancing communication and cooperation so that the team members can be handled efficiently with trust and bonding. The manager of IBM also needs to focus on sharing clear aim and purpose of the working activities so that the employees can be motivate and work as a team (Maiorescu, 2017).

Belbin theory of team development

Belbin theory of team development is also effective for the organisation to create strong team and achieve the future company goal. The Belbin team roles are resource investigator, team workers and coordinator, plant, monitor, evaluator and specialist, shaper, implementer and complete finisher. The organisation IBM must focus on coordination and team workers in order to create good team in the workplace and in this regard the leader and managers must guide and direct them with clear roles and job responsibilities in the company (Okbagaber, 2019). The leader also needs to enhance communication among the staff members and support them with adequate resources and encourage their creativity to work as a team for achieving higher. For developing dynamic cooperation in the workplace, the manager of IBM must focus on building strong relationship as well as create values for the staff members, so that they can feel valued in the workplace and work efficiently to meet own job role (Atan and Mahmood, 2019). The managers also needs to resolve the internal conflicts through empowering the staff in the workplace, so that they can share knowledge and information with others and work as a team through partnership working practice.

LO4: Philosophies of Organisational Behaviour

Path goal theory

Path goal theory states the leader’s behaviour which is contingent to the satisfaction, performance of the employees and motivation. In this context, the manager’s job is to guide the workers to choose the best oaths to reach the corporations goal and personal objective in the workplace. The employees in IBM are experienced and they are able to perform their job role and responsibilities efficiently. IBM is efficient to design the tasks for the employees as per the company vision and goal as well as by taking consideration of the job post and employee experience. The leader and managers in this regard are playing an important role to guide and support the employees (Sürücü, and Yeşilada, 2017). The leader of IBM follows transformational leadership style with continuous motivation and encouragement, where the employees are encouraged to show their creativity and work uniquely. Additionally, the managers are also efficient in IBM to support the employees with technical assistance and infrastructure of the firm to perform better. Moreover, sharing the company gaol and vision, information about the latest products and services of IBM as well as internal information and data are also shared among the staff, and these are beneficial to guide and continuous direct the employees to work as a team and perform better (Atan and Mahmood, 2019). The leader of IBM and managers are participative and continuously motivate the staff through monetary and non-monetary incentives at the workplace. they are achievement oriented where the leader of IBM try to provide high return on their investment to retain the experienced staff in the business as well as the managers are also cooperative and directive to lead the team members towards achieving the future success.

Social Capital theory

Social Capital theory refers to the development of the social relationship that can lead to the development and accumulation of human capital that have reproductive benefits for the firms in near future. It is effective for building trust, social network and association where skill and knowledge can be shared among the individuals for better understanding and maximising performance (Sürücü, and Yeşilada, 2017). IBM also focuses on creating social capital by enhancing market communication and creating social networking, so that the employees and senior management team can maintain social network and share the activities for better understanding and knowledge gaining. IBM is successful to maintain social network by retaining the stakeholders including the business clients, managements and famous international business, where through communication and cooperation, IBM is able to access the latest information and unique business solution across the world (Maiorescu, 2017).

Contingency Theory

Contingency Theory of leadership refers that the leaders can develop several strategic planning on the basis of diverse circumstances. Through communication and cooperation, the leaders try to develop strong team in the organisation and tackle different situation by developing unique solutions (Cortada, 2019). The leader and managers of IBM try to utilise the resources and technical infrastructure to make unique solutions and in this regard the performance of the team depends on the internal situation of the company as well as adequate resources. As per the situation, the leader of IBM supports the employees with resources and information so that the employees can utilise latest data and information for better solution. Hence, continuous cooperation and participative leadership at IBM are beneficial to guide and direct the employees in different situation to meet the company objectives.

Apple Inc. Case Study

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company specialises in the computer software, consumer electronics and online services. It is the world’s largest technology company by the revenue of $274.5 billion in 2020. Total numbers of employees in the organisation are more than 147,000 and the organisation is the most valuable company for their quality products and diverse online services (Apple, 2021a).

LO1: Impact of Apple’s Organisational Culture, Power and Politics

Apple’s Organisational Culture is mainly creative culture with innovative mind set where the leader and managers focus on the company goal to achieve efficiently and uniquely in long run. The personal and professional development scope is there and each staff is guided and supported by adequate resources and latest technology to show their creativity and innovation in producing the best quality consumer electronics products and software (Baker and Baker, 2017). The creative culture with equal power distribution is beneficial for the firm to manage strong team work and retain the experienced employees for better performance (Trivedi, 2019). The internal politics towards equality and diversity as well as inclusion and diversity are also beneficial for the brand to hire the skilled workforce across the globe and manage them efficiently to maximise their performance. Social networking and equal power are also beneficial for the firm to maintain their creativity and launch unique products in the global electronics market. The internal culture with harmony and freedom to work, transparency and accountability as well as equality and diversity management are advantageous to develop strong team and achieve the corporate goal of Apple (Apple, 2021b).

LO2: Process Motivational Theories

Herzberg Motivational Theory

Herzberg Motivational Theory is effective for the organisation to strategize the monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourage employee’s creativity and motivate them to perform better. As per Herzberg Motivational Theory, there are two factors, motivational and hygienic (Trivedi, 2019). The motivational factors such as achievement, recognition, working activities, personal and professional growth, advancement and responsibility are influencing employee’s performance to meet the company goal (Baker and Baker, 2017). The leader also focuses on hygiene factors including supervisions, company policies, working condition, salary, safety and security in order to motivate the staff for better performance. The leader of Apple mainly focuses on providing structured salary and incentives on performance of the staff in order to continuous encourage them for maximising their contribution. Additionally, Apple provides health and safety at the workplace and the workers work under effective supervision and control where they feel safe and secured to work efficiently and meet their job roles (Apple, 2021c).

Vroom Expectancy Theory

Vroom Expectancy Theory is another motivational practice in the organisation. The organisation Apple is successful to meet the expectations of the employees. The effort of the employees is effective to contribute positively in the company where the employees believe that the organisational commitment towards each staff is met by the company leader and management team. They also trust the organisation and expect high return on their investment for which they try to be innovative and work uniquely to get higher return (Liu, 2021). The employee’s values and rewards are also important for the corporate leader and managers of Apple, where the leaders take care of each staff and provide them structured salary and incentives for continuous motivating them and retaining the experienced staff for achieving the corporate objective of Apple (Apple, 2021c).

Conclusion

Both the companies IBM and Apple are efficient to manage organisational behaviour through adopting suitable leadership and managerial style, for which the companies are able to lead the employees towards achieving future success through communication and cooperation. IBM is successful to develop strong team through enhancing communication and partnership working practice, where the managers try to guide and direct the staff with adequate resource and information. The leader of IBM is also participative and continuously motivates the team to perform better for meeting the company goal. The leader also adopts path goal, for tackling different situation and creating unique path to achieve the future success. In this regard, continuous improvement, developing strong team work as well as guidance and support to the staff are helpful for the IBM leader and managers to enhance the efficiency of the employees and maximise overall performance of the brand. On the other hand, Apple is also successful company to strengthen their employee base with motivational practices and continuous encouragement, where the employees are proficient to perform better and contribute positively on achieving the objective of Apple. Hence, the firms are successful to run their operations across the international markets by developing good organisational behaviour with cooperative working practice, enhancing communication, empathy for others, creating social networking and continuous motivation.

Reference List

• Apple, 2021a. Leadership. [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/leadership/ [Accessed on 1 July 2021].
• Apple, 2021b. Ethics and compliance. [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/compliance/ [Accessed on 1 July 2021].
• Apple, 2021c. Inclusion and diversity. [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/diversity/ [Accessed on 1 July 2021].
• Atan, J.B. and Mahmood, N., 2019. The role of transformational leadership style in enhancing employees’ competency for organization performance. Management Science Letters, 9(13), pp.2191-2200.
• Baker, J. and Baker, C., 2017. Transformational Leadership—Steve Jobs. SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals.
• Cortada, J.W., 2019. IBM: The rise and fall and reinvention of a global icon. London: MIT Press.
• IBM, 2021. About us. [online] Available at: https://www.ibm.com/in-en/about [Accessed on 1 July 2021].
• Liu, Z., 2021, January. Analysis of Apple Inc.’s Innovation Dilemma From the Perspective of Leadership. In 6th Annual International Conference on Social Science and Contemporary Humanity Development (SSCHD 2020) (pp. 551-554). Atlantis Press.
• Maiorescu, R.D., 2017. Using online platforms to engage employees in unionism. The case of IBM. Public relations review, 43(5), pp.963-968.
• Sürücü, L. and Yeşilada, T., 2017. The impact of leadership styles on organizational culture. International journal of business and management invention, 6(8), pp.31-39.
• Trivedi, S., 2019. A Study on Development of Personal and Management Skills in Apple Inc. International Journal of Human Resource Development and Management, 9(1), pp.1-9.

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