MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY---- ----SUBJECT: MAJOR RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC: International Human Resource Management of Apple Inc... Business culture.
Trang 1MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY
SUBJECT: MAJOR RESEARCH PAPER
TOPIC: International Human Resource Management
of Apple Inc.
STUDENT NAME: Lê Anh Chân – 11196457 CLASS: 61A Advanced International Business TUTOR: Nguyễn Bích Ngọc
Hanoi, 2022
Trang 2Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION TO APPLE INC 3
1 General information about Apple Inc 3
2 Mission, Vision and Core Values of Apple Inc 4
2.1 Mission 4
2.2 Vision 5
2.3 Core Values 5
2.4 Business culture 5
FUNCTIONS AND PURPOSES OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN APPLE INC 7
1 Functions of Human Resource Management in Apple Inc 7
2 Purposes of Human Resource Management in Apple Inc 8
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF APPLE INC IN THE GLOBAL MARKET 9
1 General information about Apple Inc.’s International Human Resource Management in the Global Market 9
1.1 Recruitment and Selection 9
1.2 Training and Development 10
1.3 Employment Benefits and Compensation 11
1.4 Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunities 11
1.5 Employee Appreciation and Recognition 12
1.6 Career opportunity 12
1.7 How Apple motivates employees 13
1.7.1 Recruit 13
1.7.2 Benefits and incentives 13
1.7.3 Job satisfaction 15
1.7.4 Use money as a motivator 17
2 International Human Resource Management and Apple Inc.’s Experiences 17
2.1 Components of Pre-Departure Training 17
2.1.1 Overview 17
2.1.2 Culture and customs of the new country 18
2.1.3 Language 18
2.1.4 Business etiquette in the new environment 18
2.1.5 Business management structures and decision-making techniques 18
2.2 The rationale for Utilizing the Pre-Departure Training Components 19
Trang 32.3 Recruitment and Selection Strategy for Apple Inc.’s International
Assignments 19
2.4 Importance of a High-Quality Mentoring System for International Assignees 20
2.5 Measuring Return on Investment in International Assignments 21
LESSONS FOR OTHER COMPANIES 22
REFERENCES 23
Table of Figures Figure 1: An Apple Store 4
Figure 2: Current CEO of Apple Inc 5
Figure 3: Recruitment and selection process of Apple Inc 11
Figure 4: Apple's diverse employees 13
Figure 5: Apple's staff 16
Figure 6: Apple's staff 17
Figure 7: Apple's long line of customers waiting 24
Trang 4INTRODUCTION TO APPLE INC
1 General information about Apple Inc.
Apple Inc is one of the Big Four tech companies with its headquarters in California Thecompany is known globally for its innovative solutions for computer software,electronics, and online services Since its inception in 1976, the company has been aglobal leader in the technology industry
Figure 1: An Apple Store
Apple is perhaps the ultimate definition of a company that has positioned itself as ametric of quality within the niche it operates in, and this prominence associated withApple narrows down to its mission and vision statements In fact, Apple has grown as thedriving force of innovation for over 20 years now ever since it was founded by SteveJobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976
Today, it is seen as the single source of revolution in the designs of personal computersamong other software transformations Ideally, the vision statement of a company detailswhat it is all about with a focus on a specified range of products and quality for itscustomers
Trang 52 Mission, Vision and Core Values of Apple Inc
Figure 2: Current CEO of Apple Inc.
In this current mission statement, the company highlights the scope of its operations andhow it exploits these to satisfy the needs of its client base While focusing on the dynamictechnological changes over time, Apple stays clear that impacting positive changethrough innovation is its central objective
2.2 Vision
Apple Inc.’s corporate vision is “to make the best products on earth, and to leave the world better than we found it.”
Trang 6Through this statement, the company highlights that they are always determined todeliver quality products to its clients The statement also points out that they intend to do
so for quite some time It gives a detailed account of how the company approaches itsoperations to position itself as the dominant player in the sector it operates
These values give us a sense of what Apple holds dear and considers vital for its success
as a technology trailblazer The company ensures that it aligns all its operations with itscore values so that it holds on to its position as a global technology giant
2.4 Business culture
Top-notch Excellence Apple’s organizational culture comes with a policy of hiring only
the best of the best in the labour market Steve Jobs was known to fire employees whodid not meet his expectations This tradition continues under Tim Cook Such a traditionmaintains and reinforces a corporate culture that promotes, appreciates, and expects top-notch excellence among employees This cultural trait is institutionalized in Apple’sorganization
Creativity This cultural characteristic pertains to new ideas that help improve the
business and its products Apple’s management favours creativity among employees’knowledge, skills, and abilities This characteristic of the corporate culture enables thecompany to ensure sufficient creativity, especially among employees involved in productdesign and development processes
Innovation Apple’s organizational culture supports rapid innovation The company is
frequently appraised as one of the most innovative companies in the world Based on thiscultural trait, the firm trains and motivates it employees to innovate in terms of individualwork performance and contributions to product development processes The corporateculture facilitates rapid innovation, which is at the heart of Apple Inc.’s business Rapid
Trang 7Discover more from:
Document continues below
International Supply chain management
Đại học Kinh tế Quốc dân
Tata-Motors-SC2122 - Very good
International Supply chain management 100% (2)
3
chuoi-cung-ung-dich-vu-thuc-an-nhanh-tai-viet-nam supply chain
International Supply chain management 100% (1)
28
Zara Supply chain
International Supply chain management 100% (1)
5
EMQI-K61 Group 3 Trần Hoàng Thành Midtemr SCM
International Supply chain management 100% (1)
7
Trang 8innovation ensures that the company continues to introduce new products that areprofitable and attractive to target customers.
Secrecy Steve Jobs developed Apple to have an organizational culture of secrecy This
cultural characteristic continues to define the company’s human resource development.Secrecy is part of the company’s strategy to minimize theft of proprietary information orintellectual property It is also a strategic management approach that enables Apple Inc tomaximize its leading edge against competitors
Moderate Combativeness Apple’s organizational culture has moderate combativeness.
This feature is linked to Steve Jobs and his combative approach to leadership He wasknown to randomly challenge employees to ensure that they have what it takes to work atApple However, under Tim Cook’s leadership, the company has been changing itscorporate culture to a more sociable and a less combative one Nonetheless,combativeness remains a major influence in the business Apple’s corporate cultureexhibits a moderate degree of combativeness that presents challenges that aim to enhanceemployees’ output
Trang 9FUNCTIONS AND PURPOSES OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN APPLE INC
Apple is one of the largest companies in the world, it is known for its innovations andchanges that have brought in past The human resource department is constantly engagedwith employees so that their capabilities can be boosted It is important for the company
to develop a more future-ready and capable force All the individuals are placed on theright job at the right time which enhances efficiency (Boxall and Purcell, 2011) The HRdepartment needs to define roles and responsibilities so that different policies can beimplemented in an effective way
1 Functions of Human Resource Management in Apple Inc
Planning The HR department has to make plans for recruiting new individuals fulfilling
vacant places within the organisation It is an important step as it follows Apple inensuring that every job is being undertaken under the supervision of a specialist Thecompany can not compromise on its core competencies which are innovation, teamworkand quality
Compensation and benefits Managers of human resources in Apple Inc ensure that
employees receive their salaries on time and other benefits are given to them as perrequirements This keeps people loyal to the company
Organizing and staffing The HR department is constantly engaged with other functions
asto organise resources and use them in staffing people for vacant posts This allowsmanagers in identifying extra expenditures and cut down costs wherever they can
Training and development Employees need to be trained to keep them future-ready and
committed to their job It aids in improving individual skills and boosts their careerprospects
Employee Engagement The HR department at Apple focuses on establishing and
maintaining better relationships with people (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017) This
Trang 10enables managers in directing and leading people more effectively Also, their satisfactionlevel is improved.
Safety and Risk management There are different issues that can hamper an
organisation’s ability to serve People are aware of their surroundings and know aboutsafety measures Also, there are different risks that are associated with strategies thatmust be followed properly for achieving targets
2 Purposes of Human Resource Management in Apple Inc
Compensation and performance The company is completely focused on ensuring that
people are satisfied with the incentives and pay they are receiving Also, those who areperforming at par with requirements are being benefited from additional pay or a non-monetary prize
Employee relations Managers focus on ensuring that relations between employees and
management remain good and they are satisfied with their job
Cultural sensitivity Apple operates in numerous countries where it has to deal with
different types of people (Bratton and Gold, 2012) The HR department ensures thatcompany policies are flexible and do not hurt anyone’s sentiments
Laws Different policies and plans are prepared by the HR department to ensure that
people follow rules and regulations to maintain discipline
Micro consumer management Employees are the internal customer of the company;
Apple understands that they need to be satisfied which is why it invests heavily in humanresource development
Trang 11INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF
APPLE INC IN THE GLOBAL MARKET
1 General information about Apple Inc.’s International Human Resource Management in the Global Market
1.1 Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment and selection are the keys to the success of most organizations (Sparrow,Brewster & Chung, 2016) Apple has invested a lot in the recruitment process with theprimary objective of getting the right talents who can fit the organizational culture(Storey, 2014) The company requires employees who are hard-working and committed
to the activities of the enterprise Apple uses a different recruitment strategy which isdifferent from other employers Apple does not promise its employees career progression.The employees are required to own their careers (Rees & Smith, 2017) In this, case thecompany does not support a career path The workforce is expected to seek informationconcerning their jobs The company also relies on pirate raiding of talented workers fromother businesses The recruitment process is designed in such a way that only employeeswho fit the organizational culture are hired The selection process is based on the verbalinterview The recruitment and selection model enables the company to get the righttalents to serve the organization
Figure 3: Recruitment and selection process of Apple Inc.
Trang 121.2 Training and Development
Apple utilizes a unique training approach to ensure that the employees are equipped withthe right skills for the job The company allows the employees to do things on their own
to encourage them to develop strong self-reliance (Storey, 2014) In this case, the workerscan learn from their mistakes This strategy has enhanced skills development Employeesare encouraged to develop innovative skills since they are allowed to work in differentunits within the organization Apple uses a unique approach to assigning roles to differentteams (Grant, 2016) In this case, several groups are assigned to perform a particular task.After accomplishing the task, they are then assigned an entirely different role The teamsare required to do something new at all times This is the reason why Apple hasdeveloped into one of the most innovative companies in the world The teams alwayscompete to provide something new that is entirely different from the previous projects(Storey, 2014) After completing the tasks, the work of each team is reviewed, and thebest is selected or chosen
To enhance the culture of free-thinking and innovation, the teams meet twice a week.During the meetings, they can brainstorm to come up with something new full ofinnovation Apple does not prepare training programs, but employees are encouraged tolearn on their own (Rees & Smith, 2017) This type of learning allows the employees toreceive incredible returns that contribute to the development of the company Thechallenges experienced during the projects encourage employees to become proactiveabout what will be taking place the following day (Grant, 2016) The employees ofApple can learn on their own without training This strategy has enabled the company tonurture and develop talents that have made the company achieve internationalrecognition
The strategic human resource management approach used by Apple Inc is aimed atattracting the best talents and retaining them at the same time (Grant, 2016) Thesestrategic HR practices have enabled the firm to become the leading provider of consumerpersonal computing products in the world
1.3 Employment Benefits and Compensation
Trang 13Apple provides competitive packages to attract talented staff The benefits are providedbased on the employment status and the geographical location of the employer (Storey,2014) Some of the benefits provided by the company include insurance cover, employeestock purchase programs and investment and savings plans Employees are also entitled
to product discounts They are also given bonuses for working with experienced talents inthe industry (Grant, 2016) Apple provides flex benefits where employees are required tochoose the benefits that best suit their lifestyles The Economic reward has been used asthe best retention strategy by Apple Employees are awarded periodical stock grants fortheir contribution to the company (Rees & Smith, 2017) This is a great opportunity foremployees to create wealth and realize individual accomplishments at retirement The company also embraces agility This has been the major contributing factor to itssuccess and employee retention Employees are encouraged to shift from onemanufacturing department to another (Storey, 2014) For instance, an employee can shiftfrom the music industry to the computer and then to the smartphone industry Thecompany encourages employees to be a master of all activities as they prepare themselvesfor the next big thing This strategy has motivated employees to commit their effort to theorganizational culture since they are in a position to enhance their skills
1.4 Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunities
Apple provides equal employment opportunities to all people regardless of their gender,race, ethnicity or disability among others (Grant, 2016) The company also employspeople from diverse backgrounds As such, it has been able to attract a talented workforcefrom different parts of the world that have contributed to its continued success andgrowth