MSc Management Leading through Digital Disruption Assignment Sample 2023
Introduction
Apple Corporation is one of the most progressive multinational companies operating in the specialised arena of consumer software. The company also focuses on online services and other portfolios of diverse operations. The broad spectrum of the study places the focus on the analysis of the significant digital drives undertaken in the company.
Task 1
Background
Apple Corporation is one of the most profitable cooperation and American multi-nation organisations. The company has its presence across major markets of countries such as Africa, the UK, and Asia -Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania and others (Apple.com, 2020a).
Figure 1: Presence of Apple Corporation stores around the world
(Source: Forbes.com, 2021a)
The above-illustrated figure reflected the major arenas of operation of the Apple Corporation. The official headquarters of the company is built in “Battersea Power Station” in the UK. The company specialises advances software, online digital services, electronic goods and others. In the domain of the UK, the company deals with diverse product and service lines such as MAC, Ipad, watches, Airpods and other accessories.
The service range of the company in the UK includes Apple Music, Apple fitness applications, iCloud services, Apple books, podcasts and others. Referring to the UK market segment specifically, there has been a vast escalation of the market share of the company.
Figure 2: Escalation of the market share of the company in the UK over the years
(Source: Statista.com, 2022a)
The increasing trend of the market share of the company is ideating through statistical inference. Thus it has been a major organization that has catapulted the trend of rapid digitalization.
Reason for digital transformation
The covid-19 pandemic is one of the most influencing factors that catapulted the rapid digital transformation for the Apple Corporation. This led to an increase in the effective deployment of digital transformation and emerging systems across the organisation. The presence of social distancing norms created the immediate recalibration of the working modes and methods. This also created the urgency to send the majority of the workforce to a remote mode of working.
Hence, through these emerging digitally transforming modes most of the IT managers and technical staff and other important personnel of the corporation were allowed to work in the safety of the home. This phase also gives rise to the need for most customer-friendly applications to meet customer expectations (Apple.com, 2020b).
Hence, Apple Corporation also amplified operational protocols in this direction of digital transformation. The use of self-service applications has helped in effective data collection, data assembly and gathering along with collaboration between the HR department and the IT sector.
This helped in amplifying the customer experience and it proves to be extremely beneficial for Apple Corporation. The increasing use of “artificial intelligence” in data analysis also provided a lot of competitive edge in a market of operation in the UK.
Objectives
The major objective of digital transformation for Apple Corporation is diverse [Refer to appendix 1]. This includes the ability to reduce the cost in overall operational execution along with execution at a faster rate. It helps in overcoming the potential barriers of traditional modes of operation and contributes to increasing the revenue indices.
Another set of objectives is through utilising digital technology more customers can be served and the customer experience can also be modified, this boosts the revenue indices (Weforum.org, 2022a). Rapid digital transformation increases the ability for effective collaboration. This also increases the chances for more flexibility in the dynamic structure of the organisation. Employee productivity can also be boosted by reducing the risk of operations.
The objective of digital transformation also increases the agility of the system. The deployment of robotic, artificial intelligence and digital applications can help to meet the new demand. It also helps in amplifying the customer experience through digital transformation.
Effective corporate governance can be facilitated, it can also add to the increased transparency. Another major objective includes increasing compliance can also be facilitated through the deployment of digital transmission. Hence overall competitive edge can be gained in the competitive space of the UK through these modifications.
Task 2
Hyper awareness
In the corporate structure of Apple Corporation, Hyper awareness can be stated to be effective, and quickly detect and monitor the changes in the business ambience. Apple Corporation has been one of the organizations that have modified its operational modes through digital transformation. It facilitates effective analysis of the external threats and opportunities for the company. It also provides the navigating route and strategy for adapting to the modifications and transformations.
One of the important facets of digital transformation is the use of social media as a leveraging playfield of operations. Apple corporation can use the initiatives of “intelligent automation” similar to that of IBM (Ibm.com, 2022a). This would help to deepen customer interaction and relationships. In the complex scenario of the pandemic, this has been a game changer for the IBM Corporation.
The deployment of artificial intelligence can help to cater to the need for escalation of hyper-awareness drives in the Apple Corporation. It can guide the company through business optimization (Weforum.org (2021b). Improved threats and changes along with cyber security issues can be identified with the use of artificial intelligence.
Informed decisions
It involves deciding on the digital transformation affecting the corporate structure of the company through collating ample information. This information so gathered reflects the pivotal changes and modifications that shape the business environment for the apple corporation. In the pandemic scenario, the decision to initiate quick and effective changes encompassing launching the “COVID-19 section”, building a remote mode of working and others were based on informed analytics.
Thus informed decision encircles taking decision considering all the pivotal factors. The company can use the initiative used by its market competitor IBM, in this respect such as the “IBM Watson open scale” (Ibm.com, 2022b). Apple Corporation can use artificial intelligence in this regard more progressively like IBM Corporation. Automate data gathering and collection, AI model building, across the lifecycle of AI helps to assemble the data and facilitates informed decisions.
Execute faster
Fast execution can be delineated as the ability to execute plans and decisions at a faster rate. This adds to the internal and external capacity of the Apple Corporation. It can also help to increase the chances of earnings to higher yield in the market of operations. For facilitating faster execution the company can replicate the initiatives integrated by its market competitor IBM.
IBM Corporation uses different modes of execution namely RetePlus, Sequential, and Fastpath (Ibm.com, 2022c). Each of these modes is used based on certain compiling factors such as Stateful application, homogeneity rules and so on. This can be supported using machine learning and artificial intelligence. Both these can uncomplicated extremely complex data sets. This helps in effective idea generation. Actional decisions can also be catapulted through these digital technologies leading to faster execution. Effective test stability can also be escalated through these digital technologies.
Task 3
A “digital ready culture” can be stated as a culture that is shared as well as reinforced as progressive practices and values. These cultures help in enabling high performance in a digitally transformed ambience and escalate innovation drives. This culture describes the mode of integration as well as the interaction between the different segments of the business.
This also shapes the relationship prospect of the technology and technology users. This can be effectively fostered by customer preference, collaborative cultures, installation of innovation drives and emerging digital pioneers.
Customer-first
This includes a set of well-framed strategies that help to keep the customer’s expectation ahead of either pivotal consideration. This also helps to align the objectives of the company and facilities stellar customer experience. This helps to inflate the revenue indices and promotes an effective atmosphere of customer loyalty. This can help the Apple corporation speed up its business operation and recover the loss in the next quarter’s results.
As per the quarter 3 results, there has been a massive loss of £4.9 billion [Refer to appendix 2]. This can be done in the apple corporation by targeting internal transparency. Effective tools such as “Predictive engagement and AI” can help to ideate the consumer person in the domain of the UK.
Effective tailoring a shaping the customer needs as per the customer interface by modifying the wearable electronic segment can also help to put the preference on the customer. Products such as “AirPods Pro”, “AirPods (3rd generation)”, “Apple Watch Series 8 Gps” and others can be personalised. These features can be marketed through online digital platforms. Progressive surveys can also help to monitor customer interaction. This can help the Apple Corporation to “put the customer first”.
Collaborative culture
The creation of effective collaborative culture in the Apple Corporation can shape the mode of acceptability of the digital transformation. This can be done by focusing on the pattern of internal communication. In the case of the Microsoft Corporation, internal communication has strengthened the teamwork aspect. This in turn has developed the collaborative culture and pattern.
Figure 3: Teamwork transformation in Microsoft for a collaborative culture
(Source: Microsoft.com, 2022)
Preparing future leaders through teamwork similar to that of Microsoft as ideated through the diagram can help in a collaborative culture (Microsoft.com, 2022). Productive team alignments, focusing on employee training, and software supports are effective modes for developing a collaborative culture at Apple.
Installation of innovation culture
Innovation culture can be fostered through the adoption of the future-centric approach. This can be also done through “agile PODs methodology”. Effective guidance to the employee segment and technology upgradation can also help in the installation of an innovation culture. In the case of Google corporation technology modification, transparency deployments have been equally effective (Forbes.com, 2020b). This can be replicated in Apple Corporation.
Emerging as a digital champion
Application of each of the guidelines as reiterated above can help apple corporations to overcome the major barriers such as escalation cost to be incurred for DT, acquisition of tech skills and others (Stonehouse and Konina, 2020). This can also help Apple Corporation to be ready for advanced future operations in the digital space.
Task 4
Job description
| Segments | Description |
| Name of the position | Chief Collaboration Officer |
| Number of posts | 1 |
| Salary | £75,930 per year |
| Perks and other facilities | DA, medical insurance, accommodation facilities and others |
| Type of employment | Full-time |
| Educational qualifications | MBA (in operations management)/ MSW (in community development)/ Masters in public administration with a bachelor’s degree in any relevant field |
| Required experience | 8 years in a reputed organization in a similar profile |
| Roles and responsibilities
|
· The main roles and responsibilities of the CCO would be building and managing multi-disciplinary teams in the organization.
· Such an officer would also be responsible for municipal strategy formulation and policy recommendation. · CCO will be responsible for strategic support to different projects along with effective leadership training. · The CCO would be responsible for the development and execution of the yearly business strategy. · He would also be responsible for the formulation of the annual budget and should also conduct a detailed evaluation for analysis of the improvement in the investment portfolio that is needed · He would be responsible for leading the development activities and collaborative working with different departments · He would also have to provide necessary direction to the fundraising for projects. · CCO would be responsible for effective communication with the pivotal stakeholders · He would be responsible for monitoring the staff Workplan on a quarterly basis · Supervising the staff performance and ensuring proper collaboration across the teams · CCO would be responsible for designing and implementing the evaluation and allied process
|
Table 1: Job description of CCO
(Source: Self-developed)
The above table reflects the job description of the CCO with the major roles and responsibilities to be executed in Apple Corporation. CCO needs to be appointed to facilitate effective collaboration in digital transformation
Ways to increase the collaboration across the teams
The CCO can collaborate across different teams and departments in Apple Corporation through different strategies. He can inculcate a sense of belonging in the team by explaining the vision aim and objective to the prospective team members. Proper communication and communicational transparency can also be focused on as in the case of Microsoft (Microsoft.com 2022b). He should be able to install a sense of empathy for every fellow worker in the team.
Effective integration of the “democratic leadership” style in the working modes can also allow the team mem members to take an active part in decision-making. Celebration in the way of reward and recognition and leading by example can also be beneficial in this direction. The prominent example of IBM can also be analysed in the Apple Corporation (Ibm.com, 2022d). More focus can be placed on creativity and innovation indices to ensure collaboration.
Task 5
As per Goleman’s leadership styles, 6 different types of leadership styles can be suited to a business organization. With the sole aim of digital transformation, Apple Corporation can inculcate the “Democratic leadership style” in their working and operation execution. This can be impactful in supporting robust digital transformation (Thesuccessfactory.co.uk, 2022).
It can facilitate wider viewpoints in the decision-making process for Apple Corporation. This can navigate through effective problem-solving regarding the challenges in digital transformation (Delphiniumcc.co.uk, 2022). Advanced team development and effective decision-making by team participation can be facilitated through this leadership style. In the case of IBM, the close marker competitor of Apple, the company uses transformation leadership (Ibm.com, 2022e).
Hence Apple Corporation can use a democratic leadership style to overcome the disadvantages that are created by transformational leadership. This can leverage the position of Apple Corporation in the market of UK.
Advice for democratic leadership
Figure 4: GROW model
(Source: Self-developed)
Goal: The ultimate goal is the incorporation of a Democratic leadership style in the Apple Corporation (influenced by Nedelko and Potocan, 2021). This needs to be indoctrinated among the leaders in the corporation to facilitate rapid digital transformation.
Reality: While implementing this leadership style major resentment from the top management might be felt, as it leads to the reduction of autocracy and control to a certain extent.
Options: Major strategies, as well as techniques that can be deployed to incorporate this leadership style, include
- Promoting proper communication across all levels of organisational hierarchy. This can help to report the barriers lying rapid digital, transformation.
- Proper techniques have to be integrated to organize the overall organisational structure of the Apple Corporation (influenced by Reddy and Smith, 2022). This will speed up the reporting mechanism of the corporate structure.
- Group empowerment through effective decision-making and independent project handling can help to create the base for democratic leadership.
Wrap up: Effective collaboration through SMART objective deployment can help to incorporate this leadership style more progressively. This will help to mitigate the challenges in digital transformation.
Conclusion
Apple Corporation is one profitable corporation with diverse customer segments. The incidence of pandemic catapulted the digital transformation across the corporate structure of the company. The research has been segmented based on five different tasks each addressing the pivotal parameter governing the digital transformation. The GROW model at the end reflects the exact modes of adoption of rapid digital transformation.
References
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