Apple Inc.’s mission statement and vision statement define global market success strategies, pointing to the company as one of the world’s most valuable businesses. Established in 1976, the company is a symbol of innovation and elegance in design. This condition supports the brand, which is one of the major business strengths identified in the SWOT analysis of Apple Inc. The company’s corporate mission and vision statements motivate employees to support and contribute to innovation for competitive advantage. Apple Inc.’s generic strategy and intensive growth strategies define such competitive advantage, especially to counteract the effects of competitors like Samsung, Google, Amazon, IBM, Dell, Lenovo, Sony, and PayPal. Apple has changed its corporate vision and mission statements over time to reflect changes in the company from the time of Steve Jobs to the current leadership of Tim Cook. The vision statement and mission statement now represent the company’s efforts in addressing business opportunities in the computer technology, consumer electronics, cloud computing, digital content distribution services, and semiconductors industries.
Apple Inc.’s corporate mission and corporate vision are linked in terms of how they push for the company’s continuous growth despite challenges in the competitive landscape. Considering the variety of industries where the technology business operates, the corporate mission and corporate vision embody the diversity of strategic approaches for these industries. The Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Apple Inc. shows that the business deals with strong competition. The technology company must ensure that its mission statement hints on the strategies to keep the business competitive. In relation, Apple’s vision statement must direct business efforts toward a future of leadership in the global market.
Apple’s Corporate Mission Statement
Apple’s corporate mission is “to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.” This mission statement considers the changing business landscape that influences the possibilities of what Apple Inc. can do. For instance, the company recognizes trends in the consumer electronics market and the industry environment. Apple’s press releases and official statements point to this corporate mission as a way of addressing current concerns in the global market.
The corporate mission statement indicates that Apple Inc. focuses on computing products as organizational outputs. The term “computing products” encompasses not just computers and smartphones, but also other goods or services primarily based on computing technology. For example, the company also offers cloud storage and software, as well as digital content distribution (App Store, iTunes, etc.) and online payment services (Apple Pay). The mission statement also specifies that the technology company’s target customers are practically everyone. As a result, Apple designs products that address the needs and preferences of customers in various market segments. Moreover, the corporate mission states that the company’s operations have a multinational reach, targeting consumer electronics and online services markets around the world. The corporate mission statement’s focus on computing products partly determines Apple Inc.’s marketing mix or 4Ps. This mission statement also influences the company’s corporate vision statement, which guides strategic planning on how the technology business brings the corporate mission into the future.
Apple’s Corporate Vision Statement
Apple Inc.’s corporate vision is “to make the best products on earth, and to leave the world better than we found it.” Similarly, the company’s Vice President for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, stated, “We aim to create not just the best products in the world, but the best products for the world.” Thus, the corporate vision statement aligns with Apple’s corporate social responsibility strategy, and puts emphasis on sustainability, environmental conservation, and the ecological impact of the business, in addition to effects on consumers.
Apple’s vision statement influences strategic management in terms of the decisions that the company’s executives make to reach a future of leadership in the various industries where the business operates. The “best products” term indicates that the corporate vision sees the technology company as a world leader in product design and development. The goal to have the best products challenges Apple to continue pushing for novel innovation in product development. In this direction, the company’s vertical integration helps in achieving a coherent business situation for leadership in the computer technology, software, and online services industries. In relation, Apple’s supply chain strategies support the design and development of the best products by pushing for supplier improvement and excellence. To fulfill its corporate vision statement, the company has strategies and policies that apply to its operations as well as the operations of business partners, such as semiconductor component suppliers and manufacturers. For example, Apple requires its suppliers to comply with its policies for environmental conservation and fair labor practices. Such efforts directly address the second part of the consumer electronics company’s vision statement, which specifies the need to improve the business’s impact on the world. In a way, the corporate vision expands Apple’s influence in the global community. Considering the emphasis on excellence and environmental conservation, the vision statement influences Apple Inc.’s corporate culture and its effect on human resources. It is worth noting that the technology firm’s aim of having the best products is specified in both the corporate vision statement and the corporate mission statement.
Possible Improvements to Apple’s Corporate Mission & Corporate Vision
Apple Inc.’s mission statement satisfies some of the conventions in writing ideal corporate mission statements. For example, the company’s corporate mission provides information about products, customers, target markets, and technology. However, some adjustments could improve Apple’s mission statement. Ideally, the statement should contain information about corporate image and employees, among other aspects of the computer technology business. Currently, Apple’s corporate mission focuses on products, product development, industry leadership, and business sustainability. Thus, a recommendation is to add information on corporate image, employees, and the current and possible future strategic aims of the business, such as goals pertaining to new devices and online services. Doing so could make Apple’s mission statement easier to adopt and apply to day-to-day operations.
Apple’s vision statement shows the future direction of the business. It satisfies some of the conventional characteristics of ideal corporate vision statements. For example, the corporate vision is clear in terms of what Apple aims for, such as leadership in product design and development, and emphasis on excellence as a business organization. Also, the vision statement is abstract, inspiring, and stable to encompass the future of the technology business. However, to improve Apple’s vision statement, a recommendation is to make it more detailed. Instead of providing a general statement, the company could make the corporate vision more specific about such factors as strategic direction, as well as the target future state of various business areas, like Internet services and artificial intelligence. Such additional details could make it easier for Apple’s employees to understand and fulfill the corporate vision statement.
References
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