Career Profile: Tim Cook From Apple Inc.

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Table of Contents

Apple Inc. Profile
Tim Cook’s Profile
Personal Reflection
Reference List

Apple Inc. Profile

Mission and Goals

Cusumano (2010, p. 22) argues that the overall purpose of Apple Company is “to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals, and consumers around the world”. The company is distinguished for the development of quality computer software and hardware. On the other hand, the company’s goal is “to obtain stellar products and services within tight timeframes, at a cost that represents the best possible value for our customers and shareholders” (Cusumano 2010, p. 23).

According to Cusumano (2010), every organization has a duty to offer quality goods and services to customers at reasonable prices. Apple Company values its customers. Its leadership prefers working on a few projects that are of significant value to customers. One of my professional needs is to be a stickler. Thus, I would like to work in an organization that gives workers an opportunity to learn and acquire skills in their areas of specialization. Apple Company emphasizes quality and does not settle for anything less. The company ensures that it runs on-the-job training to equip its workers with relevant expertise.

Leadership Style

The competition in the technological world requires organizations to innovate progressively. Therefore, employees working in technology companies are required to be creative (Kawasaki & Carlton 2011). The success of Apple Company lies in its leadership style. The past and present leaders believe in employee empowerment. They give workers a chance to make decisions on matters that affect their departments. According to Cusumano (2010), the corporation’s objective is to manufacture excellent products. Therefore, employees are encouraged to be imaginative. I desire a career path that will help to enhance my aptitude.

Besides, I would like to work with a leader who values my contribution and supports professional development. The leadership style of Apple Company aligns with my desired career path and professional needs. Kawasaki and Carlton (2011) argue that employee empowerment allows workers to test their skills and try new ideas. As a result, it promotes professional growth. One of my personal requirements is to work in a company that pays well and promotes employee growth.

Reporting Structure

During Steve Jobs’ tenure, the chief executive officer made all decisions. All the departments reported to Jobs. Such a reporting structure had numerous drawbacks. At times, the CEO would focus on a single matter and neglect the rest leading to bottlenecks in some departments. Kawasaki and Carlton (2011) argue that Jobs was a leader who preferred finishing with one issue before going to another. Hence, many projects would remain unattended for a long time. Today, employees report to the departmental heads who respond promptly to matters that affect the departments (Levy 2012). The change in reporting structure has enhanced operations in the company.

Besides, there is a collaboration between different departments. One of my personal and professional objectives is to be versatile. I would like to acquire skills in various areas. The reporting structure at Apple Company would enable me to interact with departmental heads, therefore learning from them. Working with different departments would also give me an opportunity to acquire skills in varied fields.

Culture and Work Environment

Apple Company values the culture of innovation. The company believes that it has the duty to “own and control the primary technologies behind the products that it makes” (Lazonick, Mazzucato & Tulum 2013, p. 123). The company’s culture aligns with my desired career path. I aspire to see my profession have a positive impact on people’s life. Apple Company can help me to achieve this aspiration by ensuring that I am good at what I do. The company has established a working environment that allows workers to pursue career objectives without hindrances. Employees are encouraged to settle for the best products and services. The company’s working environment meets my personal needs since I am a purist.

Geographical Location and Staffing Practices

Even though Apple Company’s headquarters are in the United States, the corporation’s market is spread across the world. The company’s geographical location aligns with my personal needs. I have always wanted to work and live in the United States. Apple Company ensures that employees know their roles. Besides, the company promotes employee development through training and ensures that workers cherish their jobs (Linzmayer 2010). The high demand for electronic gadgets means that the company has numerous employment opportunities for graduates. Based on the described profile, my interests, values, and attributes align with Apple Company. The company prefers self-driven and goal-oriented workers. I endorse the two values and always wish to work in an organization that practices them.

Tim Cook’s Profile

Career Overview

After Tim Cook had completed his undergraduate school, he was employed by the International Business Machine (IBM). At one point, he worked as the company’s fulfillment director. After working with IBM for 12 years, Tim left the company in pursuit of green pastures. He joined Intelligent Electronics in 1995 under the capacity of the chief operating officer. Later, he moved to Compaq Computer Corporation where he served as the vice president of corporate materials (Levy 2012).

In 1998, Tim left Compaq and joined Apple Company where he currently works as the chief executive officer. The resolution to join Apple was one of the most difficult ones as the company was not doing well at that time. Soon after joining Apple Corporation, the company started to do well. He first served as the company’s chief operating officer. In 2011, he was appointed as the new CEO after Steve Jobs died.

Tim has had numerous achievements and failures during his career as the chief executive officer of Apple Company. For the two years that he has been the CEO, the corporation’s profit has increased by 40%. Indeed, no other company has witnessed such tremendous growth. Tim has helped the company to develop the latest versions of software for mobile phones and computers. Besides, he has made the Apple Company dominate the iPhone industry (Levy 2012). On the other hand, Tim has not been swift to defend the company in times of turmoil. For instance, when the enterprise’s shares performed poorly, he did little to stop the press from publishing negative stories about the company.

Reasons Tim is Considered Successful

Tim Cook is not only recognized as a successful leader but also inspirational. He is a transformative leader who dedicates his time to helping workers enhance their skills. During his tenure as the chief executive officer, Tim has contributed to the growth of information technology through the development of mobile phones and computer hardware and software. He facilitated the development of OSX Yosemite, which is the latest operating system for mobile phones and desktops. Tim has not only managed to raise the profit margin of Apple Company by 40% but also acquire valuable institutions (Lussier & Achua 2013).

He helped Apple Company to “acquire Beats Electronics and Beats Music for $3 billion” (Lussier & Achua 2013, p. 78). Tim has also made a tremendous contribution to society. He has been at the forefront in the fight against diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS. Besides, he has helped to upgrade numerous medical facilities at Stanford.

According to Kawasaki and Carlton (2011, p. 24), “it could not have been easy for Tim Cook to step into the immense shadow cast by the late Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs”. After Steve’s death, many people did not believe that another CEO could fill the vacuum that he left at the company. However, Tim proved them otherwise when he courageously assumed the CEO position and helped the company to attain inconceivable profitability.

Lazonick, Mazzucato, and Tulum (2013) argue that Tim has used his business acumen to help Apple Company create innovative products, therefore dominating the global market. Tim identifies unsatisfied needs and mobilizes workers to exploit them. For Tim Cook, “there is no such thing as work-life balance” (Cusumano 2010, p. 24). He holds that the life of an individual depends on their work. Tim encourages his workers to understand the details of their job profiles.

Besides, he does not encourage unproductive discussions. Instead, he prefers engaging in productive discussions. Cook believes that people are not defined by their race, sexual orientation, or gender. Instead, they are defined by their achievements in the social or corporate world. As a result, he does not allow his sexual orientation to pull him down. When Tim sets out to achieve a particular objective, he devotes his energy to the project and does not bow to external distractions.

Personal Reflection

Learning about Tim Cook is bound to have significant effects on my future career plan. From Tim’s career profile, it is evident that success demands hard work and total commitment. Therefore, I will ensure that I commit myself to amass experience in my area of specialization. Tim is open to new ideas and does not hesitate to invest in projects that seem viable. As a result, he has facilitated multiple innovations in Apple Company. In a similar manner, I will be open to new ideas as a way to enhance my career. Besides, I will ensure that I balance between social life and work. Lussier and Achua (2013) allege that most leaders are unable to balance between social life and work, which affects their careers. Thus, I will be keen to ensure that my social life does not encumber my career path.

Reference List

Cusumano, M 2010, ‘Platforms and services: understanding the resurgence of Apple’, Communications of the ACM, vol. 53, no. 10, pp. 22-24.

Kawasaki, G & Carlton, J 2011, Apple: the inside story of intrigue, egomania, and business blunders, Random House Inc., New York.

Lazonick, W, Mazzucato, M & Tulum, O, 2013, ‘Apple’s changing business model: what should the world’s richest company do with all those profits?’, Accounting Forum, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 249-267.

Levy, S 2012, Insanely great: the life and times of MacIntosh, the computer that changed everything, Penguin, New York.

Linzmayer, O 2010, Apple Confidential 2.0: the definitive history of the world’s most colorful company, No Starch Press, New York.

Lussier, R & Achua, C 2013, Leadership: theory, application, & skill development, Cengage Learning, Boston.

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