Exploring Apple’s Market Position Beyond the Smartphone Industry: Insights and Considerations for Organizational Structure

Exploring Apple’s Market Position Beyond the Smartphone Industry: Insights and Considerations for Organizational Structure

I think you well analyzed the environment of Apple’s major business of smart phone by applying Porter’s Five Force framework, and I totally agree with you at to “introduce new and revolutionary features in its products to ensure that the strength of the customers bargaining power is reduced or controlled”, great work.

I would like to share some perspective based on my own experience.

• The smart phone industry – whereby Iphone was marketed – is solely one of the total. In addition, digital market like Iturns, PC market like Ipad / Mac, wearable device like Iwatch, obtained almost Apple’s 50% revenue in 3Q/4Q 2017 (Statista, 2018). You can add a statement to focus on the smartphone industry at the beginning of your article;
•  My personal image – only in Mainland China environment- is different with” LG and Samsung are in pursuit of beating Apple in the mobile device industry”. LG just announce it will quit the smartphone market with the tremendous annual decrease in past years (Statista, 2018b; Techpp, 2018). Rather, I see competitor like Huawei / Oppo – Huawei’s advertising has already spread to the subway in Japan – become the major competitor of Iphone by offering much competitive price with similar fuction;
• Recall the smartphone market before Iphone born 10+ years ago, did any consumer like us, know what we need differentiating from a Nokia? Whereas Jobs made it happen by showing “Less is more” Bauhaus design style / user friendly interphase / luxury in price. In stead of being influenced by market, Jobs had shown us perfectly how to coach / influence the market. How long hasn’t Apple brought us a produce worth of a “Wow”?  What change should Apple take on organization structure for better innovation output? Maybe they should something from learn 3M (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2004).

Reference

Daft, R.L., Murphy, J. & Willmott, H. (2004) Organization Theory and Design: An International Perspective, 2nd ed. Cengage Learning.

Statista (2018a), “Share of Apple’s revenue by product category from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2018”[online], Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/382260/segments-share-revenue-of-apple/ (Accessed 1 April 2018)

Statista (2018b), “Total number of LG smartphone shipments to China from 2013 to 2016 (in thousand units)” [online], Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/730379/lg-smartphone-shipments-china/ (Accessed 1 April 1, 2018)

Techpp (2018), “LG Calls it Quit in the World’s Biggest Smartphone Market: Report”[online],  Available from: http://techpp.com/2018/02/04/lg-smartphone-business-quits-china/ (Accessed 1 April 2018)