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=Apple Case =

__** Case Analysis Template **__

**Reading: **
Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple

**Who: **
The person who has to solve the issue presented in this case is whoever steps up to take the role that Steve Jobs had as CEO of the company. (if they re-hire as they did with jobs it could be John Sculley, Michael Spindler or Gilbert Amelio)

**Immediate Issue/Problem Being Faced: **
The immediate issue is found right near the end of the article where it states the question "Can there be an apple without Steve Jobs?". Although they did unveil new and successful projects when Jobs was not there, some people point out that some of his ideas and work was still there and this could have contributed to their products coming out.

**Basic Issues: **
The basic issue that we can look at is the importance of leadership when considering how effective a company is in being innovative in a market. With Steve Jobs in charge, many could have overlooked the importance of strategic leadership because it seemed to come so easy to a man like Jobs. With the ability to make decisions that could forever alter the market made by Jobs and most of them being extremely successful, Jobs carved himself a niche of possibly the top executive in our day in age. Without a new leader who is able to make the decisions that Jobs could make, Apple may lose the ability to bring forward new products to the market that are not like any that had been out there before. If we look at the iPod mini example, Jobs released a product that held less songs than the original iPod and only cost $50 less, but sales still exceeded expectations. By daring to have the original iPod next to the new generation, he was able to boost sales of both products and this led to him opening a store for foot traffic, which was considered outrageous at the time and has worked out to this point.

**Urgency/Importance: **
I believe it is fairly urgent, but not critical. Because of the current success of their products that have been released recently (iPad, i Pad2, iPhone 4s) along with the money generated from the app store where people are continuously purchasing new and improved apps, Apple is still in a very good position in their marker. More and more people (students especially) are purchasing Mac computers because they are getting easier to use and have an extended battery life which makes it much more practical to use for a full day.

**Decision Criteria: **
1, We are harder to ignore the important of leadership of Jobs for Apple. He has exquisite and powerful to make market decisions, and most of them being successful. Not only the leadership of Jobs is the soul of apple team, but also the personality charm of him is deeply affect consumer.We have to consider that Apple needs a new leader who is able to bring vitality and enthusiasm that Jobs could make, in order to keep the effective of invocation in the market and improve consumer confidence to the further of Apple.

2, At all times we should take consumer demands in the first place. That means, we need try the best to make our products meet customers’ needs before they present demands. The invocation is not always accent my differences, but the purpose is that help users solve problem, and the way is most accord with the users’ habit to design. How to bring the surprise to customer are most important things that contribute to keep our competitiveness and freshness in the market. 1, Hiring new CEO to lead Apple and inject new vitality and concept into. 2, Inherit the enterprise culture of Jobs, and keep the company steady and development. What this could mean is that Apple should try to continue to implement the leadership values and techniques that Jobs used throughout his tenure. He was very effective in allowing Apple to develop year over year and continue to increase sales, while still coming out with new products and improving old products. 3, Design team will play an important part in the invocation of Apple, and to strengthen the communication and cooperation with management, in order to increase cohesion affinity and competitiveness.
 * Alternatives: **

We can easily find the new excellent CEO and assess his/her ability from previous work experience, but we are difficult to estimate the benefits he/she will create to the company.
Shareholders and users maybe take a wait-and-see attitude to the future of Apple.

**Assessment of Alternatives: **
====Hiring a new CEO from outside the company could cause people within the company to feel like management is seemingly looking to change the way the company is being run and does not have enough trust in current employees to take a management role and oversee all of the projects. If they were to hire a new CEO, it may be a good idea to hire a new CEO from within the company.====

**Selection of Preferred Alternative: **
Apple should promote someone from inside the company to CEO because it will make for an easier transition both financially as well it could allow other employees to feel like they may also have a chance torecieve promotions in the near future and could motivate them at work.

Assume that Apple hire a new CEO from within the company who familiar with the operation of Apple, understanding and inherit the enterprise culture of Jobs and get the support of broad staff.

**Action/Implementation Plan: **
A new CEO should placate shareholders mood and avoid the stress from them, recover and improve the customer confidence to Apple. Therefore, the next launch has a great significance because it will be the first time which Apple launches their new product without Jobs. Apple should pay more attention to the new product and provide various supports, such as financial support, new technical support, fashion design, great product promotion and marketing plan, in order to make sure the new product is the best and prove that Apple is still full of vitality.