As the world experiences growth and advancements with regards to globalization, corporate organizations experience similar obstacles and hence, the need for change within the organization. Scholars have proposed various planned change theories such as Lewin's change model which has been incorporated in many different organizations and has proven both successful and productive (Rosenbaum, More & Steane, 2018). Other approaches such as the action research theory involve organizational research, which then proves to be time consuming and unpracticed based on the fact that the data gathered is used to determine whether there is a need for change (Rosenbaum et al., 2018). This essay, therefore, aims at exploring the Lewin's change model according to Apple as a corporate organization.
The model mentioned above provides an outlined framework for comprehensively understanding organizational change. Despite the uniqueness of each organization and hence the need to tailor the change models according to the same, Lewin's change theory has proven effective and flexible. The model, therefore identified as the unfreeze-change-refreeze model involves the processes of change mentioned, which then helps an organization manage the same (Mahmood, Idris, Samah & Omar, 2017). The unfreeze phases are characterized by preparing the organization for change. Mahmood et al. (2017), notes that organizational leaders dismantle the existing status quo to further welcome change and reduce resistance.
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Corporate Culture
Scholars define a corporate culture model as a backbone that holds the attitudes, values and internal beliefs of an organization (Piao & Kleiner, 2015). The culture is, therefore, a combination of factors that influence the organizational hierarchy, social engagement, processing of information, collaboration, competition and innovation. There are various models of corporate culture such as the clan, hierarchical and adhocracy cultures. While the clan corporate culture allows for a family like-environment focusing primarily on the commonality of goals, the hierarchical structure is considered rigid based on its view towards employee performance.
The model is dependent on structure and laws which control employee activities as well as the business practices of the concerned organization. Organizations implementing this culture, therefore, value employee adherence to the established rules and policies which ensures employee effectiveness and overall organizational performance. Conversely, the adhocracy model is characterized by its flexibility and adaptability to external forces within the organization's environment. Through focusing on core aspects such as employee empowerment and individual initiatives, the model ensures employee effectiveness.
Apple's Corporate Culture
Research suggests that Apple Inc.'s organizational structure is a significant contributor to its success and prevalence in the changing market (Piao & Kleiner, 2015). Despite the numerous analyses conducted by researchers determining that Apple incorporates an innovative corporate culture that allows for the alignment of employee innovation and the organization's values, this text finds that the culture may be considered hierarchical and hence limiting. A company's drive for innovation is thought to have significant implications on the competitiveness of the same and, Apple's emphasis on innovation and employee involvement in maximizing innovative solutions.
Apple's unique organizational structure facilitates the fulfilment of its core values and mission statement as it focuses on human resource support for its employees on a global level. Additionally, based on its innovative programs and value for quality over quantity, the organizational culture within the company boosts its competitive advantage and therefore, guarantees the company's sustainability and success throughout the years. Scholars have defined its corporate culture as one that is based on excellence, creativity, innovation and secrecy (Piao & Kleiner, 2015). Quality and excellence are facilitated by Apple's hiring process, which focuses primarily on the best in the specific areas of speciality required.
Similarly, this factor is further enhanced within the organization as workers who are identified as those with excellence are highly rewarded while those who fail to meet the company's expectations are laid off hence maintaining excellence throughout its existence. Employees involved in product design are expected to exhibit high levels of creativity based on the fact that the company is dependent on creativity and innovation for its success (Kim, 2018). This culture further helps the company maintain customer satisfaction, which is guaranteed through different approaches to a diverse set of needs from the general population and Apple's loyal clientele base globally.
Other factors used to describe its organizational culture include the value for innovation and secrecy among its employees. Thorough training is conducted after the recruitment of employees at Apple to ensure alignment of the employees' goals to those of the company. Similarly, the training facilitates thorough incorporation of the innovation factor, which continues to be Apple's leading stronghold against its competitors. Further research suggests that the establishment of secrecy as a culture by Steve Jobs was meant to reduce proprietary information theft and vandalism (Kim, 2018). Nevertheless, this culture is associated with various weaknesses of Apple, such as the culture of secrecy, which promotes combativeness.
Incorporating Lewin's model is thus crucial for promoting change within Apple's organizational culture as the initial step involves gaining support and acceptability from the staff by evaluating the reasons behind the necessary change. Research further suggests that this phase consists of the evaluation and management of the organization's core beliefs, values and cultures and hence improving the probability of successful change (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). The ability of Apple Inc. to re-examine its fundamental aspects allow for the creation of an organizational problem that requires change as a practical solution and in turn, incorporation of new corporate cultures. The second phase, which is identified as "Change", involves seeking a solution after the identification of the organizational problem.
This, in turn, includes various robust intervention strategies such as the inclusion of organizational diagnostic models that allow for the efficient management of change. While the process of change may prove time-consuming for Apple based on the fact that staff requires time to successfully transit from identifying a problem to following the prescribed format, the process will be most effective when benefits to the parties in question are involved. This means that the staff requires incentives which allow them to understand the benefits of the change to themselves as individuals.
Organizational Diagnostic Processes
According to scholars, based on the ever-evolving free market world, corporate organizations, such as Apple, are encouraged to indulge in sustainable efforts to improve their problem-solving capabilities, which facilitate more straightforward adaptation to change within the external environment (Anderson, 2016). This is then used to evaluate the two forces of change, which include internal and external forces that affect the organization's ability to implement change successfully. While the external forces include the dynamic shifts in market trends and technological advancements, internal forces have been identified as the change in leadership style and organizational culture within Apple Inc.
Organizational Development (OD) specialists are thus required for the company to conduct an OD based on the complexity and specifications required when identifying forces such as the existing external forces for the specific organization. Lewis, Boston and Peterson (2017), therefore, suggest several degrees of an OD practitioner based on the ability of individuals to learn through association. Most OD practitioners are unqualified specialists despite learning how to implement change via association with qualified OD specialists successfully.
Research affirms that Apple Inc. should consider two types of organizational leaders; required to ensure active organizational development as one would be specialized in external forces evaluation while the other would indulge in the company's internal change strategies (Lewis et al., 2017). External leaders are, however, considered as being at a disadvantage based on the fact that the external evaluation of forces requires monitoring and research while the internal leader is granted easy access to organizational information provided a rapport is formed between the same and the internal staff members. Several stages are involved in the OD process that includes both external and internal leaders of change such as contacting, diagnosis, intervention and evaluation phases.
Additionally, through the involvement of the Lewin's change model, involving the unfreezing phase to change Apple's organizational culture that advocates for secrecy may reduce employee effectiveness and hence increase turnover which in turn challenges talent and innovation. Furthermore, the highly emphasized upon a system of secrecy limits rapports and cohesiveness among employees, which may, in turn, impact the value of products produced (Cummings et al., 2016). Moreover, this can be avoided by a change in the organizational culture whereby combativeness is reduced hence allowing for more freedom between employees and thus more creativity and guaranteed employee retention.
Furthermore, despite the barriers that may be encountered during the "change" phase of the organizational change model, Apple should invest in organization development specialists who ensure a smooth transition to effective change. This will further enable the employees to acknowledge the relevance of reducing combativeness and focusing more on creating rapport and enhancing transparency while consequently retaining the organization's innovative information (Cummings et al., 2016). When incorporating the last phase of change in Lewin's model, organizational leaders should understand the dynamics of "refreezing" to ensure sustainable organizational change.
In conclusion, the evaluation of the appropriateness of Lewin's change model has proved successful and sustainable when implemented by Apple to change its organizational culture. While scholars may consider the building of mutual relationships within corporate organizations subsidiary to organizational success, this essay finds that it plays a crucial role in facilitating the retention of talent, innovation and creativity. The implementation of Lewin's change model will hence prove useful and successful as it focuses on changing the organizational culture. Additionally, this text further recommends that Apple Inc. should include organizational diagnostic processes that evaluate both the internal and external forces surrounding Apple and thus significant change and success for the company.
References
Anderson, D. L. (2016). Organization development: The process of leading organizational change . Sage Publications.
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human relations , 69 (1), 33-60.
Kim, P. (2018). Integration of Management and Culture: The Culture of Dedication in Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc (Doctoral dissertation, 서울대학교 대학원 ).
Lewis, E., Boston, D., & Peterson, S. (2017). A global perspective of transformational leadership and organizational development. Journal of Research Initiatives , 2 (3), 5.
Mahmood, W. B. W., Idris, K., Samah, B. A., & Omar, Z. (2017). Behavioural Support for Change: Integration of Planned Organizational Change Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH) , 2 (3), 1-8.
Piao, M., & Kleiner, B. (2015). Excellence in the Electronics Industry: The Comparison of the Organizational Culture among Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics and Google Inc. Conflict Resolution & Negotiation Journal , 2015 (1).
Rosenbaum, D., More, E., & Steane, P. (2018). Planned organisational change management: Forward to the past? An exploratory literature review. Journal of Organizational Change Management , 31 (2), 286-303.
