The Human Relations behind Apple Apple Inc. is a well-known company that sells many of the electronics the world uses today. A few of these well-known products are the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac computers. Apple’s current mission statement is, “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple had reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store. The Human Relations Approach of Apple Inc. has helped them grow. The Human Relations Approach is the idea that employees are more motivated to do work when they are given praise, a feeling of achievement or accomplishment, when they feel like they belong, and are given financial reward. If a worker views their work to have significance and is encouraged to be active and productive then the quality of his or her work will be higher. The theory also states that people want to be apart of a group that is supportive and wants to bring growth to its members (Perry, 2011). The relationships between employees and employers and co-workers are essential when it comes to getting things done. 

This is how business works. If there were no positive human relations then projects wouldn’t get done, new ideas wouldn’t be formed and there would be no motivation. The workplace needs to be engaging and stable and human relations brings this into that space. It is crucial to give employees the satisfaction of their work being done well and that it is valued. This increases their motivation and productivity. When the employer recognizes the value and needs of an employee it goes a long way. The building of relationships needs to be active inside of an organization because they bring motivation and creativity. The general atmosphere in an organization and the attitude of the management usually determines the performance level of its employees. If employees are building friendships with one another then the atmosphere will be happy and inviting, resulting in productivity. Human relations are important because relationships stem communication and communication brings forth success. Communication is the main component of a positive work environment (Kumar, n.d.).

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QUESTION ONE (25 Marks)

“Management serves to support the establishment of goals, implementation of actions and utilisation of resources, so as to enable the achievement of the organisation’s purpose.” Explain to the newly appointed managers at Apple, the responsibilities of the various levels of management, the skills managers need and the challenges faced by management in South Africa.

QUESTION TWO (25 Marks)

Explain to the newly appointed managers at Apple, the benefits of the human relations approach and the contributions of Mary Parker Follett, Elton Mayo and Douglas McGregor. Elaborate on how Apple can effectively apply these contributions in a beneficial way.

QUESTION THREE (25 Marks)

Discuss the characteristics of the management environment and analyse the THREE (3) approaches management can adopt in order to react to the environment. Furthermore, describe the market/task environment and provide examples to show the impact of the market variables on Apple.

QUESTION FOUR

4.1 Explain to the newly appointed managers at Apple the elements of leadership and differentiate clearly between management and leadership. (12 Marks)

4.2 Analyse the principles of organizing and show the application of each principle to Apple. (13 Marks)