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  • Essay / Human Resource Management and Smartphones

    The study aims to discuss smartphones. The discussion covers a brief overview of the smartphone industry. This is followed by the impact of globalization on the industry. In this section of the study, he covers an overview of Apple and how it has handled the impact of globalization. It specifically covers the paradoxes and HR response regarding Apple. In the end, he talks about the upcoming changes and their impacts on the smartphone industry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayThe chosen product is “Smartphone”. This has important significance because most manufacturing today is done alone in China (Lee, Kim, & Lim, 2016). Such access to the global manufacturing industry is due to the influence of globalization. Back when simpler phones were used, the scenario was not the same. Manufacturing outsourcing aims to promote mass production at reduced operational costs (Lin & Chen, 2015). However, throughout the manufacturing journey, from the concept of a phone to its end users, brands can decide which part of the process to outsource. It should be noted that not every process is outsourced. Typically, smartphones are manufactured in six stages. The first step is “prototyping”. The idea is generated at the board meeting, then an assertion is passed to the R&D lab. The first thing they do is consider aesthetics. Once the model is ready, it is sent to several people to get their opinions. Once one of the models is approved, the hardware part is worked on. It is then assigned to the group of electronic engineers responsible for the processor, memory, battery, screen, cameras and other aspects of a phone. Next comes seeking product approval from the relevant authorities (Zink et al., 2014). Software installation is the next step without which the hardware being installed would not work. The software team verifies compatible software to produce better impact. Before the design process, the product is rigorously checked several times to determine if additional work is necessary. This is followed by mass production of telephones. Few components are outsourced when original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) follow the smartphone brand's manufacturing instructions. When the product meets all the satisfaction parameters, it is then sent to packaging. The final stage of manufacturing is shipping through which the products are distributed to global retailers. Marketing of products also takes place before shipping, which itself depends on the phone brand concerned (Suh & Kim, 2015). There are a large number of smartphone companies domestically and globally; however, very few have had an impact. Some of the most famous independent phone brands are Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Sony, LG, Asus, Xiomi, Oppo, Huawei and others. Motorola is currently bought by Lenovo while Nokia by Microsoft (Singh, 2015). The features of the phone are adjusted in a way that meets the needs and demands of people in different regions. Phone manufacturers have not remained limited to customers in their parent and neighboring countries but have moved to countries around the world. International treaties aimed at addressing environmental impacts such as air pollution, waste, resource depletion and changeclimate are also the impact of globalization. In fact, top multinational companies see environmental impacts not as a legislative burden but as an opportunity to constantly improve their global reputation (Epstein, 2018). Their work is recognized by governments, NGOs, public organizations and the population. The influx of raw materials from various parts of the world is also an impact of globalization. Manufacturers can also go to globally certified suppliers with internationally acclaimed bodies (Kannan, de Sousa Jabbour & Jabbour, 2014). Globalization facilitates access to technologies, raw materials and labor in different regions of the world. Strategic alliances through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, strategic partnerships and outsourcing are the impacts of globalization (Choi & Contractor, 2016). For example, Apple manufactures its phones in two phases like assembly and manufacturing. Most of the assembly is done in China. China's Foxconn is Apple's longest-standing partner. On the other hand, phone components are manufactured by specialists in different fields and in various regions around the world. For example, the camera is made by Sony in Japan and dozens of other countries around the world, while the A-series flash memory, battery, and processor are made by Samsung in South Korea and in other countries in the world (Khan, Alam & Alam, 2015). The reason for these arrangements is to access the core competencies of globalized companies. This shows how Apple and its ilk are profiting from their globalization. Apple is one of the most recognized mobile phone brands in the world. The two paradoxes of globalization that the company has faced are: International Business Understanding Culture International Business Apple, like other manufacturers, outsources manufacturing to take advantage of lower labor costs and improve efficiency by facilitating mass production. Until recently, this decision has paid off and has consistently met the needs of mass production. This also helped Apple avoid excessive logistics costs required to import components made from China. They did this by assembling the phones in China itself (Pun et al., 2016). This is indeed a remarkable achievement since customers are paying huge money for a top-notch product manufactured and assembled in China. Customers appreciated it for its high-end qualities. This was truly a paradox for Apple as they considered expanding into China for both manufacturing and assembly. However, the way he has handled the situation so far has been nothing short of remarkable. The ability to outsource manufacturing and assembly to a number of countries and control them is only a testament to the intelligence Apple has provided thus far (Serra & Kunc, 2015). Indian customers are different from those in China in many ways. Indian customers are more price sensitive than Chinese customers. A large population of Indian customers want budget phones. This is the reason why budget phones from Lenovo, Xiaomi and Vivo have performed incredibly well in recent times. These brands offered specifications and features that premium brands would offer at a relatively higher cost. Few premium brands have attempted to occupy the mid-range segment; However, they might not be much different from budget phones in terms of specifications and features. Premium brands such as Samsung and Sony have experienceda drop in their sales and were the brands most affected by this change in trend (Sujata et al., 2015). Apple is the only exception among premium brands that has managed to manage its sales. More and more customers are now buying Apple phones. They also meet all the latest flagship offerings from Apple (Siddiqui & Mishra, 2016). It's simply astonishing how Apple, given its high price point, has managed to create its own category. Customers find it worth buying. The way Apple treats international culture makes it seem like it doesn't work on it. However, this is not true. In reality, it doesn't scale to customers, but rather customers do. Apple is actually not present on social networks. He doesn't advertise, but his customers do for Apple. Apple does not believe in customizing features and specifications to meet global needs. It’s more of a “one size fits all” approach. Despite these hard-to-believe facts, Apple manages to perform convincingly at the local level. The customer service protocol is different in different regions and suits local customs. In fact, the layout of the building is also designed to appeal to the local architectural culture. Once the location is finalized, they make sure to do everything possible to make it feel local to people. The standardization approach allows Apple to launch its phones in many regions. Apple phones are now available in over 115 countries (Gehani, 2016). Apple's e-commerce site is also the same all over the world. The only changes made to it are the inclusion of a feature to customize content for different regional languages. Apple creates the demands and solidifies its image only this way. They understand the culture so well that people line up to embrace that culture when they can just deal with it online. Culture is about providing uniqueness in terms of design, qualities and creativity (Gupta & Dhillon, 2014). HR at Apple has a different work philosophy than others when it comes to retaining its entry-level talent. Normally, unintentional egalitarianism is followed in other companies, which involves the utilization of entry-level talents in every possible area. On the other hand, Apple follows a non-egalitarian method by which HRM deploys its star talents in the most critical jobs. Nearly 95% of these cases are done by A-level talents, which also affects the success rate of its business strategies and their execution. Therefore, the distribution of tasks carried out in such a way ensures that employees have little or less difficulty in completing their tasks. According to (Chen & Ann, 2016), companies that are able to utilize their workforce appropriately will receive fewer complaints from employees and the attrition rate will also decrease. Apple's HRM recognized the importance of reducing or destroying negative publicity. of the reward system. HRM did not reward an individual with a single performance rating until the team performed (Khan, Alam & Alam, 2015). In doing so, HRM emphasized the importance of “teamwork”. Organizational drag is a chronic friction that can potentially impact productivity. Various factors can act as friction. One of these factors is “cultural diversity”, which can be intolerant towards people. Apple has its stores in many countries supported by both local and migrant professionals. These migrant workers may be victims of racist attacks from the.