Apple vs. Google
HRM 3502
April 26, 2010
Introduction
The concept of teams and teamwork is not difficult to understand. By definition, a team is simply a group of people put together to achieve some common purpose or goal. However, while the concept seems simple enough, being an effective team involves much more thought and work. The text, Developing Management Skills, written by David A. Whetten and Kim S. Cameron, supplies a more specific definition of a team. It is a group of people who are interdependent in their tasks, affect one another’s behavior through their interactions, and see themselves as a unique entity. This definition implies that an effective team must be mindful of the interdependence that exists and the fact that interactions can affect the attitudes and behaviors of others. As such, being an effective team requires positive cooperation and communication among the team members in order to achieve success.
By examining different ways that teams work and different examples of how companies achieve success, one begins to see that there are multiple paths to success. Google Incorporated and Apple Incorporated are both leading companies in their industries. Apple is known for its extraordinarily innovative and exclusive products. They have an incredibly loyal customer base, and competitors have a very hard time replicating their products. Their brand name is synonymous with success. Google is also a leader, one of the world’s top companies, continually making headlines for their innovation and customer focus. Google is also renowned as one of the best places to work for. How do these two companies achieve their success? Both companies have an extremely strong backbone of innovation and technology, but how do their product development teams continually produce such great results? As these companies are examined, one will find that there are many similarities between them, but there are also many differences. In their development and production efforts, both
April 26, 2010
Introduction
The concept of teams and teamwork is not difficult to understand. By definition, a team is simply a group of people put together to achieve some common purpose or goal. However, while the concept seems simple enough, being an effective team involves much more thought and work. The text, Developing Management Skills, written by David A. Whetten and Kim S. Cameron, supplies a more specific definition of a team. It is a group of people who are interdependent in their tasks, affect one another’s behavior through their interactions, and see themselves as a unique entity. This definition implies that an effective team must be mindful of the interdependence that exists and the fact that interactions can affect the attitudes and behaviors of others. As such, being an effective team requires positive cooperation and communication among the team members in order to achieve success.
By examining different ways that teams work and different examples of how companies achieve success, one begins to see that there are multiple paths to success. Google Incorporated and Apple Incorporated are both leading companies in their industries. Apple is known for its extraordinarily innovative and exclusive products. They have an incredibly loyal customer base, and competitors have a very hard time replicating their products. Their brand name is synonymous with success. Google is also a leader, one of the world’s top companies, continually making headlines for their innovation and customer focus. Google is also renowned as one of the best places to work for. How do these two companies achieve their success? Both companies have an extremely strong backbone of innovation and technology, but how do their product development teams continually produce such great results? As these companies are examined, one will find that there are many similarities between them, but there are also many differences. In their development and production efforts, both
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