Apple has become one of the iconic companies that have changed the way people think of computers and mobile devices. Steve Jobs was an inspirational leader who valued creativity above all (Whetten and Cameron 174). The company removed any boundaries or limits when it introduced such products as the iPad, iPhone, Macintosh, and so on. However, Whetten and Cameron also pose a rhetoric question concerning the importance of creativity (174).
It is obvious that creativity is not the only factor contributing to success as numerous companies came up with truly innovative products and services that failed. Effective management is also instrumental in achieving success and making creative products or services popular and successful. This paper includes a brief analysis of the importance of both components with a short description of applying some creativity principles at a small farm.
When it comes to creativity, it is regarded as one of the crucial competitive advantages of a company (Lim and Oyama 73). Apple became so successful due to the company’s innovative products as people were eager to buy something really new and something that satisfied their needs. Steve Jobs always stressed that the product should be perfect to become popular (Elliot 34). This perfection required a lot of creativity of Steve Jobs as well as the entire team that included IT professionals, HR specialists, and numerous managers.
At the same time, it is unlikely that Apple could become successful without effective management. The company had to address various challenges and had serious issues that could lead to bankruptcy. These issues were addressed effectively due to effective management. For instance, strict standards and strategic plans were developed (Elliot 103). The successful implementation of the strategic plans created was also completely due to efficient management strategies.
Therefore, the balance of creativity and management is key to a company’s success. At that, management strategies can be developed more easily as compared to creativity, which is often associated with imagination, motivation, and commitment (Whetten and Cameron 168). Whetten and Cameron describe several creativity principles that can be applied to any enterprise. For instance, a small farm can benefit from the use of these principles.
The farm in question produces cheese and has only ten employees. Creativity may be crucial for such aspects of work as recipe development, packaging, and marketing. All these activities can benefit from pulling people apart and together. It is beneficial to create teams that will work on particular tasks. One of the central premises of these teams’ success is their heterogeneity (Whetten and Cameron 168). People of different backgrounds (gender, ethnicity, etc.) have different perspectives that can result in creative solutions to hard issues.
It is also important to monitor customers’ expectations and their satisfaction with the product and services. Customers may provide their feedback concerning flavors, packages’ size, even delivery terms, and so on. Finally, it is possible to encourage the employees to switch roles as it can help them reveal new facets and aspects of products and services provided.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the balance between creativity and effective management is the major factor contributing to any company’s success. Even a small farm producing dairy products can and should use effective management strategies and apply creativity principles. This approach will help the company meet its customers’ needs and come up with creative products and services.
Works Cited
Elliot, Jay. Leading Apple with Steve Jobs: Management Lessons from a Controversial Genius. 9th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
Lim, Lorraine, and Shinji Oyama. “Beyond Conventional Western Views of Creativity and Innovation.” Handbook of Management and Creativity, edited by Chris Bilton and Stephen Cummings, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014, pp. 73-91.
Whetten, David A., and Kim S. Cameron. Developing Management Skills. 9th ed., Pearson, 2015.