Posted: August 5th, 2015

the Apple, Inc. in 2012: Can It Sustain Its Growth and Defend Against New Competitive Threats?

questions:
1.What are the chief elements of Apple Inc’s overall competitive strategy? How well do the pieces fit together? Is the strategy evolving?
2.What are the key elements in Apple’s strategy in computers, personal media players, tablet computers and smartphones? Have its strategies in its core business yielded success? Explain.
3.What does a competitive strength assessment reveal about Apple’s computer business relative to its rivals? Use the methodology in Table 4.4 to support your answer. Does it appear that the company’s competitive positions in personal media players, tablet computers and smartphones are stronger or weaker than its position in computers?
4.Does it make good strategic sense for Apple to be a competitor in the computer, personal media player, smartphone and tablet computer industries? Are the value chain activities that Apple performs in computers, personal media players, tablet computers and smartphones very similar and compatible or are there very important differences from product to product?
5.Which of the four product lines (computers, personal media players, tablet computers and smartphones) is most important to Apple’s future growth and profitability?
6.What recommendations would you make to allow Apple to strengthen its position in its most important markets?