Organizational Impact Paper

Organizational Impact
In the business world innovation is an important factor to the long-term success of an
organization. By being innovative organizations are able to gain and maintain a competitive
advantage in their perspective markets. Research has shown that businesses that are creative and
innovative have a large amount of success and sustainability when properly planned and
implemented. The rapid rate in which technology is advancing is cause for organization to
constantly evolve and revolutionize the way in which they operate. There are three organization
that I have selected to discuss: 1) Apple Inc. 2) Southwest Airlines 3) General Motors. These
organizations have continued to be innovative and ingenious in the way they operate and in the
products or service they offer.
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American based company that was started by Steve Jobs and Steve
Wozniak to produce computers (Steven Paul Jobs, 2014). Today Apple produces computer
hardware and software, and is considered to be innovative in the way they create, design, and
market their products. Apple Inc. has a product line that consists of laptops and desktop
computers, mobile phones, tablets, watches and many other video and audio devices. Apple Inc.
also designs software known as OS X for all their devices that require the operating system.
Apple has revolutionized the way people listened to music with the release of the Ipod in
October 2001; ("Apple Press Info", 2014).Ipod product allows for up to 1,000 songs to be
downloaded to a device small enough to fit in your pocket. In 2003 Apple Inc. launched a digital
music store known as iTunes, where customers can buy, download, and store their music
purchases. This ground-breaking invention boosted Apple Inc. to the top of the list as the
number one music retailer ("Apple Press Info", 2014).
Apple Inc. transformed the mobile phone industry when they created and released the
iPhone in June of 2007. Over the years Apple Inc. has continued to reinvent themselves and
their products in order to remain competitive. Through innovation, creativity, and design; Apple
Inc. has been execute a very successful strategy that address consumer need.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is an airline that was started in 1971, by Rollin King and Herb
Kelleher. The idea was to design an airline that operated on the principle of getting their
passengers to their perspective destination on time and at lowest fare rate possible as well as
make the experience an enjoyable one, and then passengers will frequently fly your airline
(Southwest Airlines Co., 2014).
Over a number of years Southwest Airlines has strategically planned and implemented a
variety of new innovative ideas that have allowed the airline to maintain a competitive edge yet
still increasing profit. By being creative Southwest has managed to operate in a manner that
allows the airline to be able to offer some of the lowest fares in the market. Through creative
programs such as Bags fly free, continue to make the flying experience with Southwest less
expensive and more enjoyable (Southwest Airlines Co., 2014). Southwest also has taken an
innovative approach in the area of fuel purchasing, the airline has purchased fuel for future use
for a lesser price (Dalal, 2006). Southwest has also implemented the Ticketless travel by using
the internet for booking and tracking through the website with the ability to check-in using the
site (Dalal, 2006).
Southwest Airline also uses only Boeing 737 jets, this way they can streamline the
operations and training that is needed from a personnel standpoints; the pilots, flight attendants,
and the mechanics only have to be familiar with one particular aircraft (Dalal, 2006). This
enables the airline to save money on training which reduces their overall operating cost.
Southwest remains a high level of customers service while creating new and innovative ways to
improve the customer experience when flying their airline.
General Motors
General Motors Corporation, better known as GM, was established in September of 1908,
by the head of Buick Motor Company William Crapo Durant ("William Durant Creates General
Motors", 2014). General Motors has been innovative since the very beginning of production but
in 2002 General Motors introduced a new expansion to the organization known as GM Daewoo
("General Motors", 2014). The GM Daewoo was an innovative approach to manufacturing and
engineering a line of compact vehicles. The new design and creativity of the compact vehicles
had a considerable increase in sales but became problematic for General Motors due to offshore
competition ("General Motors", 2014).
General Motors stayed persistent in their innovation and began to explore the electric
power vehicle. GM began designing and developing concepts for hydrogen power fuel cells that
would supply enough sustainable electricity to power a vehicle ("General Motors", 2014). In
2007 General Motors introduce the Chevrolet Volt to the automotive world. This innovative
vehicle was later made available for consumers to purchase in 2010. General Motors also was a
frontrunner in the flex-fuel vehicles, these automobiles are able to operate on E85 fuel or
gasoline. Hybrid vehicle models were produce also that allowed for vehicle to operate off
electric and gasoline to extend the gas mileage and range of their full-size trucks and Sport
Utility Vehicles ("General Motors", 2014). General Motors continues to push the limits of
innovation and design to remain competitive in the automobile industry.


Conclusion
Each organizational structure has determining factors that have become a vital part to
their innovative success. With innovation there is always a certain amount of risk involved, by
forming a strategic plan and system of implementation an organization can decrease the negative
effects. In the business world companies have to be creative and innovative in the design of
products, services and the process in which they operate. By doing proper and thorough research
in order to make a determination on what the consumers needs and the appropriate time to
introduce a new product or service can be the key factor in the level of success that is achieved.















References
Apple press info. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/pr/products/ipodhistory/
Dalal, S. (2006). Southwest Airlines Flying with Innovations. Retrieved from
http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/2006/12/southwest-airlines-flying-high-
with.html
General Motors. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.gm.com/company/historyAndHeritage/innovation_challenges.html
Southwest Airlines Flying High with Innovations Sanjay Dalal Retrieved from
http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/2006/12/southwest-airlines-flying-high-
with.html
Steven Paul Jobs. (2014). The Biography.com website.Retrieved from
http://www.biography.com/people/steve-jobs-9354805.
William Durant creates general motors. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-durant-creates-general-
motors?catId=17