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ANALYSIS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
The major focus of the paper will try and focus on Apple Inc. and how it has been able to
entrench the identified activities to emerge as a market leader in its area of operation. A human
resource practitioner is tasked with identifying qualified individuals, recruiting them and creating
conditions for the employees to realize their full potential. The L&D practitioners are supposed
to understand the needs of the consumers and equip the employees with skills necessary to meet
these needs. The continuing professional development refers to the ability to keep updating self
with the necessary skills that are required for the professional roles that a person serves.
Background information
The company that has been chosen is Apple Inc. it is a company that can be rightly named as a
market leader in the technological industry, and this can be traced from the various aspects that it
has been able to undertake in its evolution. Apple Inc. is mainly recognized through the words
and deeds of its founder, Steve Jobs, who remains very influential in the operations of the
company, even in death. Perhaps, this is one of the major problems that the company has had to

deal with, and this is to come out of the shadow of the death of a person who contributed so
much to its development, which is one just one of the aspects that show the professionalism of
the company and its management.
The company has tapped into the technological market, which is one of the most competitive
fields in the modern world. Apple Inc. has been known to produce technological devices such as
laptops, computers, and smartphones. It is a company that has had to endure a lot of competition
from other players such as Samsung and Microsoft, and the other emerging players such as
Huawei from a resurgent China. However, with a need to have a perspective on Apple Inc., it has
mainly focused on reaching the high-income market segment, with its products being mainly
seen regarding pricing and prestige to be focused on meeting the needs of this market segment.
Problems facing Apple Inc.
There is a need to look back and recognize one of the major patent cases that have taken place,
and which led to one of the major settlement amount being given is the case that involved Apple
Inc. and one of its competitors, Samsung Electronics. The major issue of contention was that
there had been theft of patent material, which was contested by Samsung Electronics. According
to Wingfield, 2012, the outcome of the case, it was confirmed that indeed Apple Inc. had been
prejudicially treated and the loss of the patent material had given its competitor an undue
advantage over the plaintiff. In the words of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc., the case was
important to protect the employees and the company from being taken advantage of, considering
that the technological field is one of the most competitive industry in the modern world.
It does not stop at that, the case that had been ongoing between Samsung Electronics and Apple
Inc. had been triggered after one of the former employees of Apple Inc. had been poached by the

defendant, thus disappearing with confidential information that exists between employeremployee relationships. Cusumano, 2013 asserts that there could be an argument that employees
retain some form of autonomy about the inventions that employees make while undertaking their
professional duties, but this was not clear from the case that had been sought for determination. It
should be noted that this was just a case that came to light, and there have been concerted efforts
by international bodies to try and deal with patency thefts has seen some international laws
developed to deal with such cases. It is an industry that requires a lot of regulation, but it seems
that the international community has not done enough to combat this and Apple Inc. has been a
victim of this inaction.
During the 2008 economic crisis, Apple Inc. was one of the companies that were able to
withstand the crisis, and this did not go down well with some of the companies who felt that
Apple Inc. had been given preferential treatment by the US government. It is an image that the
company continues to strive and shed, and while some people may not see a problem with this, it
would be an underestimation of the consumer awareness that the current society exudes. It
should be clear that the information that the people have access to informs their decision on
whether to purchase products from particular brands or not. It also placed undue pressure on
Apple Inc. as it has had to work extra hard to ensure that its demands and standards are not seen
as a result of preferential treatment but out of the diligence of its professionals and quality
management.
The challenges have also come in the form of competition that has been increasing with each
passing day in the technological field. There has been a resurgent China that has seen more and
more Chinese companies join the technological company, and while this has been beneficial to
the consumers, it has meant that Apple Inc. has had to find innovative ways to maintain its

market lead. In fact, over the last years, the company has been losing its market share, and this
has been out of the increased competition. Why has the competition been detrimental? Statistics
indicate that China has been the fastest growing and the biggest market for Apple Inc. products,
and the implication is that out of the need to boost local brands, this has seen a reduction in the
Chinese market. The same case applies to the imports sector as the Chinese companies have not
only targeted the local market but also the international markets. It does not get easier when one
considers the factors of production, with China having favorable factors of production such as
cheap labor and power, which has seen the Apple competitors have an undue advantage due to
the reduced cost of production. Thus, the Chinese companies have the luxury of underpricing,
which is not the case with Apple Inc. the implication is that there is no way that the pricing can
be the same, as it goes against the laws of economics. Perhaps, what this means is that Apple has
an arduous task of attracting and maintaining customer loyalty, considering that the modern
consumers are more informed and liberal in their thinking, and factors such as loyalty may not
have a much psychological effect on them. It means that the onus has been on Apple Inc. to try
and justify its high pricing and to give a reason as to why consumers should continue using its
products, despite the substitutes being readily available and cheaper. Perhaps, Apple Inc. has
been lucky so far to keep innovating, and its professional commitment needs to be lauded, and
the reliance of its US market, which has remained steadfast even from the aggressive marketing
and the entry of more players. It remains to be seen how this grace will last, or the international
players will come up with a model to try and level the playing field, which would go a long way
in ensuring that Apple Inc. remains competitive. The following are some of the activities that the
professional development at Apple Inc. can undertake to try and maintain its grip on the market
while seeking to maintain and attract professionals that can help in this regard.

Activities
The modern world has become so competitive such that human resource has become one of the
areas of focus that most organizations and countries have been trying to create some dynamism
in the professional development. It has been one of the major goals that I have also been aspiring
to be part of because of the promise of being part of the emerging world that will have the ability
to address all the needs of the world. To attain this goal, there are some specific perspectives that
one needs to have to be part of this process.
Employee relations is one of the major areas that one has to be excellent at because of the
emerging trend where people have been seen to achieve more when they work together. One has
to look at the companies that have come with a model of defining the employees’ relations. Look
at Apple Inc. that has developed the ‘Apple Way’ as a method through which the employees are
supposed to interact and adhere to the culture that has been established. There are various
activities that one can engage in to improve on employee relations.
Even by having a look at the current group assignments, one comprehends the importance of
relations. One can improve this by encouraging the people to share the roles that they have been
assigned, and report any rooms that they have seen for improvement. The implication is that one
needs to understand how the people can come together for shared responsibility, and then
exchange information and ideas. Another important activity that can help the people have good
relations at the workplace is by encouraging them to come together in social activities such as
taking lunch together. As such, one can find a common room or even introduce a program that
can help employees come together. Lastly, maintain an interest in the lives of the employees
such as birthday parties, anniversaries, and showing them that you have a personal touch can
improve their welfare and bring a sense of communism.

Application
Knowledge is one of the broadest areas that one needs to develop to have a working and
effective in human resource. Emotional intelligence, the ability to understand people’s feelings
and emotions and finding a way to work with diverse personalities is imperative in human
resource. Motivation is also key, as it gives a parameter on how to tap into the abilities of the
employees to increase and improve their productivity. Lastly, one needs to know dynamism in
the technological world, as numerous studies have shown that technology will continue to be
influential in most spheres of the professional development.
The professional area of software development, according to Carneiro, 2010, is one that has been
termed as belonging to people considered as ‘nerds’ or social outcasts. Due to the sensitivity of
the work, one needs to have curiosity, as this will act as a foundation for the development of
relevant software for the consumers. A curious person is likely to have a self-drive, and this
culminates in courage to challenge some of the prevailing social conventions. When one looks at
the structure of the technological industry, those that have remained compet...