“Steve Jobs’ resignation as Apple CEO will spawn some soul-searching on Infinite Loop in the days and weeks ahead, as Apple’s 49,000 employees decide exactly where their loyalties lie, according to researchers who study the effects of leadership change on organizations,” Dave Mosher reports for Wired.
“‘Employees are asking themselves, ‘Was I working for Apple or for Steve?’ If the answer is Steve, they will wonder if Apple will be the same place without him,’ said Gary Ballinger of the University of Virginia, who studies how departing bosses affect employees and other components of a company,” Mosher reports. “Though Jobs’ departure from Apple has been anticipated for years, and he will remain involved as chair of the company’s board, the move will invariably sow some psychic tumult — both with workers and consumers. Apple has a history of high job satisfaction among employees and a cultlike following among its users. How much of that depended on Jobs will become more clear as people in both groups adjust to his absence.”
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“Some Jobs fans at Apple may strike out on their own to create new companies or join other tech companies, but many will look up to Cook as carrying Jobs’ torch,” Mosher reports. “‘When Steve is on stage, everyone has always marveled at his presence. He is the product. He’s a Mac or an iPhone, that’s what he is,’ said Jay Elliot, author of The Steve Jobs Way and a former senior VP of Apple who worked closely with Jobs in the 1980s. Elliot says he ‘saw Steve Jobs’ in Cook onstage when Verizon announced the iPhone, and that Cook has picked up and learned from Jobs’ intensity for perfection.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Tim Cook is going to surprise a lot of people.
Errr – Steve is still there.
Chairman of the Board.
Heard of it?
Still there – yes. These researchers and analysts are driving me nuts with their drivel about Steve Jobs. In most cases it sounds like the man has died and the sky is falling.
” they will wonder if Apple will be the same place without him,”
Steve is still working at Apple. It’s not like Hurd leaving HP!
Apple’s best days are still ahead and employees loyalties will stay with what shines.
SJ is Chairman of the Board is he not?
QED.
Most of the employees at Apple are jumping ship to Ballmer’s leadership.
lol. I’m hearing ya breeze.
You are relentless.
Jeez, this guy knows nothing of human psychology. The fact that Steve is leaving because he’s sick and maybe dying will likely dig people in further simply out of loyalty, pride, sadness, and honor.
Come on Steve, get better. Even if you don’t go back to CEO, there’s so much more to do for people on this planet. You’re a point of inspiration and leadership that a lot of people are not ready to let go of as yet and quite frankly need. Or just screw all of that and get better for your family.
Steve, Tim and 49,000 other folks work for Apple.
Whether Steve is there or not, he has successfully inculcated the organization with “think different”.
Those who care will find few opportunities elsewhere to work at such a place.
Listen to the quarterly earnings calls. Cook has had a great presence – authoritative and confident. Is he a clone of Steve? He is not. However, he has been at Apple almost since Steve’s return in July 1997 and very clearly enjoys Steve’s full confidence. He has seen the current success from the ground up- from the original iMac in 98 to the iPod to iTunes and on… The company should continue to have great success under him and the current managers.
Mosher’s mindless article shouldn’t be promoted.
The other replies make good points, but three more exist, at least.
First, 99.9% of the 50,000 employees (49,950) don’t work even occassionally with Steve Jobs. The key players who do work with Steve, have also worked with Tim Cook and Tim is someone they know and trust.
Second, Apple has learned over time that you need a core set of principles that guide the company & so they set up an Apple University to pass the DNA onward.
Steve & the executive team knows they have to train key people who in turn will guide and train people who will become future leaders at Apple.
Third, if a key player decides to leave, where is he going to go to have such an opportunity? If you are really ambitious and want real serious challenges, you go to work as CEO of Sears, I guess.
Steve scaling back at Apple is not that bad as I see it. Maybe it lets Steve have more time on this planet.
Cultlike following among its users? That is unfair. The long time Mac users who suffered through the 1990s are the founding members of the Cult of Apple. Only we get to invite the newbies to the CoA, not analysts!
Proud member of CoA since 1979.
Agreed. Proud member of CoA since 1981.
I never felt that I was working for Steve and none of my friends did either. We were just developing great new products. We appreciated Steve’s presentations but that was it. Many of the engineers at Apple were there while Steve was at NEXT so it wouldn’t be even remotely accurate to say that people are working for Steve as opposed to people working for Apple. Although a few might feel that way.
Hmm. The only company to THRIVE during our ongoing economic depression.
So you lost your loyalty to Apple because Steve Jobs is no longer the CEO?
Then PLEASE leave Apple, dumbass.
And the University of Virginia pays him to think up crap like this?