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Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
FBI CASE
I. Literature Review
According to the New York Times, in February 2015, the Justice Department and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) insisted that Apple Inc. would unlock an iPhone used by
one of the two attackers who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California (Benner, 2016). A
debate quickly arose and a court case was filed. The F.B.I.s demand would force Apple to
threaten the security of its customers, yet at the same time, would allow the U.S. government to
obtain vital information regarding terrorist threats to the country. Apple believes that if they
were to create a way to unlock this particular iPhone, this back door technique could be used
on any iPhone, consequently threatening the security of any iPhone user. Apple advised the FBI
in several circumstances and complied with search warrants in regards to this case, but according
to the CEO of Apple Inc., Tim Cook, the government is asking Apple to hack [their] own users
and undermine decades of security advancements that protect [their] customers if they were to
unlock this phone (Cook, 2016). As a result, Apple refused to offer assistance and, therefore, the
Research Question:
Did Apple maintain their values throughout their responses during the entirety of the legal
organizational culture and understand the role it plays within the organization. A consistent
definition of organizational culture throughout many research sources is, a complex set of
Mastroianni & Pangori 3
values, beliefs, assumptions, and symbols that define the way in which a firm conducts its
business (Barney, 1986, p. 657). These can be implications as simple as how the members of
the organization communicate with one another, to how the organization deals with change,
conflict, or as in the case of Apple, a crisis. Katherine Miller (2015), author of our text, states,
In using a cultural metaphor for the investigation of an organization, we are looking for the
qualities that make an organization what it is. She further makes a comparison between Apple
and Google, forming the assumption that culture is what sets organizations apart from one
another (p. 71). Michael Watkins (2013) of the Harvard Business Review has aligning thoughts,
as he believes there is a universal agreement that organizational culture exists and that it plays a
crucial role in shaping behavior in organizations. Focusing on the idea of culture being shaped
development. He proposes that an organizations culture can be analyzed at three levels: artifacts
and behaviors, espoused beliefs and values, and underlying assumptions (Schein, 2004, p. 26).
These three distinct levels provide a way to depict an organizations culture to the members of
the culture themselves and to others outside of the organization. (Schein, 2004, p. 25).
The artifacts of an organization are explained as the visible products of the group, such
as the architecture of its physical environment; its language; its technology and products; its
artistic creations; its style, as embodied in clothing, manners of address, emotional displays, and
myths and stories told about the organization; its published lists of values; its observable rituals
and ceremonies; and so on. Although this list is long, these specific components must be
recognized because artifacts can be difficult to decipher (Schein, 2004, p. 25). The behaviors, or
how an organization acts, is also a part of the first level of culture. Because behaviors of
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employees and leaders in an organization are usually manifested outwardly, they are visible
depictions of the values defined in the second level (Miller, 2015, p. 75).
The next level of Scheins analysis of culture are the values an organization possesses.
When an organization is founded, the values of the leaders of the organization can strongly
influence the group and individual values (article from class, 90). When values are shared by
mostly members of an organization, the derived beliefs and moral and ethical rules remain
conscious and are explicitly articulated because they serve the normative or moral function of
guiding members of the group in how to deal with certain key situations, and in training new
members how to behave (Schein, 2004, p. 29). However, Schein (2004) stresses that these
values can sometimes be espoused values because the members stated, conscious values and
The last level of culture, basic assumptions, is simply the core assumptions that
individuals in a group hold about the world and how it works. Schein explains basic assumptions
as both nonconfrontable and nondebatable because they are just a natural part of the way an
Apples Culture:
Apple was created and co-founded by the late Steve Jobs, who in many ways, can be
viewed as a hero of the company. In our book, Katherine Miller (2015) refers to Deal and
Kennedys explanation that successful companies are grounded in strong cultures and are
composed of four main parts: values, heroes, rites and rituals and a cultural network. Deal and
Kennedy define a hero to be, the individuals who come to exemplify an organizations
values, which is the exact role that Steve Jobs played within Apple (pg. 72). In fact, when Jobs
started, he sought to bring a new culture to Apple, one that would create an enduring company
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with motivated people and revolutionary products (Rossano & Yoffie, 2012, pg. 4). The values
that he instilled in this organization are what ultimately shape its culture and are expressed
Atmosphere:
The atmosphere of Apple, down to the framework of its stores to the dress of its
employees, reflects its organizational culture. In one employee interview, Apple was described
as a fun place to work with loose rules, and as many people know through experience, Apple
stores are friendly, open spaces where visitors are actively encouraged to play with the products
on display (Chazin, 2015; Tobak, 2011). In fact, Jobs originally created the layout of the stores
based on how customers would prefer to shop and what would be easiest for them, which is
reflective of how all of their products are made as well. An interesting aspect of the retail store
atmosphere of Apple was their initiative to remove physical cash registers from most stores in
2006. The registers were replaced with Easy Pay systems, which employers utilize through a
specially equipped iPad touch (Chazin, 2015). This process eases and personalizes the buying
experience for the customer, as well as diminishes the retail feel of the Apple store. Along with
these structural aspects, Apple store employees also dress more relaxed. Wearing just solid
colored T-shirts allows the customers to not feel inferior. In Tobaks (2011) interviews with
previous employees, one stated that an Apple manager even showed up to a meeting barefoot,
and no one cared or even noticed. These artifacts illustrate the stores carefree and casual
Value: Innovativeness
Business Insider writer, Steve Tobak (2011), in interviews with current and previous
Apple employees, discovered the companys Think Different mindset that isnt just a tagline,
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but captures the very culture of Apples inner workings. This multimillion-dollar campaign was
used as a marketing strategy to catch the consumers attention through visuals of historical
geniuses such as Albert Einstein or Amelia Earhart, or through the use of catchy slogans such as
it just works (Rossano & Yoffie 2012; Lashingsky, 2012). This value of innovativeness is first
of all noticeable in Apple products such as the Macintosh, iPod, iPad and iPhone. According to
Rossano & Yoffie (2012), when the iPhone was released in January 2007, Jobs stated:
Today, were introducing three revolutionary products of this class. The first one is a
widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And
the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device...these are not three separate
devices, this is one device, and we are calling it the iPhone (p.9).
Combining three ideas into one product reflects Apples drive to always go outside of the box.
According to Meirui Piao and Brian Kleiner (2015) of the Department of Management at
California State University, innovation ensures the success of the company (pg. 3). In the
ever-changing world of technology, electronic companies must always be on their toes, and
when Apple discovers there is a need that is not developed, it will be the first company that
satisfies this need in the market (Kleiner & Piao, 2015, pg. 4). Apple is good at launching these
products because they focus on the next big thing which is figuring out what people want -
even when they dont know it themselves (Tobak, 2011). Yet, part of this innovative strategy is
not over supplying their products. Jobs, when he first started with Apple, was adamant about
narrowing product lines, therefore the company sells a single brand, with fewer products and has
only a few hundred stores, allowing innovation to take form in each of its few, but well-known
The value of innovativeness truly relies on the type of employee that is hired by Apple,
and surprisingly, these are not always graduates of Ivy League schools, but a variety of people,
who are meticulously chosen as the creatives. They form a segmented, stratified
organizational structure which is one of the companys most formidable assets (Tobak, 2011).
Innovation is what makes Apple, Apple. Its evident in their products, employees, and most
importantly, their mindsets. Steve Jobs once said, My job is to not to be easy on people. My
job is to make them better. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and
make them even better, coming up with more aggressive visions of how it could be (Tobak,
2011). This value of Jobs trickled down into the employees and became one of the greatest
values of Apple.
Apple lives by a unique sales philosophy: not to sell, but rather to help customers solve
problems. Apple employees are to serve their customers and make their needs the only thing
that matters. The training manual in 2007, which is still in use today, lays out the steps of
Based off of this Approach method, it is required that at least two employees speak with a
customer within 30 seconds of their arrival. The employees approach in a friendly manner and
focus solely on people who need assistance rather than getting in the customers way (Chezin,
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2015). Apple employees Probe instead of trying to forcefully sell. They utilize a soft sales
touch: they will never push for a sale and simply stand around the store to answer questions and
demonstrate features on the devices only if a customer asks (Lashingsky, 2012, p. 150).
Lashingsky, Kane & Sherr, and Yoffie all references a quote from the Apple training
manual that states that a retail employees job is understand all of your customers needs--some
of which they may not even realize they have. The idea of putting the customer first in the
Apple store is taken to an entire new level in which Apple store employees are intensely trained
to always make sure that the language they use toward customers is positive. For example, a
former Apple store employee remarked that he was forbidden from correcting customers who
mispronounced a product name because it would make them feel patronized, and was also
trained to use words like it turns out rather than unfortunately if there was a problem
(Chazin, 2015). The Genius Bar located in all Apple stores, allows for the customer to receive a
full, personal experience. The Genius Bar was created based off of a Four Seasons concierge
desk to coincide with the idea of giving the customer the best experience rather than trying to sell
something (Chazin, 2015). Apples customer-first approach is what sets them apart from their
competitors and other retailers. Chazin (2015), who helped Steve Jobs rebuild Apples product
What Apple knows- and other retailers seem to forget- is that a companys lasting
relationship with their customers is tied to the moments before, during and after their
purchase. Apples careful cultivation of that experience is one of the many tightly
managed elements of the Apple brand and part of their unique magic. By doing more
than is required to surprise and delight customers, Apple store customers not only switch
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from competitive products but also become lifelong, repeat customers, fans and
evangelists
Value: Secrecy
Embracing secrecy has always been the biggest value at Apple. In 1981, when IBM
entered the PC market, they were an open system that other producers could clone. This is
right when Apple decided that they would only rely on their own designs and even refused to
license its hardware to third parties (Yoffie, 2012, p. 2). The secrecy began. Every organization
has its secrets, but with Apple everything is a secret (Lashingsky, 2012, p. 32). Apples rationale
behind holding secrecy as such a key value is that it is essentially what allows Apple to gain a
huge amount of press and coverage and buzz the moment a new product is released. This is
only possible if every little detail is kept a secret before the launch (Lashingsky, 2012, p. 34).
Apple remains true to this value always and considering the sheer number of people,
companies, and news outlets that would give anything for a tip, virtually nothing leaks until
Apples ready to spill it (Tobak, 2011). Additionally, if secrets are announced about products
before they are fully ready to launch, it gives the competition time to respond, raises customer
expectations, and opens [the] company up to the carping of critics who are bashing an idea rather
Secrecy is held at both internal and external levels, at the headquarter and retail levels,
and even between different departments of the organization. All elements of the value of secrecy
are shown through artifacts and behaviors. The first artifact is that the headquarters of Apple,
located in Cupertino, California, is purposely not visible to the untrained eye (Lashingsky,
2012, p. 32). The campus of the headquarters forms a closed compound (Lashingsky, 2012, p.
33). Additionally, on special projects, special locks and extra doors are installed to make sure
Mastroianni & Pangori 10
what the team is working on is completely hidden (Lashingsky, 2013, p. 39). An artifact that
doesnt exist is organization charts, because Apple feels that it includes information about other
sections within the organization that will tempt employees to lose focus on their project and
break the secrecy (Lashingsky, 2014, p. 42). Employees even wear security badges and have key
cards restricting them to only enter their designated areas (Lashingsky, 2012, p.43;Yoffie, 2012,
p. 5). All of Apples products and technologies are considered artifacts of secrecy. The fingerprint
and number passcodes are purposely placed out of reach of Apple employees because as Tim
Cook, the CEO, states, Apple believes that the contents of their customers iPhones are none of
Looking into the specific behaviors that define Apples value of secrecy start right with
the interview process at the headquarters. After a rigorous and long interview process, recruits
that are hired have no clear idea of what their role or job will be within Apple. Because they
arent yet indoctrinated, in the eyes of the leaders of Apple, they cannot be trusted yet with the
information (Lashingsky, 2012, p. 34; Yoffie, 2012, p. 4). Bob Borchers, a marketing executive,
describes the process of the first day of working at Apple: You sit down, and you start with the
usual roundtable of who is doing what. He further states that half the folks cant tell you what
theyre doing, because its a secret project theyve gotten hired for (Lashingsky, 2012, p. 34). At
orientation, employees are also clearly and strictly told that if they reveal any part of any of
Apples secrets, they, no questions asked, will simply be fired. (Lashinsky, 2012, p. 36). Many
of the projects at Apple require employees to sign an agreement where they are prohibited from
talking about it to anyone, including their families (Lashingsky, 2012, p. 39). Additionally, a
popular behavior among the engineers of Apple is that they will not talk about their work but,
Mastroianni & Pangori 11
rather, keep to themselves. In fact, at the headquarters, it is said that nobody knows anybody at
Even in retail stores, employees themselves have stated that they are ordered to not
discuss rumors about products and technicians are forbidden from prematurely acknowledging
widespread glitches (Kane & Sherr, 2011). From personal experience with going to an Apple,
the behavior of the employees at the Genius Bar illustrate their value of secrecy. When they
receive a phone to check, they dont tell the customer what was wrong or how they would fix the
problem, but, rather, give them a receipt and tell me to come back in an hour. They then take the
The value of security has also made its way into Apples products by adopting the use of
has been around for thousands of years. Its sole use in todays society is to give power to the
individual in order to protect their secrets from the government and ultimately allow them their
right to privacy (Vagle, pg. 108). According to Tim Cook (2016), Apple has used encryption
to protect [their] customers personal data because [they] believe its the only way to keep
[their] information safe. Apple is deeply committed to living up to the expectations of safety
and privacy that their customers expect from them, which leads to the reasoning behind Apples
Both Apple as an organization and the FBI as an organization have their own sets of
values that define their culture. However, ironically, the shared value of secrecy is what caused
the clash between them. Apple holds the value of secrecy as something internal to protect their
innovation, but also carries that secrecy over, externally, to their product which gives the
Mastroianni & Pangori 12
customer protection and privacy from the outside world and even Apple themselves (Cook,
2012). The F.B.I. on the other hand, is solely focused on protecting all people, which in some
cases, like this one, means invading privacy, creating back doors and risking the trust of U.S.
citizens for safety. Masse and Krouse (2003) in their Report for Congress summarize the
The FBI and its supporters recognize the need for substantial change that builds on
existing strengths, but substantially redirects FBI activities from a reactive posture to
crimes already committed toward a proactive posture with a clear focus on preventing
Like this quote suggests, the FBI is very willing to take any and all measures needed to prevent
any further terrorist attacks, similar to that in San Bernardino, even if that meant seeking Apples
Research Question: Did Apple maintain their values throughout their responses during the
II. Methods:
research would be a difficult task. Since our research question is focusing on Apples responses
throughout this case and whether or not their responses align with their values previously
mentioned in our literature review, we realized that the best methodical approach to answering
our research question would be a content analysis. The situation between Apple and the FBI
lasted over a time period of 43 days and responses were made through messages to the public,
interviews, direct quotes, legal documents and published articles. Most of the vehicles used to
relay Apples messages are from trade journals or legal documents. This is a list of sources that
Hearing Document: Apple Inc. motion to vacate order compelling Apple Inc. to assist
The next step in our methods will be how we approach analyzing each piece of content.
Our focus in this research project has been Apples company culture. We discussed in the
literature review that Apple is built on three core values: innovativeness, customer centrality, and
secrecy. In regards to the legal situation between Apple and the FBI, we believe that the core
values of customer centrality and secrecy are the values that will be most representative of
Apples culture throughout their responses. Therefore, when analyzing the responses we will be
Mastroianni & Pangori 14
coding the articles according to the aspects that make up these values and ultimately make up
Apples culture.
The first thing we will look at is Apples main motive in choosing not to assist the FBI in
establishing new technology in order to obtain a back door to the iPhone. We will interpret if
their position and reasoning was clearly stated in their first ever statement made by CEO Tim
Cook titled, A Message to Our Customers, on their website, and whether or not that position
and reasoning stays consistent throughout every other response following in the next 42 days.
Consistency is a key part of any companys culture, including Apples culture, and often leads to
success. Once Apple introduced their first ever iPhone to the world, they have consistently
enhanced, improved and developed their products to where they are today with the iPhone 6, IOS
9, iPad, iPod, Mac etc. Apples ability to stay consistent has given them the loyal customer base
and success that they have as a company, which is why analyzing their ability to stay consistent
in their responses and messages with the FBI and government is important.
Once we have established Apples position in responding during this situation, the next
step is to identify who is speaking in the document or article. The speaker, or whoever is
communicating Apples response, will allow us to establish if the document is one of authority.
For example, Apples first response to the FBIs order to unlock the attackers phone was
published as a statement on Apples website by the CEO, Tim Cook. Therefore, because this
primary source was a statement from the man in the highest rank of Apple, we can acknowledge
that this source is trustworthy and reliable. It is important to establish which documents or
articles are most authoritative, trustworthy, and reliable in a legal situation like this because, for
instance, there is a risk that secondary sources include statements relayed by employees at
Apples retail stores. Retail employees at Apple, although still trained in the culture of Apple,
Mastroianni & Pangori 15
may not be as aware and educated about how Apple is representing themselves to the public. We
want to simply recognize that if, perhaps, two responses from the case dont align in cultural
secrecy, we find it necessary to examine each response, document, or article and identify more
generally what values we see expressed. After identifying this, we then will be able to clearly see
if the values of customer centrality and secrecy are present, if they are emphasized more so than
other values, if either customer centrality or secrecy is more prevalent, and if the value/s are
consistent throughout the entirety of the response, document, or article. Our next coding
elements of identifying words/phrases and the tone within the responses will help establish the
The next step that is vital in helping identify if Apple is actively trying to maintain their
values is analyzing the specific words and phrases that are being used in the responses. In order
to establish if Apple is consistent in their responses, identifying the following words and phrases
in the content analysis will help unfold our research question. Also, identifying the frequency of
these words or if similar words are used will determine how strong or how weak their alignment
Security, data security, privacy, personal safety, encryption, safe, safeguarding, protect
Because of the situation, we recognize it is vital to identify whether these words relating
to secrecy are directed toward the customers or toward the company of Apple. This will
be the first step in helping us distinguish if Apples collective response was really for the
Personal safety, our customers, permission, your IPhone, none of our business, risk, respect, best
interest of everyone
Once we are aware of the words that represent Apples values of secrecy and customer
centrality, we will also look at the tone of these responses which can also be found by looking at
the words used. Analyzing the tone will show how deeply Apple cares for the victims of the San
Bernardino attack, as well as the rest of the American people who are now at a higher risk
because of their decision to not unlock the phone. Are their responses more apologetic or
defensive? Do they show that they understand the depth of the situation and the potential danger
there is in not complying? Not only are we concerned with Apples tone in regards to the
victims, but also with the FBI, the Department of Justice and the government as a whole.
Although these are the entities that Apple is at head with, it is important to recognize Apples
tone when referring to a response, statement or court order made by the FBI; are they respectful
like they are with their customers or are the defensive? Looking at Apples tone when it comes
Not only is it important to recognize the tone in which Apple responds to the FBI, but
also whether or not they are mentioning the FBIs standpoint in their argument or just simply
reusing the same responses without taking into account what the FBI has said. Its important for
Apple to show that they are listening rather than robotically answering, especially with a delicate
In our methods section, we have explained the main points we will be looking for as we dissect
and analyze each piece of content. The following is an example of a coding sheet we would use
for each of Apples responses:
Response One:
Source:
1) Whos speaking:
2) What values:
Are the values expressed consistent?
3) What words:
Are similar words being used? How frequently are they being used?
4) What tone:
Works Cited
Advantage? The Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 656-665. Retrieved March 29,
2016.
Benner, K. (2016). Apple Fights Order to Unlock San Bernardino Gunmans iPhone. Retrieved
cook-fbi-san-bernardino.html
Chazin, S. (2015). The Secret of Apple's Retail Success [Editorial]. Retrieved March 30, 2016,
from www.marketingapple.com
Cook, T. (2016, February 16). Customer Letter - Apple. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from
http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/
Kane, Y., & Sherr, I. (2011, June 15). Secrets From Apple's Genius Bar: Full Loyalty, No
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304563104576364071
Masse, T., & Krouse, W. (n.d.). The F.B.I. The Past, Present & Future (pp. 1-46, Rep. No.
Piao, M., & Kleiner, B. (2015). Excellence in the Electronics Industry: The Comparison of the
Organizational Culture among Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics and Google Inc. Conflict
Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational Culture and Leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
Tobak, S. (2011). Inside Apple's Cult-Like Culture. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from
http://www.businessinsider.com/10-ways-to-think-different-inside-apples-cult-like-
culture-2011-3
Vagle, J. L. (2015). Furtive Encryption: Power, Trust, and the Constitutional Cost of Collective
Surveillance. Indiana Law Journal, 90(1), 102-150. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
Watkins, M. (2013, May 15). What is Organizational Culture? And Why Should We Care?
Yoffie, D. B., & Rossano, P. (2012). Apple Inc. in 2012. Harvard Business School, 712(490), 1-