External/Internal FactorsIntroductionSince Apple's beginnings in 1976, Apple has built a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. Apple started as a computer company and has expanded into other electronic products over the past decade. Apple has approximately 35,000 employees worldwide and had global annual revenue of 32.48 billion in its first fiscal year ending September 29, 2008. (Para Amitt, Singh 2004) This article will explore how Apple used the four levels of management, planning, leading, organizing and controlling, and the impact of the four levels on internal and external factors. PlanningAccording to the apple.com website, the Apple company has just celebrated over 1 billion application downloads in less than five months (2009). How can a company like Apple Incorporated create a product that would attract a billion transactions in less than five months? The answer lies in the application of fundamental management principles. The first step in management is planning. The purpose of planning is to identify the desired goal and decide what course of action will be taken to achieve the goals. Planning is essential to ensure the future success of the planned project. Apple Inc. had to consider many factors when planning the variety of products it would make available to consumers. Apple Inc. has chosen a range of products marketed under the “I” brand. IMac, IPod, Iphone and iTunes are among the hardware and software that Apple Inc. planned to build and market to consumers. Brand I planning had to take globalization into account. When planning, it was necessary to take into account the internal and external impacts of globalization. How a Product Could Be Made Middle of paper......Business.Haynes, Thomas "Management/Leadership Styles" Encyclopedia of Business and Finance Ed. Burton S. Kaliski Vol. 2 Retrieved from Gale Apollo Library on April 29, 2009. .funding Universe/Company-History. (2001). Retrieved May 2, 2009, from Funding Universe: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Apple-Computer-Inc-Company-History.htmlJob Opportunities: Apple Inc. (2009). Retrieved May 2, 2009, from Apple: http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/NA (April 24, 2009) Apple's App Store Breakthrough Downloads Reach One Billion in Just Nine Months. Retrieved 04/28/09 from: http http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/04/24appstore.html?srThomas S. Bateman, SA (2007). Keys to College: Becoming an Active Thinker, 2e. In SA Thomas S. Bateman, Chapter 1: Managing (p. 20). Prentice Hall, Inc. A Pearson Educational Company.