An exploration of Apple’s practice of investor relations

Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community onlyThis study examines the practice of investor relations of Apple, Inc. This research paper specifically seeks to describe and analyze how the limited communication with the investors contributes to or hinders Apple from maintaining a positive image with the investor community. The research focuses on the currently developing story of the health issues of Steve Jobs who’s leading role in creating and advancing the brand together with his dominance in administrating all sides of the company has made him a person who is seemingly irreplaceable. A content analysis of the media coverage provide by the five leading US newspapers to Steve Jobs’s medical leave in 2011 has served to establish the emotional responses of the investors to the news of Steve Jobs’ illness; further analysis looked at how Apple addressed those emotions though corporate communication efforts, and whether the selected strategies and tactics are in unison with the currently acknowledged best practices in investor relations. Through the description of Apple’s practice of stockholder communications, this study adds to the development of theory of investor relations as well as its practical aspects. This study can also be seen as furthering academic scholarship in public relations on crisis communications, and specifically the practice of strategic non-communication in the light of the attribution theory.Department of JournalismThesis (M.A.