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Apple's business ethics
Apple Inc. managing a global supply chain case
Apple Inc. managing a global supply chain case
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“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do” (Isaacson). When the late Steve Jobs was a child he was abandoned by his real mother and adopted by the Jobs family. Steve was a stubborn rude man who was ruthless, however he was focused, crazy, and inspirational. His characteristics drove him to form one of the greatest companies today, Apple. The computer company revolutionized the world with a frontline of the greatest products the world has ever seen. Although facing many hardships, the company managed to change the music industry, computer industry, phone industry, design industry and created a tablet industry. Apple envisioned products that did not exist and it thrived from the reaction of its consumers. After becoming a fortune five hundred company, it has continued to develop its products and has remained one of Americans most pristine companies however has also been put in the spotlight on social and ethical responsibilities. Ethical businesses use principles and standards that determine if conduct in organizations is acceptable. The big question has arose, is Apple socially and ethically responsible with their suppliers, the economy, its workers, and its consumers? Is Apple responsible for its supplier chains? Does apple have programs through which they help solve social and ethical issues? Has apple made any financial contributions to address issues?
Like all companies and people, Apple is not perfect. The company has many suppliers when it comes to building their products, but with such a large corporation they also hold a responsibility to their supplier. However, one of Apples suppliers in China was charged with child labor. Apple seems to have set high standards but they mis...
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Holmes, David . "Apple bends over backwards to make customers happy. But is it a waste of time and money?." PandoDaily Apple bends over backwards to make customers happy But is it a waste of time and money Comments. N.p., 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. .
Isaacson, Walter. Steve Jobs. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Qiang, Li. "Apple's supplier Pegatron Group violates workers' rights." Apple's supplier Pegatron Group violates workers' rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. .
Satariano, Adam, and Peter Burrows. "No Company Follows Apple's Expanded China Factory Audits: Tech." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
"Apple products made with child labor – internal report.”http://rt.com/. Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “TV-Novosti”, 26 Jan 2013. Web. 7 Apr 2014. .
Kane, Y. I. and K. Scannell (2009). Apple bests downturn, but faces SEC probe. Accessed on February 15, 2009 at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123255729957302873.html.
Foxconn admitted to using interns in their manufacturing plants, but claimed they were free to leave whenever they wanted. However, in an interview with The New York Times, Li Qiang, founder of China Labor Watch, said that “his staff had spoken with multiple workers and students who, as recently as Sunday, said that 10 of 87 workers on an iPhone assembly line were students.” The students allegedly were told if they did not work at the plant, they would not be able to graduate. Foxconn shot back at these allegations stating that only 2.7% of its workers were students. Additional reports from the Chinese press claimed that schools in Huai’an had closed order to send its students to work at Foxconn. It was believed that with the new iPhone 5 so close to being released, Foxconn was understaffed and needed as many workers as possible in order to fulfill that order. Due to these claims, the local officials in Hua’ian issued a statement ordering schools to follow policies and refrain from further
In Apple’s 2017 Supplier Responsibility Report they stated that 705 audits were conducted and there was an increase in working hours compliance to 98% (Apple UK, 2017). This may address the issue mentioned above regarding the Pegatron factory, but does not confirm a corporate policy to rectify unethical treatment of employees. In Apple’s 2017 Environmental Responsibility Report they highlighted their commitment to removing toxins such as mercury from their products to ensure employee and environmental welfare as well as aiming to have 100% of Apple’s facilities powered by renewable resources, which is currently at 96% (Apple UK, 2017). Apple may be an ethical company, but it is how they acted to rectify unethical issues identified by the media and social groups that becomes the ethical baseline for consumers. Following the 2010 Foxconn suicides, Apple created a set of standards identifying how factory employees should be treated (BBC News, 2014) and terminated relationships with 18 suppliers who repeatedly violated these
I would never want to invest in a company that treats their workers like slaves. We are in the 21st century, not the 1800’s. Apple does not understand that these people working in the factories are trying to make a living, trying to support their family and trying to make ends meet. How can these people be even a little satisfied with their money when it is so little? When the long workday is over they are beyond exhausted between the physical and mental abuse.
The topic that I will writing about is about the company of Apple and how it is a great company. I will also be talking how Apples is a utilitarian company and makes products that makes the consumers happy. Apple is one of the many electronics company that make computers, tablets, phones and iPod. Apple was a company that was founded by Steve Jobs, a college drop out on April 1, 1976. In this essay I will be discussing how Apples products make consumers happy, the philosophy of apple and how apple also makes people angry.
This brings up a lot of interesting facts about Apple's supply chain, where it has to manage a huge number of suppliers and funnel their work into
For the purpose of achieving this, it has set out strict policies and procedures that ensures that all the companies that it has business with should provide the safest working conditions for its workers, should treat the workers products which are fairly and that they are supposed to use the environmentally responsible manufacturing processes, as long as it is an area where Apple products are being made (O 'Grady, 2008). The organization’s mission is to produce very high quality goods, at significantly low
2: Finkle, Todd A., and Michael L. Mallin. "Steve Jobs and Apple, Inc." Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies 16.8 (2010): 49+. General OneFile. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
In the world that we live in today ethical and social responsibilities are something that we face on a daily basis. In the business world specifically they are a constant struggle that is being faced by employees at all levels of the company. The Fitzgerald Machine Company is one example of a company that is currently facing ethical and social responsibility issues.
In fact, about this business one can easily write a few weighty books. Without exaggeration, we can say that Apple is one of the brightest technology companies that appeared in the 70s of the last century. Due to innovative technology and aesthetic design, Apple Inc. has established a unique reputation comparable to the cult in the consumer electronics industry. In 2014 the company was ranked first in the world by market capitalization. The concept of the brand is built around the slogan 'Think different’ (Linzmayer, 2004).
The company had been successful at creating a façade of strength and global responsibility when that was anything but the truth. Many of the workers in Apple’s supply chain were facing unsafe and unethical conditions such as: working excessive overtime – seven days a week at times, standing for long periods of time without a break and working with poisonous chemicals. Apple was truly concerned with high quality at the lowest cost available. The company ended up paying a much higher price as two of its factories had explosions killing four people and badly injuring 77. As a result of the tragic events, Apple faced some turbulent waters in its stock prices and was left with no alternative other than to face the issue head on. Whether or not the company truly intended to remedy the situation, remains to be seen to this
In the releasing of our new product we will need to exercise precise and careful observation of all incoming feedback channels. We will need to respond responsibly to any negative responses or defects that may occur. We plan on taking the information we receive and use it to improve our current and future products. We will need to also observe and actively participate in our factories supply chain management activities and operations. By instituting the correct decisions and observation methods regarding our evaluation and control of our new Mac computer and manufacturing factories we feel that Apple will be able to reach new heights.
O'Grady, J.D. (2008). Recent Titles in Corporations That Changed the World. In Apple Inc... Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. Retrieved from http://ebooks.abc-clio.com/reader.aspx?isbn=9780313362453&id=GR6244-4
One of Apple’s major ethical issues is the problem of labor. This is a very important problem in today’s world because businesses have a tendency to ignore basic human rights in their never ending competition to make as much money as possible. Outsourcing, using child labor, and overworking employees are all major ethical and legal violations committed all the time by many high profile companies, and often unjustly ignored as it is unfair to the people forced to work in such terrible conditions.