Ethical and Governance Issues Raised
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 2
2 Discussion of case study 2
2.1 Identification of the Ethical and Governance issues raised in the case study 2
2.2 Critical analysis of the main ethical and the governance issues raised in the case study 5
2.3 An evaluation of the conditions that enabled the issues identified to arise 7
2.4 Recommendations to the company 9
3 Conclusion 11
4 References 12
Introduction
Apple is one of the most successful companies to date, they have dominated most of the markets they have entered, and all of this was able to become a reality because of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple. He is seen as a somewhat genius when it comes to business, and his employees seem to be very satisfied, but what most people don't actually see are manufacturer workers of Apple, the employees in China who supply Apple’s products. We will delve into issues which have occurred at its suppliers over the past few years and will also investigate what Apple has done to rectify these problems. Finally we will present recommendations which Apple can implement to better the quality of life at its suppliers and thus become more socially responsible.
Discussion of case study
1 Identification of the Ethical and Governance issues raised in the case study
The main ethical issue raised in the case study is whether it is right for companies such as Apple to be solely focussed on profit maximisation rather than also bettering the lives of its stakeholders.
Apple has been highly successful in the past decade, having seen its share price soar thanks to its innovative products such as the iPod and the iPhone. In creating such products, they have become market leaders in their segments, and thus have been able to charge premiums for their products, which has translated into large profits for Apple. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, has been credited with creating products that understand the needs of its customers before they even know they need it. With such a strong
1 Introduction 2
2 Discussion of case study 2
2.1 Identification of the Ethical and Governance issues raised in the case study 2
2.2 Critical analysis of the main ethical and the governance issues raised in the case study 5
2.3 An evaluation of the conditions that enabled the issues identified to arise 7
2.4 Recommendations to the company 9
3 Conclusion 11
4 References 12
Introduction
Apple is one of the most successful companies to date, they have dominated most of the markets they have entered, and all of this was able to become a reality because of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple. He is seen as a somewhat genius when it comes to business, and his employees seem to be very satisfied, but what most people don't actually see are manufacturer workers of Apple, the employees in China who supply Apple’s products. We will delve into issues which have occurred at its suppliers over the past few years and will also investigate what Apple has done to rectify these problems. Finally we will present recommendations which Apple can implement to better the quality of life at its suppliers and thus become more socially responsible.
Discussion of case study
1 Identification of the Ethical and Governance issues raised in the case study
The main ethical issue raised in the case study is whether it is right for companies such as Apple to be solely focussed on profit maximisation rather than also bettering the lives of its stakeholders.
Apple has been highly successful in the past decade, having seen its share price soar thanks to its innovative products such as the iPod and the iPhone. In creating such products, they have become market leaders in their segments, and thus have been able to charge premiums for their products, which has translated into large profits for Apple. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, has been credited with creating products that understand the needs of its customers before they even know they need it. With such a strong
References: Markoff, J. 2006. ‘Apple finds no forced labour at iPod factory in south China’, The New York Times pg. C.3 http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/the-fate-of-a-generation-of-workers-foxconn-undercover-fully-tr/