Corporate Ethical and Social Responsibility – Apple Company
Apple Company is one of the largest manufacturers of computers and electronics. “Apple Company was founded on April 1, 1976, by college dropouts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who brought forth a new company vision of changing the way people, viewed computers” (Library of Congress, 2008). The ethical and social responsibility of Apple Company should have started with its inception; however, it did not. It was not until years later with the advent of social media and the power of worldwide communications, did Apple Company focus on ethical and social responsibilities regarding the treatment of its employees in their factories overseas. The international reports of employee maltreatment; the use of underage employees; and, documented instances of wrongful disposals of toxic matter into the environment, forced Apple to take immediate action and establish safeguards which would protect its employees, the environment and more importantly the brand name that is Apple Company.
Apple Company: The Establishment of the Apple Supplier Code of Conduct
An examination of Apples current position regarding ethical and social responsibilities determined that, in 2007, Apple Company established the Apple Supplier Code of Conduct, which is a set of guidelines Apple suppliers are to follow. The rules established reported that factories workers, especially those working in factories located in China were mandating their employees work
Apple is one of the most valuable brands in the world. The company has strong brand loyalty, impressive revenue growth and superior innovations in technology. There are many aspects of the company that contribute to Apples success. One of the most important aspects is the company’s ethical decision making. Apple has a strong ethical code of conduct that represents the company as being ethical in all decisions being made. Despite Apples positive representation, the company has been faced with many ethical issues. Apple has been involved in many litigations ranging from a domain name dispute and patent infringement, to the use of refurbished products in their repairs. These unethical acts are risky for the company and can affect the company in negative ways. Another aspect that can affect the company is their competitiveness in the technology industry. This industry has many competitors that Apple has to compete with. However, Apple has been overly aggressive in protecting their property rights.
Apple is one of the giant companies in the United States and it is expected to take a firm stand on its commitment to ethical and social responsibilities. The company is committed to taking social and environmental responsibilities and conducting its business ethically. Apple suppliers ensure social and ethical responsibilities through different approaches. First, it provides safe and humanistic working condition for all the workers in the organization. To ensure this there are the set code for the
Control; whether through blatant oppression or through subtle ruse of apparent generosity, truly free peoples must be ever vigilant in their efforts to guard against powerful forces bent on subjugating the weak or unaware. While no legitimate company is truly guilty of such intent, tactics akin to such efforts are certainly employed by many companies and often reveal a company’s true nature (Deutsch, 2005). It is this true nature that rightly defines a company’s commitment to ethical standards and corporate social responsibility (CSR) rather than that entity’s outward appearance gained through corporate activities designed to shape public opinion (Musafer, 2012). While countless examples of
During this short summer class, I have understood more than I ever could have done before. Not only because the study of ethics is crucial, but also because being socially responsible is part of being ethical. Among the most important assignments required from this course are: Journals, discussion boards, social project, and the lectures. However, the first group collaboration was our own code of ethics; from there, students were required to follow it as part of the course.
On an ethical level, one of Apple’s suppliers, Wintek, was reported to have been using poisonous chemicals which injured 49 workers in addition to using child labor to make Apple products (Rob Enderle, 2010). Both of these ethical issues could affect Apple or any other company‘s success that is caught employing these acts. It is a necessity that Apple holds a high value with their social responsibility.
BusinessDictionary.com (n.d.), defines corporate social responsibility (CSR) as “a company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment, both ecological and social, in which it operates” (para. 1). When expressing citizenship, companies can do so through its waste and pollution reduction processes, by contributing to educational and social programs, and by earning adequate returns on the employed resources (BusinessDictionary.com, n.d.). Economic, political, and civil society are three spheres of human civilization that reveal fundamental principles of corporate social responsibility. The economic sphere, which deals with businesses and economy of a society, the political sphere, which deals with government and the laws and rules that mandate and enforces, and the civil society sphere, which builds civility and community (“Corporate Social Responsibility-Module Two Overview: Three Spheres of Human Civilization”, 2014). Cleco exhibits corporate social responsibility using the three spheres of human civilization through stewardship and conservation initiatives, community outreach, and regulatory requirements throughout its service territory, which includes 23 Louisiana parishes.
ITC Ltd has worked exremly hard to start several procedures that have led to compliance of the standards of social responsibility. ITC’s dealings within the tobacco industry have contributed to the increase in company revenues and the company has worked towards following the triple bottom line and giving back to society. Most, businesses pay little attention to their social responsibilities and make it part of their overall strategy, instead they concentrate more on financial benefits from the sales of products. Consequently, managing business in a socially responsive manner contributes to the best combination of business success and societal acceptance, trust and loyalty. Giving back to the community in ways that benefits only society such as planting trees to curb pollution and help the environment or using biodegradable materials in packaging can reap financial benefits to a company by building loyalty among the community. The notion of business ethics and corporate social responsibility is becoming a defining concept in all industries worldwide. ITC believes in the Triple Bottom Line philosophy where the performance and perception of a corporation should not be judged only on the basis of its financial statements or revenues, but its environmental and social performance as well. ITC is one of the only companies in the world to be carbon positive, water positive, and conduct solid waste recycling. ITC provides water to areas where water is very
As businesses have evolved over time, there is no denying that consumers have grown to expect certain behaviors from the variety of companies that they have the option to endorse. A business can spend millions of dollars on advertising, researching, sampling and surveying customers all of which can be undone by a mistake that ruins their reputation. Corporate social responsibility is a term that has its origins in the 1950s. It refers to “situations where the firm goes beyond compliance and engages in actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law” (McWilliams, Siegel & Wright, 2006, p. 1). It was in the 1990s that corporate social responsibility truly became a trend that led to the development of other terms such as ‘business ethics’ (Carroll 2008). In the twenty first century, especially in the North American and European communities, the concept of corporate social responsibility became so widespread, that nowadays, consumers expect business to care and show that they participate in CSR initiatives (Van Der Smissen 2012). Advertising CSR initiatives became an important tool in gaining consumer trust in the company.
In a recent time companies are giving more attention to develop a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and mainly their core values. Core values are used in marketing strategies (Berry, 1999) also in customer-retention management in order to create distinctive, long-lasting relationships with customers (Prahald and Ramaswamy, 2004; Normann, 2001) and stakeholders (Pruzan, 1998; Post et a, 2002). The interaction with a stakeholder and concerns a business operation use to understood CSR as the voluntary integration of environmental and social, but it has failed to discuss and analyse CSR explicitly from the perspective of stakeholders (Andriof et al,2002; Post et al,2002).
When looking at a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the tie in to consumer confidence, the apparel industry illustrates both the best and the worst cases. Today’s consumers are more aware of how multinational corporations are incorporating or failing to incorporate CSR practices throughout the product lifecycle. This awareness has pushed companies in the apparel industry like Nike and Gap to evaluate current practices and incorporate socially responsible and environmentally responsible policies throughout their supply chain.
Nowadays, a business wants to exist and grow in a society, which business ethics and corporate social responsibility are sensitive and crucial objectives, the business should do what is right. Many people agree that business does not exist beyond society, it is a citizenship in the society. Therefore, business has to have many certain obligations and social responsibility. It generally means business have to do something good for the community, making social contribution, and using effectively resources in a way that next generations can continue to use them. Especially, business managers should pay attention not only their companies’ financial aspects, but also their social and environmental contributions. In the past, TideeKleen used to be a famous company in its fields, with strong reputation for social and environment responsibility. Unfortunately, the company hit temporarily financial and reputational issues. Standing among three tough choices, the company should make decision which satisfies all parties related, helping the company overcome the issue, and bringing the most benefits for the company about financial and reputational aspects.
Coexistence in a globalized world with constant changes does not really allow a business to survive alone. The fact that your business exists in the environment, the responsibility of this depends on many stakeholders, such as local communities, customers, employees and suppliers. On the other hand the way the products are produced and manufactured has a significant impact on the environment. In this context the concept of corporate social responsibility has great relevance for the survival of any business. In corporate terms, social responsibilities promote companies to maintain a closer relationship with the public of their interest and on the other hand, good business practices enjoy better benefits in relation to other
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a topic under spotlight in recent years, firms become more committed to involve in corporate philanthropy by giving away gifts or monetary contributions to social and charitable causes. However, different firms tend to have a different level of commitment towards corporate philanthropy, which means that some firms are more committed to corporate philanthropy than others. Therefore, this essay discusses why some firms are more committed to corporate philanthropy than others by analyzing the motives of the firms on the individual level, firm level and field level.
Five practices define the leadership challenge and include modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. Leaders have to act ethically by upholding the principles of corporate social responsibility. They must develop virtues such as honesty, openness, and accountability. Leadership has to share and inspire a vision by creating realistic and achievable goals. Building robust teams is critical to achieving goals. Challenging the process by devising new ways of doing things enables an organization to achieve its goals. The leadership also has a mandate of creating a favorable environment; to enable others to experiment with new ideas that foster creativity and innovation. Individuals and groups that demonstrate effort in promoting the core values of the organization should be recognized and appreciated to encourage them to keep up the dedication.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has the negative connotation of “putting in extra effort to make a difference”. However… when large companies such as Pick and Pay makes it their responsibility to give back to the community it has the ability to change the lives of everyday, struggling South Africans. CSR can be defined as management’s obligation to promote and protect the welfare of all stakeholders. (1) It is clear that Pick and Pay has chosen to make a difference in the community and support their stakeholders.