Foxconn Suicides: A Case Study

There are two stakeholders in this situation and they are: the companies Apple and Foxconn as well as the Chinese government. Apple has obligations to their employees both domestic and global. They need to be mindful that a corporation is only as good as its products as well as, its image. They need to be mindful that since its headquarters are in the United States, it should do all that it can to maintain a positive image. It is also important to make sure that the products they sell are quality products while keeping the price as low as possible. Foxconn has a stake in its people and the products they export. The unfair and inhumane working conditions forced the government to step in. Foxconn also needs to be mindful of the issues presented previously for Apple (the difference they are headquartered in China). The fact that labor violations were taking place, China’s government had an obligations to its people. They need to protect their citizens from hazardous work conditions and hold Foxconn accountable for their actions.

Apple incorporation, previously known as Apple Computer, is a multinational corporation that not only produces personal computers, consumer electronics, computer software, and servers but also a digital distributor of the media content. It has chain of retail stores known as Apple Stores. However, company’s information is summarized below:

Educational Purposes: Apple, Inc. focuses on the use of technology for educational purposes. Apple, Inc. is also committed to deliver tools in order to assist and encourage educators to teach and students to learn.

After doing an intense research into what various media sources have published for Foxconn it is quite obvious that this is another Nike case but nearly after two decades and despite the working conditions and infrastructure may have improved this is a case of sweatshop labor that is on steroids. The long tiring hours, nearly low wages, and a robotic lifestyle are reflective of the extreme conditions that prevail beyond the nice clean epoxied rooms where the production is carried out. The working conditions of the workers are demoralizing and nerve wrecking. . If one is found talking to a coworker you get a negative mark and some manager intervention which can be escalated to imposing of fine on the individual. This was very obvious when I watched the YouTube clippings of

I am writing you in regards to This American Life’s retraction of its episode “Mr.Daisey and the Apple Factory”.Although the excerpt you gave was partially fabricated from what I understand from the retraction episode all the things you mentioned are actually happening in China. Just because you didn't see them yourself doesn't mean you shouldn't have mentioned them. To me it seems like you thought just that. You saw your visit as a piece of the pie and you wanted the whole pie but you didn't have it.

International Human Resource Management (IHRM) is the management of Human Resource in business operations in at least two nations and IHRM issues are the HRM issues and problems arising from the internationalization of business, and the HRM strategies, policies and practices which firms pursue in response to the internationalization process (Rajan, 2013).

Foxconn claims that it is compliant with local laws. But, research studies conducted by SACOM (Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior) have found that Foxconn has been a regular violator of labor laws. Many hidden facts as discussed below are uncovered.

China is one of our biggest labor competitors. The reason many US companies go to China for outsourcing is again, because of their workforce’s willingness to operate at low costs. Michael Zimmerman describes this as a disparity in worker “tolerance”. Where the low wages found in China are “far lower than U.S.

This section of the report will examine and analyse the internal environment of Apple Inc. which will cover the organisation structure. The internal environment of Apple Inc. would be examined through the use of SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is used to analyse an organisation 's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, in this case, the organisation is Apple Inc. however for the purposes of this section of the report, only the strengths and weaknesses will be examined and analysed.

“Inside the factory, amid clattering machinery and clouds of sawdust, men without earplugs or protective goggles feed wood into screaming electric saws, making cabinets for stereo speakers” (Goodman and Pan 1). In the article Chinese Workers Pay for Wal-Mart’s Low Prices by Peter Goodman and Philip Pan the mistreatment of the migrant workers in China is evident. These kinds of behaviors are taking place all over in China. The abuse of the Chinese work force has reached terrible proportions and created unlawful conditions because of the demanding economy of China, and other countries’ needs of the goods; however, the companies that are centered in China are working to make sure their workers are treated fairly.

Companies such as Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, and Sony outsource labor and hardware manufacturing to a company called Foxconn Technology Group. Foxconn Technology Group is a multinational business anchored in Shenzhen, China. Some of the typical hardware being manufactured are, motherboards, chipsets, smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The majority of the factories are in China, three in Europe, one in India, and four in Mexico. Currently there are contracts to expand and build a new factory in Brazil. I believe that there are many ethical problems related to this example; first, the general idea of outsourcing mass amounts of labor, and secondly the mistreatment of

The company started off as “Apple Computer,” best known for its Macintosh personal computers (PCs) in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Despite a strong brand, rapid growth, and high profits in the late 1980s, Apple almost went bankrupt in 1996 (Kim & Yoffie, 2010, p.1). This can be explained that Apple has become larger and more significant than other competitors put together in 1980. Because Apple failed to innovate in 1996, the company almost went bankruptcy but eventually Steve Jobs took Apple from bad situation to the company that can make billions of dollars through promoted itself as a hip alternative to other computer brands. Apple highlighted its computers as the world’s “greenest lineup of notebooks” that were energy efficient and used recyclable materials. The goal was to differentiate the Macintosh amid intense competition in the PC industry (Kim & Yoffie, p.4).

As an evolving technology company, Apple is one of the most successful companies in history. In today’s society, we cannot live without Apple products such as the Pad or IPhone. Apple 's success has come at a high cost with regards to safety to the workers of Foxconn, a supplier which makes products for Apple and plenty of other tech giants. As a result, some workers have committed suicide and many riots and fights have broken out.

Apple is being criticized in China for three main issues, including slave labor, guarantee scandal and underdeveloped infrastructure. However, China is a significant market for Apple. Apple’s market share in China is continuously growing while decreasing in mature countries. Issues related to human rights and labor protection in China are sensitive and of globally mutual concern. If we do not address these issues properly, we will lose Chinese customers as well as suppliers and sub-contractors. This may also seriously impact the reputation and sales of Apple products worldwide.

I undersigned ………………………a student of T.Y.B.B.A., here by declare that the project work presented in this report is my own work and has been carried out under the supervision of prof. Kuldeep Jobanputra of R.P.Bhalodia College, Rajkot. This work has not been previously report submitted to any other university for any other examination.