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Case Study On Amex

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Facts and Assumptions
• Amex sells high-quality electronic products. In order to keep costs low and price the products reasonably, they outsourced manufacturing to contractors in the Asian region where labor costs are cheaper like in China.
• Preet’s team is responsible in making sure that shipments are orderly as possible. These include shipments from Amex’s contractors in Shandong, China, where more shipments are falling behind schedule.
• Preet visited the factory in Shandong, China and discovered the following: i.) A group of employees using harmful chemicals to clean components, did not wear protective face masks. ii.) Employees worked long hours, more than company policy mandated eight-hour work day, and sometimes with no breaks. iii.) Sometimes, employees would work very long shifts but were denied sick leaves. iv.) There were several cases of suicide at the plant from overworked employees. v.) The factory managers did not hire more workers because the factory doesn’t have enough money to pay for it.
• Preet wrote a list of recommendations, and together with …show more content…

Since Amex does not own the Chinese factory, are they still accountable for the working conditions of its suppliers? Why or why not?
YES! Most of what we buy from developing countries is grown or manufactured by workers whose rights are ignored in important ways. It’s a fundamental fact! May it be a cell-phone component from China or the Indian cotton in your shirt, these are likely processed by workers who were not paid minimum wage, forced to work overtime or exposed to hazardous chemical.

First, providing good working conditions is good business. Watchdog groups could do a costly job of damaging your company reputation, if you aren’t careful about your labor practices. Moreover, not only do poorly treated workers typically make poor-quality goods, desirable employees want to work for companies whose values they share, just as consumers want to buy from companies that put values into

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