Essay on Conducting Business in the US and Globally

Apple business environment is competitive and fast-paced. Apple suppliers must understand this dynamic and be agile and flexible in responding to changing business conditions. All over the world, people are building Apple products and Apple has a responsibility to make sure that each person is treated with dignity and respect. It’s a massive challenge where Apple work is never done, but each year they implement meaningful, lasting changes across their supply chain. Because of this around the globe, Apple employees are united in bringing equality, human rights, and respect for the environment to the deepest layers of their supply chain. Apple goes deep into their supply chain to enforce their social and environmental standards by empowering workers through education, demanding that suppliers treat workers fairly and ethically at all times, having safe and healthy facilities, and hold their products and processes to the highest

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.

Immediately after the allegation, Apple launched an investigation and worked with their manufacturers to ensure that conditions were acceptable by its standards. In 2007, Apple started yearly audits of the labor conditions of all its suppliers, slowly raising standards and severing relationships with suppliers that did not comply—yearly progress reports have also been published since 2008.

Which is cost difference determines the patterns of international trade. Absolute advantage is trade benefits when each country is at least cost producer of one of the goods being traded. In the 1800s, David Ricardo developed the theory of comparative advantage to measure gains from trades. This theory is based on comparative advantage and it states each nation should specialize in production of those goods for which its relatively more efficient with a lower opportunity cost.

In relation to Apple’s internal environment, the company encourages an innovative culture, involving staff creativity and open-mindedness to novel ideas. In addition, Apple stresses the use of environmentally friendly practices, and protection of employees’ safety and health at work (Schneider, 1995, p. 70). Apple’s external environment poses a challenge to the company in terms of emerging firms in the technology business line, competitors selling substitute products, charging lower prices that entice customers because of their affordability, in comparison to the high quality and pricing of similar items from Apple (Apple, 2012, p.1).

In 2012, Apple initially unveiled 97% of its closely related global suppliers for reflecting their determination of solving the ethical issues occurred. In the same year, the visit to Foxconn and the participation in Fair Labor Association (FLA) were also tremendous steps for Apple to redress the issues, which was renowned for reticence before.

In 2013 Apple included two separate specialized audits, a process safety assessment and environmental audits. Violations were broken down to identify excessive working hours, discriminatory practices, protection of juvenile workers, and if the facility had been notified previously to correct any of the same discrepancies. There is zero tolerance for underage labor. For hiring any person underage, the company requires that the supplier make financial reparations, get them back into school, finance their education, and provide income as if they were an employee. Once the individual is legal, there is a job offer made available to them. Apple’s environmental practices had also come under a microscope. There was a focus on conflict minerals like tantalum, gold, tungsten, and tin. For the first time in the company’s history, a list of the smelters and refiners used by Apple were released. Steps are being taken to be conflict free through the aid of third party auditors like the FLA. Apple’s Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program provides free education to employees. There is also an 18 month program to train workers in health and safety matters, as well as environmental issues. The numbers of people participating in these types of programs are expected to increase every year (Moren, 2014). SEED and other programs like it are created to educate and empower workers. Provide them with

Apple has many suppliers in their large supplier network, which Foxconn is one of them. Foxconn is a Taiwanese manufacturer of electronic, which has many different factories in different countries. Foxconn is notorious for making iPhone in China and being brutal with their employees. This included poor working conditions, illegal overtime, and treating their employees like robots with no respect. Apple states that they had no idea this was going on in Foxconn, but that’s up to you if you truly believe them. Apple took some precautionary actions against Foxconn stating that Apple will join the Fair Labor Association (FLA) in order to run external audits once a year, and they developed a global supplier code of conduct. Apple released a statement

For years, Apple has faced intense scrutiny and criticism for its contracting overseas factories to build its products, as well as the dangerous and miserable conditions and low pay experienced by thousands of workers. While its stock price has continued to climb rapidly despite a self-audit that discovered workers under 16 employed at factories, the business ethics of hiring and exploiting underage employees is extremely questionable and relevant to Apple's reputation, and the well-being of the human beings who must work at the factories simply to survive, regardless of conditions.

Apple developed a four-stage process to ensure that suppliers indicate that complying with Apple supplier code of conduct. However, the Apple team auditor will start by prioritizing using a risk-based procedure of the Apple guidelines to audit with the concentration on health and safety. Apple has educated accountants in extensive training on the protocols and procedures the auditor obligation for interviewing all employees, review payroll documents, physically accessing safety and health situations. However, the team of Auditor will access and inspect the environmental condition inside the factory and outside. The auditor will rate each facility on some points corresponding to the code of conduct. Next, if the supplier fails to make the correction, the examiners will need to address the issue of noncompliance through submitting a corrective action plan that necessity correction within two weeks of the audit. Therefore, the supplier will be increasing the standards, though an outline of the steps to find a solution to all issue the auditor identified need to report to auditor each thirty days following to 90 days of determining an answer and communicating with an Apple auditing team on the progress of a fix. Then, supplier correction plans not corrected the provider will extend for an extra 30 days. Therefore, when the provider remains

Apple is the best known brand in order to provide technological devices all around the world. Apple can be named as a technology giant who has extraordinary relationship with its customers; people are like the followers of the brand rather than the ordinary customers. Besides the promises that they gave to their customers in order to product quality, they gave many promises about improving working conditions across its global supply chain. However, the documentary called “Apple’s broken promises” by Panorama manifested that Apple is failing to keep its words. Apple claims that they care about protecting people and the environment but the documentary made by Panorama disclosed the Apple’s unethical working conditions and violations of employees’

Apple is committed to ensuring that working conditions in Apple’s supply chain are safe, that workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible. Apple’s suppliers (“Suppliers”) are obligated, in all of their activities, to operate in full compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations of the countries in which they operate. This Supplier Code of Conduct (“Code”) goes further, drawing upon internationally recognized standards, in order to advance social and environmental responsibility. Apple requires that Suppliers implement this Code using the management systems described below. The Apple Supplier Code of Conduct is modeled on and contains

The exploration of Apple’s historical background will examine the nature of business activities that will deem relevant. The products and services Apple provides to businesses and consumers; and the geographical exposure from where the products are produced. The analysis will entail foreign exposure that is emphatically in nature to the success that entails the company’s success.

Apple is undeniably positioned as the worlds most innovative and valuable technology company. Apple has successfully used simplicity and intelligence to take over the world of technology. Steve Jobs lead Apple to substantial accomplishments and vast income continuing when Tim Cook picked up leadership in early 2012. Although this company is undoubtedly financially wealthy, an ethical dilemma concerning Foxconn’s working conditions has been called into question. Foxconn, a key supplier to Apple, has reported long working hours, discrimination of workers, and a lack of working relationships that has lead to multiple attempted suicides and fourteen deaths before Cook took control. According to public opinion and perception when Tim Cook picked up leadership, he began attempting to improve standards for the Taiwanese workers. Recently Tim Cook explained, "We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment". This statement proves Tim Cook wants to see effective positive change within Apple factories. However, the company has responsibilities to stakeholders, particularly customers. Apple’s primary obligation revolves around producing technology with the best economic value for customers. With the factories improving, prices may increase, fewer products may be produced, and overall product quality may decrease. Tim Cook represents the ethical decision maker (EDM) in justifying the better option to

The Apple Corporation has very strong ethical and social responsibilities within the corporate world. Apple currently has a great position on their customer service and significant value. This is important when it comes to upholding a positive image. They have also violated a lot of these ethical and social responsibilities which has caused it to hurt Apple Corporation’s reputation. A couple of the violations that will be discussed are the wage and benefits standards and environmental issues. It is very important that Apple continues to follow these standard responsibilities. The other important factor to consider is keeping a price