Apple @
Foxconn
Case Study
Mr. M. Ianni
Table of Contents
APPLE – CORPORATE SOCIAL RES PON SIBILITY CASE ST UDY ANALYSIS .........................................2
Works Cited ...................................................................................................................................................4
Assignment ....................................................................................................................................................5
Requirements: ...............................................................................................................................................5
Templated Document Download .................................................................................................................... 5
1
APPLE – CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
Apple, famous for its Mac computers and iPhones, spends millions to create the image of a
benevolent corporate giant that, while making money, does more than its part to better the
world.
But a new study by China's Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs sharply contradicts
this claim. The report, The Other Side of Apple, slams the corporate behemoth for mistreating
its workers and poisoning the environment.
"Behind their stylish image," reads the introduction, "Apple products have a side that many do
not know about - pollution and poison. This side is hidden deep within the company's secretive
supply chain, out of view from the public." (Margolis)
July 2009: A Foxconn employee fell from apartment building after losing iPhone prototype.
18 more workers try to commit suicide over next two years.
2010: 137 workers at Suzhou facility, owned by Apple suppliers Wintek, injured by poisonous
chemical, n-hexane, used to clean iPhone screens because it dried faster.
May 2011: Four workers dead and 18 injured in dust explosion at Foxconn factory in
Chengdu, which produces iPad parts.
December 2011: 61 workers injured in gas explosion at Riteng Computer Accessory Co
factory in Shanghai, which was trialling aluminium iPad 2 back panels.
Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, finds "troubling" a string of worker deaths at Foxconn,
the contract manufacturer that assembles the company's iPhones and iPads, but said its
factory in China "is not a sweatshop".
Jobs was making his first public comments about employees' apparent suicides at a complex
operated by the unit of Hon Hai Precision Industry... (Reuters)
So will we see some kind of movement to boycott Apple products, akin to the campaign several
years ago to pressure Nike to improve working conditions in its factories? Seems unlikely at
the moment. “You can either manufacture in comfortable, worker-friendly factories, or you
can reinvent the product every year, and make it better and faster and cheaper, which
requires factories that seem harsh by American standards,” an anonymous current Apple
executive told the Times. “And right now, customers care more about a new iPhone than
working conditions in China.” (Gustin)
Following ongoing public outcry and organized protests at Apple stores last week, Apple has
announced that an organization called the Fair Labor Association is conducting independent
assessments of worker conditions inside the factories of Foxconn, its manufacturing partner in
China.
The FLA audit began this morning in Shenzen’s “Foxconn City.” In the inspections, FLA
representatives will interview thousands of factory employees about their living and working
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conditions, delving into topics such as compensation, health and safety, working hours, and
the workers’ communication with management. The results of the inspections will be posted on
the FLA’s website in early March. (Bonnington)
Apple is committed to the highest standards of social responsibility across our worldwide
supply chain. We insist that all of our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers
with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. Our
actions — from thorough site audits to industry-leading training programs — demonstrate
this commitment. (Apple)
So will we see some kind of movement to boycott Apple products, akin to the campaign several
years ago to pressure Nike to improve working conditions in its factories? Seems unlikely at
the moment. “You can either manufacture in comfortable, worker-friendly factories, or you
can reinvent the product every year, and make it better and faster and cheaper, which
requires factories that seem harsh by American standards,” an anonymous current Apple
executive told the Times. “And right now, customers care more about a new iPhone than
working conditions in China.” (Gustin)
3
Works Cited
Conference D8. Steve Jobs on Foxconn Conditions. 5 October 2011. 2 March 2012
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=616sf5Zi_Ew>.
Cooper, Rob. Revealed Inside Apple's Chinese 'sweatshop' factory where workers are paid just £1.12
per hour to produce iPhones and iPads for the West. 21 February 2012. 01 March 2012
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103798/Revealed-Inside-Apples-Chinesesweatshop-factory-workers-paid-just-1-12-hour.html>.
Gustin, Sam. Should Americans Care About Apple’s iPhone-Factory Conditions? 26 January 2012. 02
March 2012 <http://business.time.com/2012/01/26/should-americans-care-about-applesiphone-factory-conditions/>.
Margolis, Dan. 25 January 2011. 01 March 2012 <http://www.peoplesworld.org/rotten-apple-ipodsweatshops-hidden-in-china/>.
Reuters. Steve Jobs says Foxconn in China 'not a sweatshop' after worker deaths. 02 June 2010. 02
March 2012 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jun/02/steve-jobs-foxconn-chinanot-sweatshop>.
Bonnington, Christina. Apple’s Foxconn Auditing Group ‘Surrounded With Controversy,’ Critics Say. 13 February
2012. 02 March 2012 <http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/02/apple-foxconn-investigations/>.
Apple. (unknown date). Supplier Responsibility. Retrieved March 05, 2012, from www.apple.com:
http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/
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Assignment
You will research and complete a case analysis using the MSWord Document Template. All details as to due
dates and submission requirements will be given in class.
Requirements:
-Research and use at least five different sources other than those listed above although it would be beneficial to
start with the above sources.
-Download the file AppleCaseTemplate.doc saving it as YourLastNameYourFirstNameAppleCase.doc (version
1997-2003).. Use this template file to complete your analysis and report. Submit it via the moodle. Note: The
questions at the start of the document must be completed with the submission.
-The fact of the case section must be handed in class. The date will be announced in class.
-Submit a printed and bound hard copy that includes the answer to the questions, the case study analysis report
including work cited list (Word generated) with internal citations, table of contents (Word generated) with page
numbers and the rubric.
-You will submit a copy of your package via the moodle. Rename your report to
YourLastNameYourFirstNameAppleCase.doc (version 1997-2003).
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