Global Citizenship Program: Apple and Overseas Ethical Dilemmas
Introduction
Currently, Apple is one of the top companies in the world, releasing products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook. According to Forbes (2013), Apple is the most valuable brand in the world for a third straight time, worth almost twice as much as any other brand in existence. It’s apparent that this company sees much success, yet it is still laden with many issues and receives criticism from the general media. A popular example is the working conditions of oversea manufacturing factories, most notably Foxconn, which has been a controversial subject for quite some time. Foxconn has come under fire several times in recent years. According to an article by the New York Times (2012), some time before an iPhone launch, some students were forced to work on the assembly lines, and if they didn’t, they would fail their course. Though the students were only there to learn and not work, Foxconn needed the extra manpower to fulfill orders placed by Apple. In another article by The Independent (2013), further allegations were made against Foxconn regarding child labor, forced overtime, and illegal 66- hour workweeks.
Literature Review Overseas ethical issues are common for most, if not all, of the major players in the electronics industry. Companies such as Dell, Sony, and Apple, produce their products in overseas factories because it is much cheaper to do so than in America. As such, their ethical practices continue to come in question since employees overseas do not benefit from the same laws enforced in the United States. According to one article by EBN Online (2011), Dell responded to inquiries about monitoring its partner’s fair labor standards for workers. A Dell spokesman stated, “We take the health and safety of our -- and our partners' -- employees very seriously." "We share concerns about overseas labor practices and we make the fair treatment of workers a top priority. Our corporate social responsibility organization is at the forefront of what we
Currently, Apple is one of the top companies in the world, releasing products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook. According to Forbes (2013), Apple is the most valuable brand in the world for a third straight time, worth almost twice as much as any other brand in existence. It’s apparent that this company sees much success, yet it is still laden with many issues and receives criticism from the general media. A popular example is the working conditions of oversea manufacturing factories, most notably Foxconn, which has been a controversial subject for quite some time. Foxconn has come under fire several times in recent years. According to an article by the New York Times (2012), some time before an iPhone launch, some students were forced to work on the assembly lines, and if they didn’t, they would fail their course. Though the students were only there to learn and not work, Foxconn needed the extra manpower to fulfill orders placed by Apple. In another article by The Independent (2013), further allegations were made against Foxconn regarding child labor, forced overtime, and illegal 66- hour workweeks.
Literature Review Overseas ethical issues are common for most, if not all, of the major players in the electronics industry. Companies such as Dell, Sony, and Apple, produce their products in overseas factories because it is much cheaper to do so than in America. As such, their ethical practices continue to come in question since employees overseas do not benefit from the same laws enforced in the United States. According to one article by EBN Online (2011), Dell responded to inquiries about monitoring its partner’s fair labor standards for workers. A Dell spokesman stated, “We take the health and safety of our -- and our partners' -- employees very seriously." "We share concerns about overseas labor practices and we make the fair treatment of workers a top priority. Our corporate social responsibility organization is at the forefront of what we