Corporate Ethical and Social Responsibility – Apple Company
Apple Company is one of the largest manufacturers of computers and electronics. “Apple Company was founded on April 1, 1976, by college dropouts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who brought forth a new company vision of changing the way people, viewed computers” (Library of Congress, 2008). The ethical and social responsibility of Apple Company should have started with its inception; however, it did not. It was not until years later with the advent of social media and the power of worldwide communications, did Apple Company focus on ethical and social responsibilities regarding the treatment of its employees in their factories overseas. The international reports of employee maltreatment; the use of underage employees; and, documented instances of wrongful disposals of toxic matter into the environment, forced Apple to take immediate action and establish safeguards which would protect its employees, the environment and more importantly the brand name that is Apple Company.
Apple Company: The Establishment of the Apple Supplier Code of Conduct
An examination of Apples current position regarding ethical and social responsibilities determined that, in 2007, Apple Company established the Apple Supplier Code of Conduct, which is a set of guidelines Apple suppliers are to follow. The rules established reported that factories workers, especially those working in factories located in China were mandating their employees work overtime, sometimes in excess of 70 hours per week. There were also allegations that the factories were employing children as laborers; and, that the working conditions within the factories were so oppressive and demanding that employees stressed themselves to the point of committing suicide. “The workers assembling iPhones, iPads and other devices often labor