Introduction

Apple Inc. is the largest company in the information technology industry. The management of the company has maintained this by ensuring there are high standards within all the stakeholders’ code of conducts. The suppliers are a major stakeholder in this company, and their conduct is very vital in maintaining a competitive advantage (Hill, Cronk & Wickramasekera, 2013). Over the years, Apple Inc. has made many changes in several areas of the supplier code of conduct.

Empowering workers

The company endeavors to empower its workers. Given that, workers may not always have access to education in their countries; the company has introduced training to ensure the workers stay informed. The company collaborates with schools to raise the standard of education. Training starts with human rights and then move to specific areas. The company focuses much on the on the job training. In addition, the company encourages workers to explore new opportunities through offering a free course in diverse courses. A good example is the case of Carl Young who after undergoing the human resource management is now serving as a SEED administrator (Apple Inc., n.d.)

Labor and Human Rights

Treatment of workers in the supplier’s facilities is fair. The company recognizes the rights of workers as human rights. Issues such as underage labor, excess working hours and bonded labor are avoided at all costs. Some suppliers introduce hefty recruitment fees, but when the company realizes this, the supplier has to refund the recruitment fees in full. In addition, the company has reduced the maximum workers hours to 60 hours per week. A good example is the case of Rachel who after paying broker charges to secure a job at Mektec, Apple Inc made sure that she received a reimbursement. The broker fee was in line with local laws, but Apple code of conduct took the upper hand in this case. The Company has a social responsibility wherever it operates (Falck & Heblich, 2007)

 Health and Safety

Apple Inc. ensures that employees are safe and in good health. In 2013, the company introduced the environment, health, and safety (EHS) Academy to address the shortage of skills in EHS. Participants of the EHS complete an eighteen months curriculum, which is very rigorous. Managers in local facilities must create and enforce a real EHS project in aid of improving conditions at the facility (Apple Inc., n.d.). A good example is the case of students in the Marian Suzhou facility who, after undergoing a machinery safety course discovered some safety gaps in the handling of the manufacturing system from development to maintenance.

The Environment

The company makes sure that the suppliers consider the environmental impacts of the gas emissions. Apple collaborates with suppliers in reducing the carbon footprint. Replacing of the all the inefficient systems such as the cooling, heating and lighting happen regularly. This ensures that the whole system is energy efficient. In addition, Apple Inc explores ways of powering its facilities using renewable energy. In 2015 alone, the company reduced carbon emissions by 13.8 k metric tons. The company has also introduced a waste diversion program in over 22 facilities. The program ensures that some materials are recycled (Jaber, Glock & Saadany, 2013). A good example is the case of Foxconn Guanlan who was the first supplier to recycle 2waste without using landfills in July 2015.

Accountability

Apple Inc. sets high standards in accountability and then helps the suppliers to meet them. The company uses audits to ensure there is accountability. To decide which suppliers to audit, the company uses a risk-based approach. The much-considered items in the audits are the concerns brought forward by NGOs and internals teams. An anonymous complaint system allows workers to report cases of mistreatment and abuse (Apple Inc., n.d.). The assessment of the requests is based on urgency. A good example is the improvement of the factory conditions in Liuyang. Through auditing, several violations were discovered and helped improve the conditions

References

Apple Inc. (n.d.). Supplier Responsibility – Apple. Retrieved September 09, 2016, from https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/

Falck, O., & Heblich, S. (2007). Corporate social responsibility: Doing well by doing good. Business Horizons, 50(3), 247-254.

Hill, C. W., Cronk, T., & Wickramasekera, R. (2013). Global business today. McGraw-Hill Education: Australia.

Jaber, M. Y., Glock, C. H., & El Saadany, A. M. (2013). Supply chain coordination with emissions reduction incentives. International Journal of Production Research, 51(1), 69-82.

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