Changes in Apple's Supplier Code of Conduct - Essay Example

 Challenges in the Global Business Environment Task One: At Apple, our main aim is to keep our customers satisfied and to ensure that our organization runs smoothly. We also ensure that the working conditions of our employees are conducive to ensure that they remain productive. To achieve this, we keep on making reforms in our organization. Some of the reforms we have made include: • Empowering workers through education At Apple, we are committed to ensuring that workers in our supply chain have access to education in order to keep abreast with the changing trends in the market. For instance, we have a program called Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) which offers free training on a wide variety of disciplines. More than 861000 workers have benefited from this program since 2008. Presently, we are undertaking the expansion of SEED to include more than basic training. We intend to introduce more training on current trends, and this will include a new iPad-based learning program (Apple Supply Code of Conduct, 2012). • Ensuring that workers are treated fairly and ethically At Apple, we value our workers as really, they are the reason for our success. We, therefore, require of every supplier that transacts any dealings with Apple to exhibit genuine intention to protect the rights of our workers at all times. A maximum of 60-hour work week should always be observed. We ensure that our suppliers strictly follow this. This ensures that our workers are not over-worked, and hence they remain productive. By 2014, about 92% of our suppliers complied with this. We are custodians of human rights as well. This is seen in our use of conflict-free minerals in our products. Suppliers affiliated with Apple are usually held accountable to hiring procedures that are ethical (Apple Supply Code of Conduct, 2012). • Health & Safety For productivity, good health is key. That is why at Apple, we really care about the safety and health of our workers. In order to ensure that this is maintained, we have sought to train our management staff and workers. In an effort to assure that safety and good health is maintained, we launched about 870 projects in 2014 to improve conditions at the places of work. This was done through the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Academy. We have also come up with a comprehensive mapping program that aims to make steadfast our chemical management functions across our supply chain (Apple Supply Code of Conduct, 2012). • Environmental Conservation We have great regard for the environment at Apple. That’s why we ensure that our products and services are environmentally conscious. We are doing all we can to ensure that the natural resources that have been bestowed upon us are well conserved. One of our initiatives towards this is the Clean Water Program. We also have an 18-month program where we train our staff on environmental pollution control. We aim at making our products and processes both safer for people and environment-healthy. Task Two: Influence of Changing Economic, Political, Social and Technology Forces on business and Society The forces named above are macroeconomic forces whose source is not within the firm’s or society control. • Economic Forces The economic forces have a significant role on the success of any business or society. They affect business as they have an effect on the buying and selling conditions in the market. For instance, countries whose currency is inferior to foreign currencies have challenges trading with other countries, and this affects business negatively (Martin and Michael, 2012). Generally, during times of economic recession, which are characterized by conditions such as inflation, high unemployment levels, high-interest rates, increased taxation, among other problems, both the society and businesses, especially a new business that are yet to feel the impact ( Martin and Michael, 2012). • Political Forces The political forces are closely related to the social environment. This can be attributed to the fact that generally, the reason laws are passed in order to solve ensuing social pressures and problems. Some of the laws regulating the business environment include legislations on monetary and fiscal policies, laws pertaining industrial waste management, laws on health and safety of employees at the work place, regulations on pricing among others. These and other regulations such as those regulating employment and those pertaining collective bargaining have a direct effect on business operations. For instance, legislations on fiscal and monetary policies could encourage the growth of small scale industry by giving tax reliefs and financial aid. Political instability is a major challenge to the business environment as it brings with it fluctuations in the regulations. This causes a lot of uncertainties in the business environment. It is, therefore, important that business people be careful and grab opportunities as they come (Martin and Michael, 2012). • Technological Forces Technological forces are the most influential in the business world and society at large. Technology is the application of scientific knowledge in practical uses. Information and communication technology has impacted the business environment positively. However, businesses that apply too complex and rapidly transforming technology face a risk of encountering problems. This is because with the changes comes new inventions and new designs, materials and, therefore, business people using them have to keep to keep updating their technology with the changing trends in order to survive the competition in the business environment. Failure to adjust would be detrimental to the business (Martin and Michael, 2012). • Socio-cultural Forces Socio-cultural forces are mainly related with the attitudes and values of the society which in turn shape behavior. For instance, in countries with restrictions on trading in and consumption of tobacco, alcoholic beverages among other drug substances, a business person has to be smart enough and implement strategies on market segmentation. Similarly, in areas where there is a heightened awareness on environmental pollution, companies that deal in products associated with pollution such as oil companies face a lot of challenges. Changes in socio-cultural factors also impact the intrinsic running of a company. It affects relations among the workers and their attitude towards work in general. In a nutshell, the impact of the social forces can be felt through the changes in consumer wants and preferences, in relations of employees, and in the societal expectations of the business. References Apple Supplier Code of Conduct, (2013).Pdf. Retrieved from: Https: //www​ apple .com/supplier .../ Apple_ Martin, L., & Michael H. (2012). Business Advantage Advanced. Cambridge University Press. Read More