Although the consistent performance of apple which often places it as the top position hence making it the world most admired organization in the 21 st century, the company has had a share of challenges regarding its codes of conduct in the recent past. These issues could lead to a tremendous negative impact on the organization’s future success if not well addressed. The company’s sterling reputation could get exposed to serious damage by failing to address its codes of conduct by making positive changes to them. The introduction of apple codes of conduct first took place in 2005. Over that period, the company has had to revise its codes of conduct to match the global company standards and in responses to the risk that presented themselves to the company as well as those specific areas the company had overlooked in the beginning. The dynamic business environment and its ever competitive nature make change inevitable. The integration of change by a company often makes them maintain their competitive advantage. Apple Inc. undertakes its audit every year to ensure that the suppliers comply with the company code of conducts since it greatly determines the nature of existing relationship between Apple Inc. and the suppliers. The essay greatly analyses some of the changes that Apple has made in their code of conduct in the recent years. It further addresses the highlighted changes, the company expectations, and standards that suppliers have to adhere to for there to exist business relation the two parties.
Recent Codes of Conduct Changes
Antidiscrimination
In 2014, apple code of conduct witnessed some changes regarding the screening of Hepatitis B and pregnancy test among new employees as well as job applicants. Although most companies engage in the screening of conditions such as Hepatitis B, the performance of this act by Apple Inc. a global company would make the public view it as discriminative. Since Hepatitis B is a disease that is not infections hence cannot get transmitted through mediums such as body contact, to the public, it would mean no sense trying to know somebody’s medical background. It could easily get misinterpreted for breach of privacy just like the way an employer may decide on knowing the HIV status of an interviewee or employee before giving them a job. The practice of mandatory pregnancy test by Apple also got scrapped off. It had a potential of the exercise getting misconstrued by the public as discrimination against women hence may have led to a negative public reputation of the company.
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Regarding the suppliers, changing this code of conduct meant that the suppliers by no means should discriminate any worker. Whether by their gender neither should they request for a medical or a pregnancy test in the process of hiring or other employment practices not only if such requests got required by applicable laws that are integral for workplace safety (Lawrence & Weber, 2014). The code of conduct strictly cautioned the suppliers over improperly discriminating any worker or a job applicant based on the realized test results. Failure by suppliers to accept the new changes in the codes of conduct and agree to abide by them would automatically disqualify them from any business dealings and relation by Apple Company.
Working Hours’ Time Frame
Employees getting subjected to long working hours has often gotten practiced by several organizations which seek to increase their productivity without considering their employee’s freedom. One of the organizations that practiced such actions is Apple. In 2012, it got noted that the Apple employees who were working in China got exposed to long working hours which was 60+ hours work week. It was against China policy on hour work week of 49 hours (Litzinger, 2013). In 2013, Apple began addressing the issue of the 60 hour work week since it got seen as a violation of the employee right to rest. In 2014, Apple became extra cautious regarding the working duration. It led to the change of the working hour code of conduct. The company made it clear enough that the changes in the code of conduct will not exempt the suppliers. It was therefore mandatory for the suppliers to abide by the new changes and make adjustments. The new codes that got passed required that all the suppliers to reduce the frequency of overtime work and make sure that it gave employees a specific day of rest. Failure to the new policy among the suppliers would mean that Apple will cease relations not until the supplier agreed to implement the changes. To effectively apply these changes, it meant that the management system of the company suppliers had to get improved.
Student Worker Protection
Organizations have often taken advantage of the interns and their naïve nature to exploit them further. They have on several occasions subjected them to overworking with no pay despite delivering the normal employees on the payroll. Apple through their new codes of conduct to protect the interns demand that the suppliers need to practice proper management of the interns through maintaining their records. The suppliers must ensure that they provide enough support as well as training to the interns during their study practice. The new changes advocated for student workers to get incorporated as employees and must, therefore, enjoy the labor rights. Apple equally moved a notch higher and joint hands with the schools that were supplying these students. Well, performing interns got provided with an opportunity to work with the company upon the student worker’s graduation. Such actions have made the company more admirable by the majority of the public hence its constant success as a result of creating a good public reputation.
Anti-Harassment
As a result of several cases of exploitation witnessed by some employees, Apple had to respond to this problem by amending their codes of conduct to incorporate the anti-harassment policy. The policy warned the suppliers against practicing any form of harassment and abuse in the workplace. The supplier must never threated the workers or expose them to some inhuman treatment which included but not excluding actions such as verbal abuse, sexual harassment and any form of physical coercion (Apple.com, 2018) . The change of this code of conduct was to primarily ensure that the workers fee part of the company and have a feeling of appreciation of their contribution by the company. Job satisfaction among workers directly relates to their overall performance. It was therefore that every company to provide a peaceful working environment to the employees for them to become productive.
Regarding the code of conduct changes made by Apple, we get to understand that provision of conducive working environment for the employees through, protecting them from discrimination, long working hours and any form of harassment leads to high level of worker productivity. It is evident from apple global performance when compared to its stiff competitor like Samsung.
References
Apple.com. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/pdf/Apple-Supplier-Code-of-Conduct-January.pdf [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].
Lawrence, A. T., & Weber, J. (2014). Business and society: Stakeholders, ethics, public policy . Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Litzinger, R. (2013). The labor question in China: Apple and beyond. South Atlantic Quarterly , 112 (1), 172-178.
