Apple and Its Code of Conduct: Essential Principles
The propensity to change that can be observed in the contemporary environment of the global economy compels organizations to shape their value systems and ethical standards to encourage diversity and establish the principles of justice in the corporate setting. Thus, the active promotion of the required values, including loyalty to the organization, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), etc., becomes possible.
The changes made to a code of conduct may be subtle, yet they inevitably lead to the rearrangement of the staff’s priorities and the acceptance of the essential principles of collaboration, negotiation, and efficient communication. As the case of Apple, Inc. shows, it is critical to building a system in which every staff member acknowledges the boundaries between the proper and improper conduct, therefore, making ethical decisions in the corporate environment intuitively. Apple’s code of conduct is rather basic and direct with its staff members. Placing a heavy emphasis on the importance of collaboration and diversity, the set of standards designed by Apple can be viewed as exemplary. Thus, opportunities for steep and stable economic growth have been created.
Crucial Changes Made to Apple’s Code of Conduct: Retrospect
When considering the alterations that Apple’s code of conduct has suffered, one must mention a significantly greater emphasis on the safety and security of staff members. It should be noted that Apple has always been known for its people-oriented approach and care for employees. However, the recent changes to the company’s code indicate that the organization has decided to enhance the security of its employees, therefore, creating an even better environment for its personnel.
The identified policy seems to be in line with Apple’s current vision and mission, which focuses on the promotion of well-being and building trust-based relationships with its stakeholders. Indeed, according to the official statement issued by Apple, the firm views the introduction and promotion of positive change to the global environment as its key priority (Büschgens, Bausch, & Balkin, 2013). The identified goal includes the enhancement of safety and security levels among employees.
The focus on the subject matter, which can be observed at Apple currently, aligns with the recent increase in concerns for equality issues in the realm of the global business world (Hogan & Coote, 2014). While other companies struggle to handle the lack of equality and diversity among its members, Apple seems to take one step further in addressing people’s rights and build the foundation for the successful prevention of employees’ rights’ infringement and abuse (Clarke & Boersma, 2015).
Thus, the changes that have been made to the company’s code of conduct seem to align with the organization’s mission, vision, and corporate philosophy. The identified alterations contribute to the promotion of healthy relationships in the organizational environment, which is crucial to the efficient management of decision-making processes and the overall enhancement of performance levels in the firm. Therefore, the way in which Apple has updated its code of conduct can be deemed as an exemplary scenario.
Implications of the Changes for Suppliers: Relationships with Apple
The recent adjustments to Apple’s code of conduct also imply that the company’s suppliers should reconsider their social and environmental policies. Particularly, Apple compels its suppliers to make sure that the workers are provided with the required tools and are given appropriate conditions in which they can work. The specified demands geared toward improving the health and safety levels for employees are in chord with Apple’s people-oriented policy and the consistent focus on the active promotion of well-being among all stakeholders involved (Apple supplier code of conduct, 2017).
Put differently, Apple demands that its suppliers should operate on the same principles of ethics and justice as the organization does, hence the alterations to the current policy and the decision to set more rigid restrictions as far as the treatment of the suppliers’ staff is concerned. While the identified innovations might be viewed as the endeavor of the organization to establish control over the decision-making processes and organizational standards in the target firms, the actual implications of the new policies are bound to improve the performance of both Apple and its suppliers.
Indeed, with a closer focus on the needs of employees and the promotion of ethical principles as the foundation for decision-making, suppliers will be able to improve their performance because of a rise in motivation levels among their staff. Furthermore, the changes mentioned above will compel suppliers to create the setting in which employees will feel comfortable. Consequently, the processes, including the transfer of the essential data, the management of key tasks, etc., will be improved significantly due to the removal of obstacles that currently hinder the staff members. Thus, while suppliers might resist the changes at first due to the increase in responsibilities that they entail, the positive outcomes are bound to convince suppliers to accept the innovations (Hogan & Coote, 2014).
Conclusion: Overcoming Challenges and Maintaining Progress
The emphasis on a people-oriented policy and the necessity to meet the needs of diverse population groups are the key components of Apple’s current code of conduct that makes the company so efficient. Because of the opportunities for the successful enhancement of cross-cultural communication and the creation of equal opportunities for all stakeholders involved, the present-day code of conduct should be viewed as an important step toward creating the environment in which every single participant will be able and willing to contribute to the economic growth of the company.
Therefore, the improved code serves as the basis for the enhancement of the firm’s operations and the encouragement of collaboration across organizations. It could also be assumed that the improved code serves as the basis for introducing the principles of equality and justice into the realm of the global economy since it stresses the significance of providing employees with decent workplace conditions, prohibits child labor, etc. On a larger scale, the new code of conduct can be defined as the tool for challenging the perspective of suppliers and other stakeholders, thus, making them reconsider their priorities and focus on meeting the needs of all participants involved.
The fact that the current code stresses the importance of communication heavily must be regarded as a graphic proof of Apple’s attempt to create the environment in which the organization and its partners could engage in the process of unceasing improvement and consistent communication. As a result, the premise for a rapid improvement in performance can be expected. Therefore, although Apple’s code of conduct has been altered comparatively recently, it is expected to have a massive impact on the parties involved in the economic relationships within a significantly short amount of time.
References
Apple supplier code of conduct. (2017). Web.
Büschgens, T., Bausch, A., & Balkin, D. B. (2013). Organizational culture and innovation: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30(4), 763–781. Web.
Clarke, T., & Boersma, M. (2017). The governance of global value chains: Unresolved human rights, environmental and ethical dilemmas in the apple supply chain. Journal of Business Ethics, 143(1), 111-131. Web.
Hogan, S. J., & Coote, L. V. (2014). Organizational culture, innovation, and performance: A test of Schein’s model. Journal of Business Research, 67(8), 1609-1621. Web.