Business, Government, and Society: For this project assignment, you will compile all of your previous assignments and add an executive summary to the beginning of the project. To write this unit’s par

Business, Government and Society

Part 1

Apple Company was selected in Unit One, an internationally recognized organization due to its unique products and comprehensive corporate social responsibility framework. The organization's priorities determine the ethical decisions made. The ethical programs help ensure environmental sustainability, an understanding of privacy issues, and a proper supply chain. (Martin et al., 2022). Some ethical considerations include practices where Apple has been accused of unfair labor practices, especially in China, where production costs are lower. Apple strives to achieve safe working conditions and fair wages.

Apple developed vast measures to ensure sustainability; for example, in 2020, it reported 100% renewable energy to increase recycling and reduce carbon emissions. Apple ensures that privacy concerns are maintained by securing users' data and initiating lawsuits against government agencies illegally requesting clients' data. Apple Company has remained competitive by offering superior quality products. However, there is a premium pricing by investing heavily in research and development to ensure it remains ahead of other technological companies.

Some managerial decision-making responsibilities relating to international activities include having a global supply chain control process to help track sources of products ensuring human rights are considered during the product. For example, some technological companies from China have been accused of using children to lower production costs, which is unethical. Apple uses international supply chain management to develop better relationships with suppliers and vendors, pay them on time, and ensure sustainability during the production process.

Having globalized CSR programs ensures that Apple invests in supporting environmental changes, encouraging recycling in all locations, and investing in renewable energy. The CSR activities ensure the company meets the government's regulations and advocates for changes. Final managerial decision-making is expanding to the global market through meeting different rules in different countries and developing programs to understand cultural differences. Apple's management seeks to address and acknowledge cultural concerns in each market, thus remaining ethical.

Some CSR programs related to the larger global society include the commitment to sustainability, which will improve both the environment and the company's operations since the energy costs in the company will be lower while using renewable energy means less carbon footprint into the environment, which is better for the larger society. Secondly, the education and competencies development programs by Apple, for example, "everyone can do" programs, ensure the community is empowered to invest and learn about technology while the company has access to a larger employee pool. (Razak et al., 2020).

Finally, the company has introduced the labor rights CSR initiative, where both human rights and fair practices are invested in to ensure the manufacturing process is ethical while human rights globally are considered, thus reducing lawsuits and customers' concerns about poor employee treatment. The CSR programs at Apple ensure there is continued investment in upholding the interests of society, marked by clean energy usage, following labor rights, and community education.

Part 2

Apple's corporate strategy seeks to understand how goals and profitability will be maintained; the company depends on creativity and innovation to ensure customer-centric services. In contrast, the political strategy is geared towards protecting the company legally against government policies against the company's interests. Through corporate strategy, the company can navigate through the policies relating to taxation, while political strategy ensures liabilities related to taxes are reduced.

One challenge of maintaining a healthy government-to-business relationship for Apple is the regulations to be met. For example, there are regulations of privacy, safety, and environmental protection that are difficult to achieve, thus affecting the relationship. Secondly, there is an ethical dilemma that makes it a nightmare for the organization to protect its interests while seeking to meet government regulations, for example, on fair labor practices. (Singh & Misra 2022). For example, in China, Apple has been accused of underpaying employees during production to reduce costs. Finally, the relationship with the government is hindered by political risks like intellectual property and trade disputes. The government has patent infringement rights, which may lead to lawsuits and fines once violated.

There are different types of stakeholders for Apple Company, including the shareholders, employee customers, investor government, and suppliers. For example, the government affects the activities of Apple by controlling the quality and ensuring environmental and user protection. The government ensures that citizens are prioritized, which raises production costs for the organization. The government may reject or approve Apple Company's projects, thus affecting performance.

The board of directors of Apple plays an essential part in CSR since they develop targets, methods, and milestones to be met before achieving CSR. They also observe the industry standards and determine the ethical practices, thus balancing them with the organization's objectives. The board also ensures that the long-term objectives are consistent with the organization's values to prevent inconsistencies during performance.

References

Martin, K., Shilton, K., & Smith, J. E. (2022). Business and the ethical implications of technology: Introduction to the symposium. In Business and the Ethical Implications of Technology (pp. 1-11). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10551-019-04213-9.pdf

Razak, M., Hidayat, M., Launtu, A., Kusuma Putra, A. H. P. A., & Bahasoan, S. (2020). Antecedents and consequence of brand management: empirical study of Apple's brand product. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 14(3), 307-322. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JABS-01-2019-0030/full/html

Singh, K., & Misra, M. (2022). The evolving path of CSR: toward business and society relationship. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, 38(2), 304-332. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEAS-04-2020-0052/full/html