"Think Different" by Apple Incorporated

Essay, Pages 6 (1364 words)

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“Think Different,” is the saying of the world's largest information technology company by revenue lives by Apple Incorporated. Apple's way of representing themselves to society shows empathy and humanity, In Apple ads and through their products they try to understand the customerscustomer'sApple needs better than other competitive companies such as Samsung. With each different type of product Apple produces, whether it be the iPhone or Apple watch, the company tries to present the product with the highest quality and in a creative, professional manner.

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The company projects a “humanistic” corporate ethics and strong corporate culture, distinguished by “volunteerism.” Also a supporter of good causes and involvement in the community. Its founding ethos was power to the people through technology and also remains committed to computers in education. It is always about the people in Apple’s eyes. But in what ways are these revolutionary products hurting human society. Have you ever thought about the process in which Apple’s products were made? The company says they are “humanistic” and encourage “volunteerism” but it is not humane for employees in Apple factories to work 12-hour days six days a week in contrast to the average 8 hours Americans work each day.

In many ways, Apple’s company can be called a dystopian society closely related to the society George Orwell created in Animal Farm. Animal Farm demonstrates the abuse of power someone can have over others through the pigs taking control in the book. It also illustrates the awful conditions the animals lived in.

The animals worked day after day without breaks and were barely given food in return. This can be related to how workers are treated in Apple factories in China. In an article by The Wall Street Journal, reporter, Paul Mozur found that a nonprofit Chinese labor watch from New York released a report alleging labor abuse in Taiwanese Apple factories. This included violations of safety and environment, as well as poor living conditions and low work pay. The Chinese labor union stated that “if confirmed, the breaches alleged in the report would violate both Chinese law and Apple’s supply policy.” In the same Wall Street Journal article, Apple confesses that they found workers at the Taiwanese factory were working 72-hour weeks. This excessive overtime was also a violation of Apple’s policies. Apple made a statement saying, “Excessive overtime is not in anyone's best interest and we work closely with our suppliers to prevent it” (Mozur, Paul). This unreasonable amount of labor work can be directly related to “Animal Farm.” In the book Animal Farm, by author George Orwell, the animals are convinced that once they rebel and make Mr. Jones leaves they will have a better life and be able to do as they please. The animals soon discover this wasn't going to change. The animals work day after day, six days a week, and sometimes even seven. When Mr. Jones was commanding them the animals would not get fed and after the revolution, the animals of the farm thought they would be able to feed themselves. Instead, the pigs would take all the rations for themselves, leaving the other animals to starve. The hardest working animal, Boxer, never stopped taking breaks and worked his whole life, even after his retirement period. Boxer only left because Napoleon sold him (Orwell). The animals in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” are similar to the workers in Apple factories in those ways. Bloomberg Technology did research into the Chinese Apple factories and interviewed some of their employees.

Housing is offered to Apple employees at the Chinese factories. In the Bloomberg news article, author Alex Webb found that eight workers share a small, cramped dorm room with Toanimals bunk beds. The rooms also have no heating or air conditioning. Many times temperatures get to freezing so the workers close the window to stay warm. Apple has company policies set in place. Based on Bloomberg news, their code of conduct says suppliers should 'identify, evaluate, and manage occupational health and safety hazards through a prioritized process of hazard elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and/or personal protective equipment.' As far as working conditions go, it is much worse. Masks and rubber gloves are designed to protect the workers from machines that spray tiny metallic particles and coolant. The masks and gloves do not last a whole dayApple'soday'sof work, workers then have to keep working without protection. In one interview Webb found that workers made a little over two dollars each day and would buy their own gloves and masks if needed. This left them no money for personal products. This was not the first time an investigation found underlying issues in Apple factories. Green America and CLW did their own investigation fToanimalsinding 22 issues that violated 14 of Apple's supplier policies. The issues included, “forced, unpaid overtime and improper handling of hazardous materials”(Webb). The article from Bloomberg Technology goes on to state “Apple spent years unbraiding manufacturers after a rash of suicides at its main partner, Foxconn Technology group in 2010 provoked outraged over the harsh working conditions.” The authorities unfair authorityhasthen put suicide nets all over their building because of the incidents. ApplesApple's dominant control over the technology industry makes these horrific affairs seem underlying and insignificant.

New York University graduate, Dejian Zeauthorityeducationng spent six weeks undercover at a Pegatron facility located on the outskirts of Shanghai. This was Dejian’s summer project for the university. In order to have this job at the Apple factory, Dejain stated, “I just waited in line with others and when it was my turn they asked to see my identification and then they asked to see my hands and recite the English alphabet” (Leswing). In the book Animal Farm, only the highest authority received an education. The pigs began taking over how Mr. Jones would run the farm. Most of the other animal tried to learn the English alphabet but would only get past the letter “c” and forget the rest. This can be related to apple in that the highest level of authoritiesauthority of employees have very high educations. Without having an exceeding level of education, they probably would not have the job they have now. Whereas the people making and building the products have the lowest education levels compared to other employees of higher status. Animals on the farm were sent to work while the pigs, who have the most authority on the farm, stayed in the house and “worked.” The Korea Times reported that mobile carriers were very surprised after the announcement of the iPhone X. The new Apple products had yet to be informed to mobile carriers. With this report, Apple allegedly had unfair shifting in advertising costs with local mobile carriers. They also made telecom firms “host release ceremonies for their new products.” Other countries have taken educational authoritiesunfair practices very seriously. Taiwan was one of them. Taiwan fined Apple in 2013 over half a million dollars “for controlling iPhone prices.” France also goes into the same dispute before Taiwan. France in 2012 fined Apple 64 billion “for having mobile carriers pay for ads” (Seung- Woo). In an article but Shona Ghosh, Watch senior tech reporter from Business Insider found that Apple and other companies like Google were restricting apps like Spotify. Apple and Google were not allowing interaction with customers and restrictions on data. With 64 percent and growing of the United State population who own some type of Apple product brings Apple to the number one technology company in the world. A New York Times article shows just how big Apple really is. In 2018, Apple reached a market value of more than one trillion (Phillips). So as the largest tech corporation in the world, they have more in common with the animals of Animal Farm based on the treatment and controlling the way the company has over their employees. Apple is such a monopolizing company that many of the underlying issues go unnoticed. As humans, we only think about iPhones and Apple watches as making our lives easier. We never think about the way and the process in which that iPhone came to be in our hands.