CASE STUDY on BUSINESS ETHICS in Apple Inc.

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Over the years, the US-based technology giant Apple Inc. (Apple) have earned the reputation for its innovative products and for its ability to create a huge amount of hype surrounding its new product launches. Experts felt that its success was, in part, due to the mystique surrounding Apple and its products which has been created by the company by maintaining a veil of secrecy. So much so, that secrecy has become one of the key elements of Apple's corporate culture. Critics contend that this aspect of Apple's culture also has a dark side. Apple imposed harsh sanctions on employees who violated rules by sharing information. Due to its obsession with secrecy, Apple sued bloggers, online journalists and former employees for disclosing confidential details about upcoming products. In 2009, the company also attracted criticism for failing to disclose vital information regarding CEO Steve Jobs' health to its shareholders. Some critics opined that this strict insistence on absolute secrecy was robbing Apple of its humanity and has also become morally and ethically untenable.
Issues:

. Explain why this culture of secrecy maintained at Apple, which supposedly gave Apple a competitive edge, have also attracted criticism for the company. 5M Discuss whether the Apple's actions were ethical. Discuss whether there should be a change in the company's policy in this regard 5M 5M

BUSINESS & ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY 10M

Among Indian companies in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, HCL Infosystems (HCL) took some pioneering steps for environmental sustainability in 2007 and 2008. After clearly identifying the need for going green, HCL brought all its environmental sustainability initiatives under one umbrella named 'ecoSafe'. However, HCL Infosystems seemed to have lost its first-mover advantage by 2009. In the Sixth Indian version of the Guide to Green Electronics Report of Greenpeace India released in March 2009, HCL scored 4.1/10, dropping to the second place among Indian electrical and electronic equipment manufacturers assessed on several parameters to determine the 'green' factor. It had failed on its commitment to phase out two hazardous chemicals from its products by 2009, and had not made clear commitments on the extent and timeline for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental sustainability initiatives at HCL is questioned in the light of the need for continuous progress on this front.
Issues

Discuss Evolution of environmental sustainability initiatives in an Indian IT company. Corporate responsibility toward stakeholders is fast catching pace- Comment

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