Introduction
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an essential facet of corporate strategy in recent years. Most of the biggest corporations establish clear CSR policies due to a growing demand to hold organizations accountable for their actions and decisions and their impact on society and the environment. Apple is one of the most influential companies in the world; therefore, creating a comprehensive CSR policy and complying with it is vital for them. This paper will focus on identifying the pillars of Apple’s responsibility, its mission statement, and how the stated mission aligns with its CSR.
Pillars of Responsibility
Apple is an organization with a strong commitment to various pillars of responsibility. Throughout the years, its initiatives have been concerned with several areas of work; however, special emphasis has been placed on the ethical and philanthropic fields. Most recently, it has been investing in its supplier relationships, environmental initiatives to achieve sustainability goals, and education programs for students and teachers in neglected communities.
Supplier Relationships
Apple’s commitment to ensuring stable, ethical practices in its supply chains exemplifies the ethical pillar of responsibility. The company has created a document titled “Apple Supplier Code of Conduct” to establish behavior norms for all the parts involved in the work process. This document addresses issues like excessive working hours and inadequate safety measures in supplier factories (Apple, 2022). The text states: “A workweek shall be restricted to 60 hours, including overtime, and Workers shall have at least 1 day off every 7 days except in emergencies or unusual situations. Regular workweeks shall not exceed 48 hours.” (Apple, 2022, p. 2). By enforcing strict standards of practices, Apple demonstrates its commitment to worker rights throughout its supply chain, regardless of the supplier’s country of origin.
Rules enforced by the code of conduct also include the conditions for responsible sourcing of materials. The company has assumed responsibility for tracing the sources of minerals used for manufacturing the products (Apple, 2022, p. 117). They emphasize that “Due diligence shall be conducted to the material processing level in order to determine whether relevant materials originate from High-Risk Regions,” that is, regions with human rights violations or armed conflicts as well as regions with other widespread high-risk activities (Apple, 2022, p. 117). This statement reflects their willingness to avoid contributing to human rights abuses and conflicts by extracting minerals.
Environmental Initiatives
The organization’s commitment to achieving environmental sustainability goals is a part of the philanthropic responsibility pillar. In the last few years, Apple has made significant investments in using renewable energy in their facilities (Apple, 2021). They have also developed projects such as solar and wind farms (Apple, 2021).
In their 2021 “Environmental Social Governance Report,” they claim: “We’re committed to transitioning our entire manufacturing supply chain to 100 percent renewable electricity generated from solar, wind, and other renewable projects” (Apple, 2021, p. 7). They have also set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030 (Apple, 2021, p. 42). These actions illustrate Apple’s willingness to mitigate the consequences of climate change and reduce its environmental impact.
Mission Statement
Apple’s mission statement has not been updated in several years, but it was adopted before a significant part of its CSR policy was implemented. It states: “Apple strives to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals, and consumers worldwide through its innovative hardware, software, and internet offerings” (Product feedback, n.d.). The emphasis is on innovation and product excellence and does not explicitly mention CSR. However, it aligns with corporate social responsibility in some ways.
Innovation goes along with the area of environmental responsibility. For example, Apple has worked to design products that are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly (Apple, 2021). In 2021, Tim Cook said: “Every day, we work to infuse the products and services we make with decency and humanity. And we strive to build the best products on earth while leaving the world better than we found it” (Apple, 2021, p. 3). This claim shows that Apple believes in the connection between the best product quality and the environment.
The mission statement also correlates with Apple’s ethical responsibility. Their stated mission is to make the best user experience for everyone, including people with disabilities. Therefore, they created inclusive designs for all their products and added special features, adapting them for people with auditory and visual impairments (Accessibility, n.d.). The goal is to enrich the lives of all people, which is a part of corporate social responsibility.
Conclusion
Apple is one of the corporations with the most assertive policies regarding CSR. They are dedicated to complying with ethical working standards and ensuring they do not contribute to worldwide human rights abuses. They are also working on making the production process more sustainable. Overall, its mission statement goes along with its CSR as they are willing to create high-quality, environmentally-friendly products and make them accessible to disabled individuals.
References
Accessibility. (n.d.). Apple. Web.
Apple. (2021). Environmental social governance report. Web.
Apple. (2022). Apple supplier code of conduct. Web.
Product feedback. (n.d.). Apple. Web.