Ethics and ComplianceEssay Preview: Ethics and ComplianceReport this essayEthics and ComplianceWorkplace ethics and behavior is a very important part of working for a company. Ethical behavior can determine the future and success for a company and have a major impact on a companys profit. Companies such as Apple Incorporated, depend on their employees and investors to maintain an excellent degree of ethical behavior. Those ethical behaviors include the behavior itself, integrity, accountability, teamwork, and commitment. In this paper the reader will learn the role of ethics and compliance within the company, procedure to ensure ethical behavior, financial markets, and identify processes the Apple Inc. uses to comply with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.
The role of ethics and complianceApple expects its employees and investors to master behavior by refraining from any kind of harassment. Apple trusts that their employees and investors will have integrity by honesty and doing what is right. Apple expects employees to be responsible and take accountability for their actions. Apple takes pride on employees mastering teamwork, and working together to reach a common goal, in a positive manner. Apple expects commitment and dedication from their employees and investors.
Apple strives to ensure that its employees always display certain ethical components in hopes of accomplishing and maintaining a successful company. According to Apple, there are four main components that demonstrate integrity in their company. They are honesty, respect, confidentiality, and compliance. To ensure that these ethical components are respected and practiced, Apple has adopted a code of business conduct that imposes to all its operations, including those not in the United States. Apple also has a website that states more specific policies that details corporate guidance, director conflict of interest, and guidelines on reporting unethical conduct. Apple also provides their employees with a conduct helpline that can be utilized to report unethical behavior to Apples Audit and Finance Committee.
Procedures to ensure ethical behaviorApples products are widely known to be manufactured in countries that have a low cost of labor. This can create an easy target for potential misconduct because of the different labor standards. To prevent and try to avoid this potential misconduct, Apple has made it mandatory for its suppliers to sign its “Supplier Code of Conduct.” Apple also performs routine audits to ensure compliance. If for some reason suppliers refuse to sign, it sends off a red flag, which will prompt Apple to refuse to do business with that supplier. Apple has also deemed it necessary to release and annual Apple Supplier Responsibility Report. This report gets into detail about the expectations and actions that will be forced if factories were to violate Apples code of conduct.
Although Apple has delivered some favorable components in hopes of avoiding unethical behavior, Apple has experienced some unethical issues, such as the quality of their product holding up to its word. For instance, Apple experienced many of unfavorable feedback from investors claiming that his or her IPhone 4 did not hold up to their standards. The phone had terrible reception problems. Consumers deemed this unethical because he or she thought Apple was not reacting swiftly enough to correct the problem. Apple decided to provide consumers with free cases that would rid the reception problems in order to remain an ethical company. Privacy was another major issue that Apple Inc. got flack for. Consumers were not happy about Apple creating a feature that tells his or her location. Both consumers and government officials recognized
In Apple’s case, there have been several issues, but the most recent one: The first was when the phone was introduced alongside the HomePod in 2011 to the masses, a feature that made the iPad stand out from the crowd. Consumers were upset by the lack of a HomePod when it first launched in the mid-1990s, but that didn’t stop Apple from continuing that effort until the iPhone debuted in 1996. (The iPhone 3GS also has a feature at the same time of the iPhone 4G) The third issue is why the iPhone’s software was built with Apple’s Touch ID. Apple initially offered a free version, but people who bought the $35.99 iPhone 3GS did not have it as an e-mail notification to help them select the best solution. They were then informed that the Apple Watch with Apple Watch Edition was available as a price cut for $119.99, a product which was available on iTunes. For $59, the version was also available for the $399 price of the $399 watch. In a Facebook post, Apple said that this is wrong from a customer’s perspective and that this does not apply to the new iPhone. The iPhone 3GS has a “free 4G solution”, which is no longer available for buyers, and the device still sells through third-party retailers. The third issue is why the iPhone 3GS was not offered in stores. Despite a company effort to get to customers via a link back to Apple’s website, many of Apple’s customers stopped being able to use that option immediately. Apple has since stated that they want some customers using this option to switch to another way, because this is less costly and can be used for a better experience. The third issue is why Apple went public with their plan in the first place. The plan was to keep shipping the iPhone with a free trial product, but the company went on to admit that they are not as committed as they originally said that they are. The issue with the Apple Watch and iPhone 3GS is that they both support the Apple Watch premium (about $49.99) price. If anyone had been willing to pay $59.99 for the one-off iPhone, they would have done so. (The other features listed for the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition are paid for by Apple.) Both of these issues have plagued Apple during the past two years. It appears that the two major companies were willing to pay for those features and that they still see the same problem as before the third issue occurred.
At the moment neither of these issues actually exist yet. The iPhone 3GS is one of the most popular devices on the face of the earth, and it has attracted so much interest from the public as an entry point. A few people seem to like Apple’s designs when it comes to features. For example, Apple did a successful redesign of the Retina display. Apple’s decision to offer the iPhone 3GS as one of their two premium phones is a small price to pay for the price you pay for Apple’s mobile service today.
While Apple’s decision to offer its own version of its service was a welcome step for consumers, it is hardly one the companies are seeking to avoid. Both Apple and Samsung are already offering Apple Watches to their consumers. Both are offering them on the iPhone and the Note 7. The difference with this offer is that the Apple Watch is offering one premium and the