Regulatory, Environmental & Social Considerations in Sourcing

Popular media has been very vocal about encouraging companies to treat employees ethically and to not cause harm to the environment.  In fact, your reading assignment this week included links to companies that take a “triple bottom line” (people, profit, and planet) approach to business success.  However, the public is now holding companies responsible for the people and planet practices of supplier factories overseas.

You may remember hearing about a story in 2012 about the issues at a Chinese factory –Foxconn—that makes iPhones.   The first link below is the New York Times story that initially presented the issues to the public.  Not only is the story interesting, but it also discusses the relationship between companies and their suppliers half way around the globe.  What are the company’s responsibilities?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html?pagewanted=7&_r=2Links to an external site.

The second link is a CNN story by Leslie T Chang, who wrote “Factory Girls” about young women who work in these Chinese factories.  Please watch Leslie’s TED Talk, the first video on the far left of the CNN webpage.  Her position may surprise you.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/30/opinion/chang-chinese-factory-workers/Links to an external site.

After reading the article and watching the TED Talk, please write a 3-page paper that includes the following:

• An introduction that summarizes the differing perspectives presented in the two links.
• An overview of each perspective as it would be presented by an advocate.
• Explain your own view of the issues and your personal reconciliation of these differing views.   

The final section of your paper will require some critical thinking skills.  Please take the time to be thoughtful in your response.   If you find yourself falling completely on one side or another, please be sure to clearly explain the thought process that brought you to that decision.