Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

(A case study of Apple Inc.)

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Summary

Cooperate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as a business approach that enables business organizations to run their services as per the required rules and guidelines (Pour et al., 2014, p.228). Business organizations are increasingly becoming aware of how the general society is impacted by their operations.

Following the change of leadership in 2011, after the death of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. changed its operational approach as the management decided to focus on the incorporation of CSR initiatives in its operations. Peloza and Sheng (2011, p.118), the integration of CSR into business operations creates a platform where a business focuses on enhancing sustainable development.

The company has its CSR policies and objectives well defined as it was the first technology-based corporation operating in the United States to set up an environmental campaign (Gupta & Prinziger, 2013, p.254). Apple Inc. as a business is also concerned with how its operation influence and impact the general society.

Apple Inc. can enhance sustainable development by initiating proper waste disposal techniques. However, to implement the CSR strategies, Apple Inc. has invested quite a lot.  The implementation of CSR strategies and policies has provided the company with enhanced business visibility (Lazonick et al., 2013, p.256).

Borrowing from the shared-value approach theory (Porter & Kramer, 2011) Apple Inc. can ensure that it attains a win-win solution. The theory is built on the principle that companies enhance profit margins through providing solutions to social problems. Besides, the use of triple bottom line theory enables a company to assess its performance levels.

CSR is a broad concept that entails different practices that address various essential topics that are of high relevance to the development of an economy (Werther & Chandler, 2010). The incorporation of CSR into business operations creates a platform where Apple Inc. focuses on enhancing sustainable development.

1.0 Introduction 

            Presently, business organizations are increasingly becoming aware of how the general society, for example, their stakeholders, as well as the environment, is impacted by their operations. Cooperate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as a business approach that enables business organizations to run their services as per the required rules and guidelines. Sue and Jie (2015, p.11) opine that through different mechanisms of CSR businesses can consider their environmental, economic and social impact. The implementation of CSR initiatives differs from company to company hence not all organizations get it right an all aspects of CSR. CSR is a broad concept that entails different practices that address various essential topics that are of high relevance to the development of an economy.

2.0 Corporate social responsibility and sustainability at Apple Inc.

A case study of Apple Inc.

            Apple Inc. has its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The company is a popular computer technology corporation specializing in the production of computer hardware accessories, computer software, portable media players, personal computers, and so on. However, according to Gupta and Prinziger (2013, p.249), the technology corporation is more popular due to the production of iPhones, iPods, and the Macintosh line of personal computers. The most significant share of the company's revenue standing at over 45 percent is from the sale of computers thus underlining the dominance of the brand. The increasing dominance of the company in the technology industry has resulted in the management incorporating CSR initiatives and programs in business operations.

Gupta and Prinziger (2013, p.249) asserts that company’s CEO Tim Cook receives updates on the progress implemented CSR strategies from the Vice President of Environmental Initiatives. Following the change of leadership in 2011, after the death of Steve Jobs, the company changed its operational approach as the management decided to focus on the incorporation of CSR initiatives in its operations. The incorporation of CSR into business operations creates a platform where a business focuses on enhancing sustainable development. CSR is essential to companies that are interested in revolutionizing the element of sustainability in the business world.  The inclusion of CSR into business operations creates a platform where Apple Inc. focuses on enhancing sustainable development.

CSR policies and strategies at Apple Inc.

            The company has its CSR policies and objectives well defined as it was the first technology-based corporation operating in the United States to set up an environmental campaign (Gupta & Prinziger, 2013, p.254). To uphold protect the environment the company has initiated programs that will effectively reduce water wastage across the company's plants and offices. The related environmental initiatives have resulted in the company using harvested rainwater to irrigate the plants at its Apple Campus. Apple Inc. advocates for environmental protection so that to ensure that it meets its sustainability goals and objectives. The company has also adopted proper waste management and disposal mechanisms, hence, reducing the amount of electronic waste that would have been disposed of through landfills. Besides, 99 percent of the company products are packaged in recycled materials (Lazonick et al., 2013, p.216). The company has initiated waste recycling mechanisms where all valuable components are recycled across it different production plants across the world. To reduce the amount of electronic...