Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Closing Case Assignment:
Cases Discussion Questions:
1
...
With China, for example,
Apple executives point out that labor costs only account for a very small proportion of
the total value of its products and are not the main driver of location decisions
...
Another critical
advantage of China for Apple was that it was much easier to hire engineers there
...

Several of Apple's subcontractors have been targeted for their poor working conditions
...

2
...
In China, factories are closer together
...
This makes it easy for the manager to make decisions about manufacturing
...

3
...
Criticisms include low pay of line workers, long hours, mandatory
overtime, etc
...
Some former Apple executives say that there is an unresolved tension
within the company; executives want to improve working conditions within the factories
of subcontractors such as Foxconn, but that dedication falters when it conflicts with
crucial supplier relationships or the fast delivery of new products
...
On balance, do you think that the kind of outsourcing undertaken by Apple is a
good thing or a bad thing for the American economy? Explain your reasoning?

I think that the advantages and benefits of Apple outsourcing out way the disadvantages
and risks
...
Also, the ability of Apple’s Chinese
subcontractors to respond very quickly to requests from Apple to scale production up and
down and the fact that it is much easier to hire engineers there makes outsourcing a good
thing for the American economy
...




---