A Critical Review of Ethical Dilemmas in Apple's Marketing Strategies

This essay examines the ethical issues faced by Apple Inc. in its marketing strategies, focusing on product quality, privacy concerns, and patent disputes. It analyzes how Apple's pursuit of innovation and profitability sometimes conflicts with moral standards and ethics, particularly in relation to customers and employees. The essay also discusses Apple's position within Kohlberg's stages of moral development, suggesting that the company operates primarily within the pre-conventional stage. Recommendations include ethical training for employees, establishing detailed rules and regulations, and improving product quality and labor practices to foster customer loyalty and sustainability. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations and moral character in Apple's marketing and management practices to ensure long-term success and integrity. Desklib offers a variety of resources, including solved assignments and past papers, to aid students in their studies.

Management
Marketing and Management
Student’s Name

Marketing and management 1
Introduction
Apple Inc. is one of the leading American and the most successful corporation in the
world. In terms of profits, income and market capitalization and customers’ cachet are
certainly ranks up in current times. Hence, it is proven that it is the most customers- oriented
company, which has developed by maintaining with major priorities one is maintaining the
popularity of IPhones, and other comes up with the new world-changing products (Lashinsky,
2012).
Ethical issues while forming the marketing strategies for apple are –
Product quality-
Product quality is one of the major issue as on daily basis there are several products
which are launched and introduced but certain minor issues which a consumers faces with the
apple brand hinges the reputation of the of the company. As customers view products quality
as inseparable from apple. Hence, due to certain minor issues and a mishap, which customers
face, could majorly affect the brand strength (Pendse, 2012).
Privacy-
Privacy is also one of the major concern topics in terms of Apple Company as within
time apple and google was one of the well-renounced company, they have disclosed certain
features on mobile phones, and they sell collect data on phones. As due to this, government
officials states that it is an infringement act. As company announced that it is enabled but still
to continue to collect location information. As through tis act government official were
disagreed. As by this, government passed on legislation on mobile privacy (Peters, 2015).
Patents-
In terms of copying and protecting its technology from theft, Apple is too aggressive
to set its boundaries against the Samsung and google phones. More recently, lawsuits accused
apple of patent violations. Kodak for example filed a claim against apple and investigation
and contending that the business has invaded on its patent on digital imagining technology. In
return, apple countersued by requesting that it dishonoured the apple’s patent. Hence, an
ethical dilemma in term of implementing marketing strategies failed (Pendse, 2012).

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Selecting the specific market audience-
The major ethical dilemma faced by apple while targeting the specific target market is
also one of the major issues while implementing and forming marketing strategies. As apple
only target the high profiled group, which are having good income generation.
Pricing policies-
Setting predacious prices or pricing underneath the rivalry to cannibalize the market
and limit the rivalry is also one of the unethical pricing strategies. Moreover, setting up
certain barriers that helps in preventing the smaller companies from entering market is also
one of the ethical dilemmas which apple arises at the time of implementing and marketing
strategies (Pendse, 2012).
(Source: Gibbs, 2019)
Stages of Kohlberg’s moral growth are pre-conventional, conventional and Post
conventional and Apple in terms of these stages comprises in pre conventional stage. As pre-
convention stage highlights that morality are outwardly controlled and instructions are
imposed by authority figures in order to avoid punishments or obtain recompenses. This stage
comprises of two parts one is punishment / obedience orientation and second stage highlights
about instrumental purpose orientation. In both of these aspects, behaviours are determined
by the consequences (Gibbs, 2019).
Apple achievement lies in the corporation’s people skill to create and generate the
truly advanced products with vast customers appeal. But along with this, it also contravene or

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disobey the conventional intelligence in terms of moral, standards and ethics in relation to the
customers and employees by majorly focus on low cost and continuously shortened product
life. Hence, it is proven that apple has majorly chosen for continuous and discrete products
innovations in the market and resulting in passionate loyalty and gains the higher level of
profitability (Gonin, & Palazzo, 2012).
Recommendations
Ethical training-
Every employee at apple should be told to perform ethically while working in the
commercial situation. Likewise, training should be given to increase the superior
understanding about the moral values and behaviour. Moreover, making more enticement to
follow the ethical and moral pathway. Making them learn to follow the formed policies and
procedures, which are aligned with legislations and hence this helps in attaining
sustainability.
Rules-
Apple should have detailed rules and regulations in order to control the further
hazardous problems. In addition, in terms of employees, Apple should reduce the excessive
working hours of the employees and lastly, specific rules in respect of overtime hours and
health and safety rules should be formed for employees in terms of production facilities
(Bergvall-Kåreborn, & Howcroft, 2013).
Moral character-
Apple Company should work over its product quality, standards, so that it helps in
building and maintaining strong loyalty of the customers and also generate the good business
habits such as considering employees efforts, remove child labour aspect and work over
sustainability (Cohen, & Morse, 2014).
Conclusion
Hence, from the above essay we can conclude that while forming and implementing
the various marketing strategies Apple Company do need to take care of Ethical and

Marketing and management 4
standards aspects and along with it moral character which highlights about the loyalty,
integrity and employees efforts for removing difficulties in future.

Marketing and management 5
References
Bergvall-Kåreborn, B., & Howcroft, D. (2013, December). The Apple business model:
Crowdsourcing mobile applications. In Accounting Forum (Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 280-
289). Taylor & Francis.
Cohen, T. R., & Morse, L. (2014). Moral character: What it is and what it does. Research in
organizational behavior, 34, 43-61.
Gibbs, J. C. (2019). Moral development and reality: Beyond the theories of Kohlberg,
Hoffman, and Haidt. Oxford University Press
Gonin, M., & Palazzo, G. (2012). Raising the level of moral thinking among managers will
not help. Kohlberg's conventionality and systemic ethical flaws in business. Tradition
and new horizons: towards the virtue of responsibility, 1, 402-414
Lashinsky, A. (2012). Inside Apple: How America's most admired--and secretive--company
really works. Hachette UK.
Pendse, S. G. (2012). Ethical hazards: A motive, means, and opportunity approach to curbing
corporate unethical behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 107(3), 265-279.
Peters, R. S. (2015). Moral Development and Moral Education (Routledge Revivals).
Routledge