Corporate Social Responsibility Report: Apple's Strategies

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), focusing on Apple's specific strategies and approaches. It begins with an introduction to CSR, emphasizing its importance for businesses and society. The report then explores the advantages of CSR, such as improving a company's image, attracting and retaining employees, and attracting investors, while also addressing potential disadvantages, including a shift in profit-making objectives and increased costs. The core of the report examines Apple's key approaches to CSR, including its treatment of employees, investors, customers/consumers, and employees of suppliers and distributors. The report concludes by summarizing the significance of CSR and Apple's practical application of CSR principles. The report is supported by references to relevant academic sources.

Running head: CSR
CSR
Student Name
4/13/2020

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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Adavantages of CSR....................................................................................................................................3
Improves the image of a company...........................................................................................................3
Helps attract and retain potential employees...........................................................................................3
Good books of regulatory authorities......................................................................................................3
Attracts new investors.............................................................................................................................4
Disadvanatges..............................................................................................................................................4
Shift in the profit-making objective.........................................................................................................4
Hamper the reputation of company.........................................................................................................4
Customers can get impatient....................................................................................................................4
Sudden rise in the cost of production.......................................................................................................4
Key Approaches..........................................................................................................................................5
Apple’s Employees..................................................................................................................................5
Investors..................................................................................................................................................5
Customers/Consumers.............................................................................................................................5
Employees of Suppliers and Distributors.................................................................................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Corporate Social Response or CSR is an alternative business concept that encourages a
organization not only to itself, but to the individuals concerned, and the society, to be socially
conscious. A organization brings benefit to community and the world without undermining the
corporate method by the application of CSR. Apple has various CSR Strategies and has key
approaches used by the company that will be discussed in this report. ”Accordsing to Milton
Friedma there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to increase it’s profits which
will be analyzed in this report by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of CSR.
Adavantages of CSR
Improves the image of a company
CSR activities are a good indicator of the company's image. This increasing reputation when
enforcing CSR policies in business. Apple has done this significantly as because of the positive
picture of business, customers would be more likely to purchase goods or services. 'Unilever
surveys showed that one third of customers chose to buy products focused on social or
environmental effects. By actively participating its staff in civic service activities, Xerox, via its
Community Involvement Initiative, was able to establish a socially conscious picture of the
company (de Jong, and van der Meer, 2017).
Helps attract and retain potential employees
Less visible are businesses engaged with significant CSR activities. This enhances the appeal of
prospective employees searching for work for business. In fact, workers are more inclined to stay
with the business for a prolonged time as the organization begins goodwill by substantial CSR
operations. Millennials typically prefer organisations in which they have a versatility in the
atmosphere of the workforce and are willing to feel comfortable about interacting for the
organisation.
Good books of regulatory authorities
It is the duty of the regulatory authorities to control the activities of specific undertakings.
However, these regulators are less aggressive to business once the company starts to conduct

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CSR operations on a wide scale. In addition, every organization with a good CSR usually stays
controlled to obtain the advantages. Taking Chipotle's initiative "The Inglorious Fruit and
Vegetables" seeks to reduce food waste. The government's attempts to reduce waste are also
complimentary.
Attracts new investors
Whether or not a business attracts new acquisitions decides its industry value. It will raise the
reputation of business with CSR services. And as the company begins getting ample eyeballs, a
variety of customers are often drawn by organized by venture capitalists, other businesses and
even the government to accept investment proposals
Disadvanatges
Shift in the profit-making objective
CSR was also blamed by the economist Milton Friedman for turning the company's emphasis to
income. Profit-making is the greatest goal for any financial organization. However, have to slash
the income margin when it get interested in CSR operations, and the shareholders may be
dissatisfied.
Hamper the reputation of company
In the case that CSR practices are discovered to be breaching the CSR policy, businesses are
forced to report their own product defects. Seeing the shortcomings of current customers would
most definitely lose confidence in business. It may even have a detrimental effect on the revenue
figures (Li, Zhang, and Sun, 2019.).
Customers can get impatient
Both would enjoy the eventual acceptance of the company's CSR system. It will also achieve a
tremendous reputation in the market for business because it is a noble cause. But if the software
doesn't yield positive results, people may assume that it's all a PR trick. This is not good for the
credibility of business (Mogensen, 2018).
Sudden rise in the cost of production
CSR operations will also boost the company's spending. As you will see, it requires a large sum
of money as it is restored to society. When the price of goods increases to pay for inflation,

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consumers must suffer the fire. Blows may be handled by big corporations, but tiny businesses
cannot (Mogensen, 2018)
Key Approaches
 Through its strategies and services on corporate social responsibility, Apple considers the
needs and desires of a variety of core stakeholders. Stakeholder parties place specific
requirements on growing market facets. The following parties are the most relevant in the
case of Apple.
 Apple’s Employees
 Investors
 Customers/Consumers
 Employees of Suppliers and Distributors
Apple’s Employees
Employees became Apple's second-priority corporate accountability partners. The community of
partners is made up of Apple's staff. Fair pay and professional growth are the core priorities of
these performers. Employees are essential as a stakeholder community as they vote directly on
Apple's ability to evolve and produce competitive goods. The business works with its workers
'needs by pay arrangements in Silicon Valley that are sustainable. While the corporate
development activities of Apple satisfy workers as a big stakeholder group's needs and desires
(Bonsu, 2019).
Investors
Investors are usually primary partners and leaders in client corporate responsibility initiatives. In
the case of Apple, creditors tend to optimize their investment returns. This community of
stakeholders is successfully handled with an outstanding financial results. For starters, Apple is
now one of the world's most successful businesses. The business has strong margins for sales.
Apple still has a good financial role, with vast sums of cash requiring heavy liquidity. The
business has succeeded in reducing debt. Apple successfully serves the desires of creditors as
stakeholder focused on certain criteria of corporate social responsibility (Kumar, Sinha, Arora,
and Aggarwal, 2018).

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Customers/Consumers
While establishing corporate social management plans, Apple prioritises customers as the key
partners. This stakeholder community consists of human and corporate Apple devices
purchasers. The consumers 'biggest worry is to provide reliable and inexpensive goods. Higher
price points for Apple goods. The premium price approach from Apple is therefore appropriate
because it correlates to the good quality and esthetics of these goods. The organization already
has sustainable packaging and responsible procurement systems to satisfy consumer quality
standards (Shao, et.al., 2018).
Employees of Suppliers and Distributors
Workers in the Apple supply chain often take an vital role in the corporate responsibility
activities of the business. Such workers are indirect partners in Apple's profits, however they
decide the social obligation of the corporation. The stakeholder group's primary concern is close
to the priorities of the Apple workers, including fair pay and health at work. The community
frequently works on fair principles in the workforce. Apple maintains a Supplier Code of Ethics
to meet these concerns.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that CSR is very important for the company and every company has been
benefitted from there CSR policies. However some companies also faces loss due to their CSR
policies. It can be concluded that the Apple has different approaches other then their CSR
policies which has been implemented very significantly.

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References
Bonsu, S. (2019) Corporate Social Responsibility: Assessing the Alignment of Theory and
Practice Utilizing Case Studies. Journal of Marketing & Management, 10(1).
de Jong, M.D. and van der Meer, M. (2017). How does it fit? Exploring the congruence between
organizations and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Journal of business
ethics, 143(1), pp.71-83.
Kumar, A., Sinha, A., Arora, A. and Aggarwal, A. (2018) Impact of CSR activities on the
financial performance of firms. MUDRA: Journal of Finance and Accounting, 5(1), pp.75-89.
Li, J., Zhang, F. and Sun, S. (2019) Building consumer-oriented CSR differentiation
strategy. Sustainability, 11(3), p.664.
Mogensen, B.G. (2018) Managing Corporate Legitimacy Through CSR Reporting: A Qualitative
Case Study of Apple Inc.’s Supplier Responsibility Reports (Master's thesis).
Shao, Y., Wu, T., Qiu, H. and Wang, Z. (2018) Ambidextrous activities of internet-based
entrepreneurships in Apple App Store: two sides of user feedback. Technology Analysis &
Strategic Management, 30(10), pp.1210-1225.