Issues in contemporary management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Issues in contemporary management - Essay Example In fact, some economic pundits project that the economy of China may overtake that of the U.S. in the next few decades. However, despite all these good fortunes, research indicates that China has not improved the working conditions for its workers to ensure their satisfaction (FoxNews.com 2012). This is because the government appears not to have enacted adequate laws to protect its labor force from unethical employers if media reports are anything to go by. The country’s media has reported several incidences of labor unrest in many companies in the country, which generally points at poor working conditions and rights violations by employers. For instance, the media has reported several instances of suicidal tendencies by Apple workers according to Green (2012). What is certain is that most workers at Apple resort to suicide when the management is not ready and willing to listen to their grievances and take action. Such behaviors by management can be termed unethical because it shows lack of management’s commitment to the worker’s welfare and well-being (Gayle 2012). This paper will examine the contemporary management issues at Apple in China in light of the high incidences of suicide in the company over the last few years. It is undisputable that Apple products command very high demand in the world. Nevertheless, the working conditions at most of its supply chain appears wanting if the number of suicides and labor unrest being experienced at its supply chains in Chain are anything to go by. For instance, Foxconn Company, one of the main manufacturers of Apple products in China has been making headlines mostly for bad reasons (He 2009). This is because a year hardly passes without labor unrest being reported. Reports indicate that most of the worker’s at Apple supply chains have been protesting through threats of suicide while other go to the extent of not just threatening, but by committing suicide. What is worrying is that the trend has been in place for quite some time now unabated. Ramzy (2012) reports that at least 14 workers committed suicide at Foxconn in the year 2010. However, Qiang (2012) also noted the number has so far risen to 18 following two reported cases of suicide with the last case having been reported on 14 June. However, to make mater worse, the company appears not to have learnt anything from the past suicides that have been committed in the company. This is because Moore (2012) recently reported another mass protest by least 150 Foxconn workers who were threatening to commit mass suicide in the company over poor working conditions in the company. Moore (2012) reported that the workers climbed on the rooftop of the factory in their numbers before threatening suicide. However, the management of the company pleaded with them before being coaxed away. Moore (2012) reveals that the protest began on 2 January 2012 following a move by the managers of Foxconn Company to shift close to 600 employee s to new production lines. However, the managers are reported to have made this move without providing enough training to the workers to be able to handle the new tasks they were being given (Ramzy 2012). In addition, one of the protesters said that as much as this was being done, they were being paid just piecemeal (McGrath 2012). The protesters stated that the salaries they were being offered by the company have made them poorer than they were before since it does not commensurate with the living standards of the