Apple’s slowed down iphone scandal and its ethical implications based on the theory of utilitarianism and Carrol’s pyramid of CSR

Apple’s slowed down iphone scandal and its ethical implications based on the theory of utilitarianism and Carrol’s pyramid of CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provides a platform for companies and business entities to develop a sense of corporate citizenship by embracing sustainable development practices for societal benefit. Research has shown that employees and customers prioritize working for and consuming goods from companies that support issues that matter to them—having that in mind, corporations whose interests are founded on philosophies of brand promotion and company image improvement have devised means to optimize profits while minimizing costs involved in running CSR projects, while deceiving its publics on real intentions and outcomes. This section reflects on Apple’s slowed down iphone scandal and its ethical implications based on the theory of utilitarianism and Carrol’s pyramid of CSR.

Economic Responsibilities

Primarily, a business can only benefit a society it serves in the long term if it can survive and make profits. Profits margin motivate business owners who, in turn, will incorporate practical managerial skills to keep the company afloat, and hence maintaining its economic responsibility of supplying goods and services to the society it serves as elaborated in Carroll’s CSR pyramid. Apple’s admittance to slowing down older iphone models was motivated by the intent to encourage more customers to upgrade to newer models. The utilitarian theory cites the most ethical choice as the one that produces the greatest good for the most significant number. From an economic perspective, Apple’s defense was centered on compensation for decaying batteries, therefore extending the battery’s life. Extended battery life means a common good for both the company and the user. Apple’s continuity will be guaranteed by the need to provide time to time software updates, whereas the user will use the device for an extended period before the obligation to purchase a replacement arises.

Legal Responsibilities

Companies also have legal obligations with regards to operations and limits while undertaking their social responsibilities. This responsibility, placed on Carroll’s second layer of the pyramid tasks companies to comply with regulator demands on issues such as employment, competition, health, and safety. Apple’s incident can be connected to the company’s intent to cope with competition from rival brands. Slowing down of older iphone models would give the consumer an impression that Apple’s iPhones are equally up to speed as compared to other competitor versions. While this may be regarded as a breach of laws requiring prior warnings to be issued to owners, the action is justified by the utilitarian theory. The theory makes for the acceptance and rejection of an action being reliant upon the motive of the agent. Even though Apple’s actions were contrary to legal requirements, it is justified by the utilitarian position that a right can be achieved from a wrong intent.

Ethical Responsibilities

Organizations are charged also charged with the responsibility to provide an enabling environment for all its stakeholders. This includes employees, suppliers, and consumers. Lawsuits against Apple in the United States as well as European states like France and Israel amplify customer dissatisfaction on the company’s handling of the issue. While the idea of consequences in the utilitarian theory comprises both the good and the bad produced after an act has been done or in doing, the act is ethically regarded as right or wrong only if a party would wish to have an agent compelled to act preferably. While the company acknowledged efforts to address the concerns of their customers to regain trust. Their issuance of software to enable users to monitor battery health was delayed. Acts of proper corporate citizenship should have involved free lithium battery replacements for all customers rather than replacements at lower costs, which still did not compensate the customer for the company’s failure in honest business dealing.

Philanthropic Responsibilities

At the peak of Carroll’s CSR pyramid is the mandate for business entities to give back to society. Although Apple’s actions are not near the considerations of philanthropy, recovery options may have led to other innovations by the company that have been of great benefit to society. Remedies of the slowed-down iphone scandal motivated the development of products that cut power consumption up to 57%. The innovations not only led to the company earning credits of 100% clean energy index from Greenpeace’s clicking report but has also motivated other manufacturers to power all Apple operations with 100% renewable energy. The theory of utilitarianism borrows the philosophy from the theory of intrinsic value, which holds a thing to be good in itself, where other qualities are believed to withdraw their values from their worth to the inherent good as a means to a happy ending. This happy ending means the society benefits from renewable energy, which otherwise would not have come by should the intrinsic good not have been drawn from the failure of Apple, leading to its innovation.

The aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility is broad and simplified by Carroll’s pyramid. While companies are charged with the moral obligation of corporate citizenship, their failures on course to fulfillment could be of benefit as posited by the utilitarian theory where the possibility of a right thing being achieved from a wrong motive.