Case Studies Discussion Questions
Question 1
According to Rodriguez’s (2020) article, the only way individuals can reduce poverty levels is by educating their children. This means, therefore, that every family must commit themselves to educate their children, especially the girls. Most families, especially in Africa and the Arab world, prioritize the education of boys over that of girls. Rodriguez’s (2020) article argues that poverty levels in the world can reduce if families can educate their female children. By individuals prioritizing the education of the girl child, they will also be increasing the number of educated children globally. One of the most important components of CSR (corporate social responsibility) is community education. This means, therefore, that businesses can also contribute to poverty reduction in their communities by educating young scholars. By promoting educational policies in their business agenda – especially policies that promote education for girls, they will not lead to an increased number of educated children, but they will also contribute to poverty reduction.
Question 2
One of the factors that barred women’s education in the sultanate was the traditional mindset that men had in the Kingdom (Goveas & Aslam, 2011). For instance, Arab men perceived women to be inferior, and they believed that it was the man’s responsibility to provide economic and physical responsibility (Goveas & Aslam, 2011). Traditional values also dictated that it was the duty of the woman to give birth to children, and take care of them and the home. Because of these unethical beliefs, the education of the child was not given any priority or meaningful consideration. Young girls were also married off at a very tender age, and sometimes the marriage was planned without their knowledge or the knowledge of their mothers. Once the young girls were married off, pursuing an education became very difficult because of the burden of raising children and taking care of the home. In other words, the patriarchal systems in the sultanate prioritized the education of boys and suppressed the desires of women to pursue an education.
Question 3
Islam plays a very significant role in the Arab world, followed by tribe and family. As a matter of fact, the formulation of culture in the Arabic world is done on the basis of family and tribe. Islam occupies almost every sphere of the Arabic people. When it comes to education, Islam advocates for equality in both genders. Mohamed himself advocated for the education of both men and women, judging from the fact that most of his teachings were to both genders, and some of his followers were actually women. Women who are likely to access education in the Arabic world are those from families or tribes with educated mothers. Women from manual families are not likely to pursue education. In other words, parents in certain families or tribes with a high level of educational interest are most likely to motivate their daughters to have an interest in educational matters. Those who come from tribes with parents who do not have an interest in education may not be interested in it.
Case Study 2
Question 1
CSR can be described as the commitment of a company to manage the economic, environmental, and social effects of its business operations in accordance with the expectations of the public. It is a very important component of business strategy because it demonstrates that a business is not just interested in making profits, but it is also concerned with wider issues in society such as environmental pollution, corruption, education, etc. Socially responsible business is able to enjoy a number of benefits such as competitive edge, improved public image, and increased engagement with customers, increased public trust, increased brand recognition or awareness, among other benefits.
Question 2
To address the issue of child labor, Apple developed training programs that would prevent the hiring of underage employees in the future (Torres et al., 2012). Managers were trained on labor laws, although it was later discovered that such training would not solve the problem because child labor could still be concealed, such as through providing fake work schedule data and fake wages. Sometimes it would be difficult to turn away underage workers, especially those who needed to work so that they could provide for their households. Through the company’s child labor remediation program, suppliers were required to not just return underage workers to school but also to pay for their education. Additionally, the company implemented transparency policies for its supply child, and it also joined the FLA (Fair Labor Association) (Torres et al., 2012).
Question 3
Most of Apple’s suppliers are overseas manufacturing companies to whom Apple outsources its products (Torres et al., 2012). The reason for outsourcing is that the cost of manufacturing in the US can be very high because worker wages are high. In other words, products manufactured in the USA would be very costly to consumers. The company Apple commits to its social responsibility guidelines in its worldwide supply chain. Therefore, it requires its suppliers to ensure that they provide safe working conditions to its workers, treat its employees with respect and dignity, and use manufacturing resources that are environmentally friendly. A detailed explanation of what the company requires of its suppliers is provided in its supplier Code (Torres et al., 2012).
List of References