outsourcing.pdf

Worksheet

Outsourcing

An article in a British newspaper accuses the company, Apple, of exploitative practices in China. Apple sends in an

investigative team. How far can a company be expected to ensure fair working practices when it has outsourced

production?

1 How many hours are you contracted to work a week? How many hours do you actually work? Compare your answers

with a partner.

2 Read the paragraph headings (a–d). Skim the article and match the headings to the correct paragraphs (1–4).

(a) Investigation findings (b) US firm criticised (c) Outsourcing (d) Reporting fairly

Apple: investigation in China

[1] It started in June with a report in a British newspaper,

alleging that Apple’s suppliers in China had been treating

workers unfairly. The report said that workers were paid $50

a month and had been forced to work 15 hour shifts in order

to make iPods, Apple’s iconic digital music player. By

allowing workers to work more than 60 hours a week, the

factory violated a US code of conduct.

Firstly, bias. Apple’s investigation team is not independent.

The employees interviewed depend on the Western company

for their income, so this may have influenced the results.

When the management and the union both ask questions to

workers, their reports can be very different! Apple is now

bringing in Verite, a company which looks at standards in

the workplace to ensure that people around the world work

under legal, safe and fair conditions.

[2] So, Apple sent in an investigation team to visit the factory.

It interviewed over 100 workers and found that some

employees did indeed work longer than 60 hours a week.

However, around 20% of employees actually wanted to do

more overtime! The investigation also established that all

workers earned at least the local minimum wage.

[4] Also, the whole complex issue of outsourcing is being

called into question. Apple said the hours were ‘excessive’

and said its supplier would now be enforcing a ‘normal’

60-hour week. The length of the working week is, of course,

much longer than in the US. So, the computer firm continues

to make vast profits from outsourcing its production to a

country where labour is cheaper. Apple has sold about eight

million iPods in the last three months, and has announced

revenue of $4.37 billion in its last quarterly statement. Is this

exploiting the local workforce? Or is it a win-win situation?

[3] The suppliers’ response has been to introduce a training

program to improve the quality of their managers. Also, a

complaints system has been started, so employees can

criticise managers anonymously. The case raises many issues.

3 Read the article. What did the investigation uncover? What has Apple and the factory in China done in response?

4 Find words in the article from the following definitions.

(a) saying something is true, or illegal, even though it has not been proved

Paragraph 1

(d) did something that is opposite to a law, agreement or principle

Paragraph 1

(e) an attitude which makes you treat people in a way which is unfair to others

Paragraph 3

(f) treating someone unfairly in order get some benefit for yourself

Paragraph 4

5 Discuss the following questions in small groups. Be ready to report back your findings to the class.

(a) What are the pros and cons of outsourcing from the point of view of the companies and the employees of

those companies?

(b) What are the local standards for working conditions in factories in your country? How are they policed?

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.

(b) a period of work time

Paragraph 1

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: