Instructions attached
Answer the five questions in the closing case: “How the iPhone Is Made: Apple’s Global Production System” (located on p. 36 attached).
What are the benefits to Apple of outsourcing the assembly of the iPhone to foreign countries, and particularly China? What are the potential costs and risks to Apple?
In addition to Apple, who else benefits from Apple’s decision to outsource assembly to China? Who are the potential losers here?
What are the potential ethical problems associated with outsourcing assembly jobs to Foxconn in China? How might Apple deal with these?
On balance, do you think that the kind of outsourcing undertaken by Apple is a good thing or a bad thing for the American economy? Explain your reasoning.
How can a company like Apple, with a global supply chain, hedge against the risks of significant supply chain disruption due to the emergence of a new virus such as the SARS virus that appeared in 2003 and the COVID-19 virus that appeared in 2020?
Sources must be documented and a references page with a minimum of six sources of information other than the textbook should be included.
