BTEC Level 3 In this assignment I will be going to assess how Nike could improve its operations ethically

by 19djp96 (student)

Unit 37 M1

In this assignment I will be going to assess how Nike could improve its operations ethically in relation to my points brought up in the P task.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Although Nike may have little control over other nations’ labor practices, it should strive to ensure safe working conditions. Engineers should try to use chemicals that are safer for both humans and the environment when possible, and proper ventilation systems should be installed inside of factories to ensure that workers are able to breathe fresh air and work in cooler environments. Nike should hire independent inspectors to ensure compliance with local rules and regulations. Upon discovering a violation, sub contractors should be given a warning and a chance to rectify the situation. Should violations continue after the warning, Nike should cease doing business with that particular subcontractor and choose another one instead.

LABOR LAWS

Labour laws should be dealt with on the local level. Not every country follows the same rules and regulations concerning labour and hiring practices and not every country has the same views on what constitutes childhood and what a child should and should not experience at a certain age. However Nike must insure that no child labour is taking place in their business, if not for the business but for the community their factories are in and the families of the children as child labour has many consequences that effect children dramatically.

MEDIA RELATIONS

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LABOR LAWS

MEDIA RELATIONS

Should Nike wish to improve its public image it should do so in a manner that is acceptable and non-threatening to the foreign government. For example, Nike has created the Nike Foundation which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to “giving the world’s neediest girls the opportunities to lead full, active lives and contributes to fighting poverty through investments in adolescent girls”.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, rules, regulations, and societal standards within other countries are sometimes different from those found within the United Kingdom. Does this mean that companies should attempt to recreate the UK environment in countries that it does business in? In my opinion, I think not. UK companies should strive to abide by that country’s rules, regulations and societal standards. Does this mean that, by operating within these standards, stakeholders within the United Kingdom will be understanding and supportive? Unfortunately, the answer is “not necessarily.” Nike did no wrong in that it was not in violation of local rules and regulations; however, it could have prevented some of the stakeholder backlash by being more proactive in certain ways. For example, it could have voluntarily installed certain equipment into foreign factories at its expense, which would have made for a better working environment. Knowing that certain chemicals are not good for the health, Nike could have provided certain measures to purify the air and could have used less harmful chemicals in the production of their products. In terms of wages, Nike acted correctly in not trying to raise wages too much above the standard. An attempt to do so might have caused potentially unwanted attention from the local government, which would not want to be seen as being unable to provide for its own people. But unfortunately for big companies like Nike the primary concern is money.