The following paper briefly compares and contrasts the corporate social responsibilities, ethics, and diversity in Walmart, Amazon, and Apple Inc. Walmart is an American multi-global retail corporation that is presently the world’s largest business entity as per Fortune Global 500 in 2020. On the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) front, Walmart believes in promoting the business and benefiting consumers and society. Firstly, the company emphasizes sustainability to make the world a better place by creating sustainable products, conserving nature, and eliminating dangerous emissions and sources of waste (Walmart, 2022). Moreover, the entity promotes volunteerism amongst its employees and engages in charity globally, including participating in food donations, conducting food security campaigns, and offering financial support to the needy.
Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos, is an American multinational company that delves into technology, artificial intelligence, computing, streaming, and e-commerce. Like Walmart, Amazon is also heavy on environmental sustainability initiatives as a CSR function. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entity ramped up CSR programs to further include the provision of food relief, educational support, and housing (Amazon, 2022). Nevertheless, some criticism arose during the pandemic concerning its working conditions and PPEs for workers.
Like Amazon, Apple is another American multi-global technology enterprise that focuses on online services, software, and consumer electronics. According to Apple Inc. (2022), the company is also big on environmental initiatives through its active engagement on climate change issues, environmental sustainability and strategy initiatives, after-sales services, and a global recycling program. Apple is a leading player in the Product Red initiative that supports the global fund to combat HIV, malaria, and TB. However, the business also faced accusations of poor working conditions in its outsourced facilities globally.
According to its webpage, Walmart’s ethics revolve primarily around integrity, excellence, service, and respect. The company remains fully committed to ensuring its food products are safe and that the technologies used are ethical and sustainable (Walmart, 2022). The company prides itself on always investigating concerns raised by stakeholders, associates, and consumers. However, specific issues continue to emerge concerning employee handling. Some workers lament that the company treats them like robots rather than human beings, focusing on maintaining high employee productivity. Also, the company can let go of its workers without any warning due to perceived low productivity.
Amazon’s mission statement aims to provide a healthy and safe workplace devoid of danger and harassment and enhance employee freedoms to ensure they execute their roles unhindered. Hence, the company discourages any action that would imperil the clients, suppliers, and employees (Amazon, 2022). However, mixed reports are rife as to whether the company treats its employees ethically. Despite their schedule flexibility, good benefits, and high pay rates, some employees complain that the company overworks them, just as in Walmart’s case.
Even though Apple’s management continues to stress its adherence to ethical standards, numerous complaints of unethical practices exist. These complaints touch on political influence, anti-social finance, irresponsible marketing, arms and military supply, and environmental pollution. In 2019, the Guardian reported accusations against Apple from the Democratic Republic of Congo where children died, and many others suffered severe injuries while working in cobalt mines on Apple’s behalf. Over time, issues also emerged concerning Apple’s limitations on users’ freedom of expression.
All three companies boast diversity in their global and local workforce. For instance, Walmart does not discriminate against potential employees based on their gender, race, and creed, as per their statement. Indeed, its American workforce has a rich mix of whites, African Americans, Native Indians, Latinos, and so on. Amazon also claims to receive its diverse perspectives from a pool of employees of various ages, genders, races, national origins, professional and life experiences, education, culture, and sexual orientation. The company has over 13 employee resource groups and about 90,000 employees in hundreds of branches globally (Amazon, 2022). On its part, Apple claims to be an accurate reflection of the contemporary world. According to figures from 2020, the company significantly increased the number of employees from underrepresented communities, including Black, Hispanic, and female employees (Apple Inc., 2022). Thus, being multinational entities, the three companies have good employee diversity.