Influential Company in the US
Apple is an influential company in the US yet most of its products are made in China because labor in China is cheaper than in the US. It is also reported that working shifts of workers in China range from 12-16 hours and most workers live on site thus, increasing on the production capacity.
Further, most of the Apple components are manufactured in China and transporting the different components to the US for assembling would be logistically challenging. In addition, China has a larger number of engineers than the US, a condition that has resulted to sophistication of Chinese manufacturing industry as compared to the US industry. How Lobbyists Use Their Influence in Politics Lobbying includes coming up with a strategy that will influence decisions made by the government. Lobbyists usually act as the link between the industries or organizations that they represent and the individuals or political parties that they want to influence. Lobbying in America has turned out to be a multibillion industry because of its influence in politics.
Lobbyist normally influence politics through pledging for support of specific motions or specific running candidates with the promise that if such candidates are elected or the proposed motions are passed, they stand to gain from it. For instance the Obama administration vowed to stop commercialization f colleges. This was met with intense lobbying that targeted senior officials in the Obama campaign thus averting the situation. Poverty is a business opportunityIn the recent past, many organizations such as the World Bank have come out openly to convince investors to invest in poverty stricken areas. This has been attributed to the fact that investing in poverty eradication is a strategic business opportunity.
In their quest to advocate for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the World Bank has urged entrepreneurs to invest in education, infrastructure and business ventures in poor areas in order to improve the living standards of the local people. By investing in such opportunities, entrepreneurs are assured of influencing development of their brands due to the consumer response to corporate responsibility. Future opportunities include ripping profits from an educated workforce and development of global brands. Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Advantages of globalization include free trade between states. This has contributed to the emergence of global markets and global brands as consumers have a wider range of product choice.
Globalization has also contributed to the increase in information sharing between individuals and groups from diifferent countries. This has led to the decrease in cultural barriers thus making the world a global village. On the other hand, globalization is disadvantageous because it has increased the spread for economic crisis from one nation to another. Further, globalization has contributed to the shift in manpower supply as producers seek to maximize on developing nations that offer cheap labor. Globalization has also been criticized for the increase in spread of communicable diseases as people have become more mobile.
Blood-TronicsBlood tronics refers to electronic devices that are made with metals which are mined unethically. This includes mining of metals under the control of war lords who enslave workers to mine the metals at a minimum wage. The metals in question are also mined in the midst of war zones as interest groups fight for ownership of mining fields. The trend is very rampant in Congo. Human rights activists have reported that the current unrest in Congo is majorly attributed to the war for economic gains in the mining regions such as Eastern Congo.
To curb this, there is a need to reform the security sector in Congo and to enhance peace efforts. Consumer awareness can also be conducted worldwide. Companies such as Apple can invest in ethical mining by establishing mining fields in Congo thus employing the local people and doing away with war lords.
