On December 1, 2022, Apple Inc.’s chief executive officer Tim Cook was facing a hearing in U.S. Congress and media scrutiny about Apple’s involvement in China. For years, Apple had manufactured many of its products in China, and Cook faced questions about his views regarding protests and human rights in China, Apple’s role in it, and its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. Significant shifts were taking place in U.S.–China trade relations, .....more

Teaching note for product W42533.

As a pioneer in the plant-based alternative meat industry, Beyond Meat had experienced rapid growth for many years, primarily driven by increasing environmental concerns and health-conscious consumers. By 2022, the company experienced several challenges, some of which were industry-wide, while others pointed to internal issues relating to operations, human resources, and its product as well as geographic diversification strategies. Its stock value .....more

Teaching note for product W36369.

In a 2014 documentary, the multinational technology company Apple Inc. was implicated in alleged human rights violations at Pegatron, a large Chinese supplier that assembled Apple's iPhones. The allegations followed similar, well-publicized violations in 2009 at another China-based Apple supplier. Although Apple had promised to improve its practices, doing so had clearly proven to be a difficult task. How should Apple respond to these new allegations? .....more

Teaching note for product 9B16M040.