Business writing class assignment 2
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Background:
Outsourcing production to countries where products can be made for less money has becoming a highly profitable business model for many industries. Apple.Inc is one corporation that makes use of this practice — their major supplier being Foxconn which produces 80% of the world’s electronics. However, in 2010, Apple.Inc and other electronic companies were urged to make changes when 18 workers at a Foxconn facility attempted to commit suicide and 14 people died. Workers were subjected to low wages, long hours, poor ventilation, psychological abuse, and punishment for mistakes. Overall, they endured unacceptable working conditions.

As a result, Apple agreed to conduct audits and Foxconn followed suit by increasing wages. During the past four years, Apple.Inc has stated that they have made progress. They produce a yearly report with changes that have been made and provide Foxconn with supplier responsibility standards. According to Business Insider, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook stated, “We’ve audited so deep in our supply chain,” he continued by saying. “We do it constantly, looking for anything that’s wrong, whether it’s down to the — there’s a safety exit blocked.”
However, an FLA (Fair Labor Association) report stated that Apple and Foxconn failed to keep their promises in many areas including long working hours, not providing living wages, demanding unpaid overtime, and not providing worker representation.

Write:
As one of the Board of Directors of Apple.Inc, write a letter to the shareholders explaining why Apple continues to do business with Foxconn when there are repeated human rights violations, or explain why Apple has decided to stop doing business with Foxconn and how this will affect profits and future product manufacturing costs. Be sure to think about your decision as a business person—not a college student. Think of this in terms of Apple’s bottom line and your position within this company.
Support your position with details and examples – it is not enough to summarize Apple’s decision, but you must make it clear why Apple has come to this decision and how it will affect the company and shareholders.

Special Note to Students:
Please do not include your name in your letterhead or signature line, instead use the word “Student”—your name should only appear on the front of your bluebook.
General requirement (PLEASE writing in that structure):
Introduction:
As you have been using thus far this quarter, you must have a strong and clear introduction. Your introduction should have your main point (thesis). Why do you believe the way you do? Do you agree or disagree with the prompt? From that, you will formulate your main point. This should be something you can argue. If I say, “I walked to school today,” that is not a main point; it is a statement of fact. If I say, “businesses should have standardized uniforms for ease of recognition for customers.” That is a main point because it is arguable.
Sub-points:
You have installed your introduction with your main point, your sub-points prove your main point. Why, specifically, are uniforms important? They do the following:
• Add professionalism to a business
• Makes it easy for customers to recognize and receive help faster
• Brands the company
• Cost effective for employees
• Etc … (you might have some of your own ideas that aren’t mentioned here. Also, you would elaborate on each of these points)
Your sub-points are essential to developing your main point. In addition, when used with headings they move the reader seamlessly from one point to the next. If you opt to not use headings, you need clear transitions between paragraphs to move your reader from one point to the next.
Details/Examples:
Now that you have your main point and the writing includes your sub-points, you want to use examples/details to further prove your assertion that uniforms are important to businesses. An example from the sub-points above might include UPS as a company that has branded itself with its use of a uniform. If I say there was a guy in all brown delivering packages, you will immediately think, “UPS!” The color brown is synonymous with UPS. In terms of detail, you might discuss a time when you wore a uniform and how it helped in your workplace or a time when you thought your company could use a uniform. What happened? Why would a uniform have helped the customer? The employee? Etc …
Counter-arguments:
Should you include your opposition’s point-of-view? Yes! A good writer elaborates on why we should agree with his/her position but also mentioned his/her opposition’s position. Now, that’s not to say you bring up every converse point, but you must mention their primary argument against you. So, again going back to uniforms, what is the primary argument the opposition uses to refute adopting uniforms? Usually, it is individualism and how uniforms stifle the individual employee. Although that is an interesting point, clothing doesn’t make an individual and there are other things besides clothing that define people–example? Earrings, jewelry, hair color/style, tattoos, piercings, makeup, shoes, tights, etc. Here, we have refuted the opposition’s point and provided examples!
Conclusion:
Your conclusion shouldn’t just be a regurgitation of the response. Although you can reiterate the main point, you want to say something new here. If you are discussing uniforms, you may consider giving employees a time line for adopting a new uniform policy. Also, you might offer suggestions for styles or details. You might discuss ramifications for those employees who do not adhere to the new uniform or who will pay for the uniforms–will it be an expense for the company or employees or both? Oftentimes, students just repeat the response in the conclusion when that isn’t its intent. A conclusion should be more thoughtful than that in order to be successful.