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Company overview Apple Inc, located in Cupertino, California, is the most famous and valuable American technology company. Its products include various electronic devices including Macs, iPods, iPhones, and iPads (Lee, 2014). The company was founded by two hackers, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1967 (Lee, 2014). In 1977, they designed Apple II and achieved significant success (Lee, 2014). Yet the product was criticized by many computer professionals as one of them said dismiss is an underpowered toy since there was no software for it; Until 1979, along with the creation of Visicale, the first spreadsheet program, the product was applied for serious business purposes and the education market (Lee, 2014). Nowadays, Until January 28th, 2020, according to the official report “The Company posted quarterly revenue of $91.8 billion, an increase of 9 percent from the year-ago quarter and an all-time record, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $4.99, up 19 percent, also an alltime record; International sales accounted for 61 percent of the quarter’s revenue (Apple, 2020).” The Apple CFO announced that “Our very strong business performance drove an all-time net income record of $22.2 billion and generated operating cash flow of $30.5 billion; We also returned nearly $25 billion to shareholders during the quarter, including $20 billion in share repurchases and $3.5 billion in dividends and equivalents (Apple, 2020).” The new product iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 pro results in strong demand and contributes Q1 as the highest quarterly revenue (Apple, 2020). Up to May 7th, Apple stock closes at 303.74 dollars per share which is the most valued technology company in the stock market. Apple Inc is a company that has a rich history back in 1967. After decades of growth and innovation, the firm has become the largest technology with a tremendous amount of revenue. Its products are incredibly popular around the world and indeed, as what it’s founder Steve Job said,

has changed the world. Behind such a profitable firm there is a sophisticated system that maintains its running and it is noteworthy for all business executives and entrepreneurs to study and imitate. Therefore, Apple Inc is a perfect example of this study. CSR report Corporate Social Responsibility report is a periodic report, annually in many cases, selfdisclosure by companies to report their corporate social responsibility actions and results. (CSR, n.d) The main purpose of a CSR report is to communicate with stakeholders, demonstrate the transparency of business activities, and to enable companies to measure the impact of their activities on the environment, society, and the economy. (CSR, n.d) It is a significant way that companies participate in business ethics and social responsibilities. This strategy attracts various business parties such as employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders, and other stakeholders. (Moravcikova, K., Stefanikova, Ľ., & Rypakova, M. 2015) Furthermore, studies have indicated that: “CSR activities and achievements disclosed in corporate responsibility reports can enhance corporate and improve financial performance.” (Wang, Z., Hsieh, T.-S., & Sarkis, J. 2017) Hence, organizations should systematically manage their influence in relating areas of social responsibility and monitor the impact of their interactions. (Hąbek, P., & Wolniak, R. 2016) To create a quality CSR report, communication and readability are crucial elements to consider. A quality CSR report is easy to interpret by audiences. The study suggests that: “Good CSR performance is more likely to use plain language to disclose their CSR achievements.” (Wang, Z., Hsieh, T.-S., & Sarkis, J. 2017) On the other hand, companies with inferior CSR performance tend to use complex sentences or words to blur the negative information. (Wang, Z., Hsieh, T.-S., & Sarkis, J. 2017) CSR report should include several aspects which are credibility, completeness, significance, and appropriate form. (Moravcikova, K., Stefanikova, Ľ., &

Rypakova, M. 2015) In the case of Apple Inc CSR report. Apple clearly states every ethical policy. For example, in the section of Labor and Human rights Code highlights, the report demonstrates the policies of working hours, wages and benefit contracts, protection of laborers’ rights, and anti-discrimination. (Apple, 2020) The commitment of top management, description of corporate policy, and introduction of personnel responsibilities contribute strong credibility of CSR report. (Moravcikova, K., Stefanikova, Ľ., & Rypakova, M. 2015) In the section supporting supplier employee health and well-being, the report presents the measures that the company takes to ensure employee’s well-being; The cases cover the operations in different regions including China, India, and Vietnam. (Apple, 2020) It serves as the purpose of Completeness. The section also presents the qualitative data, such as indicating the avoidance of 779,605 metric tons of supplier energy-related emissions. (Apple, 2020) The using of quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess its social responsibility illustrates the significance of the report. (Moravcikova, K., Stefanikova, Ľ., & Rypakova, M. 2015) Lastly, the vocabulary that the report uses is plain and easy to understand, yet the tone is professional and fully demonstrate their responsibilities. Besides the article length is moderate and accompanied by colored pictures. It further promotes and readability and vividness to the audience. Into the further regard of the report, it is divided into the sections of People, Planet, Progress, and Measurement. (Apple, 2020) They demonstrate the aspect of labor and rights, environmental sustainability, leadership, and assessment separately. Therefore, it concluded that the audience of the report is customers, employees, public, and most importantly, the authorities, investors, and stakeholders.

Reference Lee, T. B. (2014, November 17). How Apple became the world's most valuable company. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2014/11/17/18076360/apple Apple Reports Record First Quarter Results. (2020, June 12). Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2020/01/apple-reports-record-first-quarter-results/ Wang, Z., Hsieh, T.-S., & Sarkis, J. (2017). CSR Performance and the Readability of CSR Reports: Too Good to be True? Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25(1), 66–79. doi: 10.1002/csr.1440 Moravcikova, K., Stefanikova, Ľ., & Rypakova, M. (2015). CSR Reporting as an Important Tool of CSR Communication. Procedia Economics and Finance, 26, 332–338. doi: 10.1016/s22125671(15)00861-8 Hąbek, P., & Wolniak, R. (2016). Relationship between Management Practices and Quality of CSR Reports. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 220, 115–123. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.475 Apple Supplier Responsibility Progress Report. (2020) Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/pdf/Apple_SR_2020_Progress_Report.pdf CSR Report - Definition, Meaning, Benefits & Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://youmatter.world/en/definition/csr-report-definition-meaning-benefits-examples/...