...used to produce the toys and due to loose magnets that could cause serious injury to children if ingested. Mattel blamed the lead paint problem on its Chinese suppliers who had subcontracted with other suppliers. The media storm around the recalls caused a loss of consumer confidence in the “Made in China” brand. Chinese officials felt that Mattel unfairly blamed Chinese suppliers for all the recall problems when in fact, the lead issue was relatively small and the remainder of the recalls was due to design problems over which the Chinese suppliers had no control. They were merely producing the products Mattel had designed in the U.S. and had no control over the design process. Evaluate Alternatives Mattel seems to have lost touch with some of the links in its supply chain for the lead paint related toys and there was a lack of enforcement if the suppliers didn’t follow Mattel’s rules. Some Chinese suppliers also subcontracted to other suppliers who also did not comply with Mattel requirements and Mattel wasn’t aware of the subcontracting. For example, Lee Der was a high quality, trusted manufacturing company which had worked exclusively for Mattel since its founding. Lee Der’s paint supplier was Dongxing New Energy, owned by a best friend of Lee Der’s deputy chair, Chueng. Dongxing was not on the approved supplier list for Mattel and Mattel had not noticed this fact or overlooked it because there had not been any quality problems. However, Dongxing ran out of yellow...
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...Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Radica, American Girl etc. Mattel was always considered as a responsible company. Mattel earned high reputation in the minds of consumers. Mattel was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the 100 most trustworthy U.S. companies. Mattel was recognized as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by CRO magazine. Mattel outsourced major portion of manufacturing to low cost production countries. In 2007, near 65% of Mattel’s toys were manufactured in China. Company also had factories in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Near 50% of the revenue of Mattel came from the toys manufactured outside USA. In addition to producing toys in its own factories, Mattel contracted production to 30-50 Chinese companies. Many of these companies in turn subcontracted the production/part of production to other subcontractors. In 1997, Mattel developed a detailed code of conduct - “Global Manufacturing Principles”. These codes were applicable to Mattel factories as well as its subcontractors and suppliers. This code of conduct mainly focused on improving working condition. In addition to that, Mattel also tried to ensure product quality and safety. To maintain high quality safety of its products, Mattel tested its products manufactured in China at its own facilities as well as in special test labs....
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...management decided fourteen years later to reprivatize in a $2 billion leveraged buyout, the largest such transaction to date. Management's reasons included its heightened ability to "focus attention on long-tem interests (and)… to ensure that the company continues to respect and implement its important values and traditions." By 1993, LS&Co. Produced merchandise in 24 countries and sold in 60. LS&Co. has been a leader among U.S.-based corporations in recognizing the importance of business ethics and community relationships. Two 1987 documents developed by management summarize the unique values operating at LS&Co. The Mission Statement… affirms the importance of ethics and social responsibility, while the Aspirations Statement… lists the values intended to guide both individual and corporate decisions. CEO Robert Haas frequently explains the importance of the Aspirations Statement as a way employees can realize...
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...MATTEL: A Case Study | October 22 2012 | Case study discussion taken from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business “Unsafe for Children: Mattel’s Toy Recalls and Supply Chain Management” | Rob Breakiron Wenyao Ma Alek Shnayder Jiajie Wang | Contents Introduction 2 Why do companies outsource? 2 What were the primary causes of Mattel’s recall problems? Where these the result of outsourcing? 4 What actions were taken by the principals in the case to address the recall problems? Were these the right actions? Why, or why not? 5 What should Mattel do now? What should governments do? 7 How can accountability be better managed in long, global supply chains? 12 Introduction Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT), the world’s largest toy company with over $12.5 billion in revenue, has grown from the little toy company it once was and has certainly come a long way since it was founded in 1945. The exponential world-wide growth has not always come without a hitch. In the late 2000’s Mattel was at a crossroads due to a significant toy recall problem, reaching far beyond the bottom line. During this case write up we discuss what went wrong, whose fault it was, and what can and should be done to not only fix the problem, but eliminate the chance of similar problems for Mattel and other firms in the future. Our case study will tackle the following five questions through in depth discussion: 1) Why do companies outsource? 2) What were the primary causes of Mattel’s...
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...BUS 508:Contemporary Business Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Dr. Hammad Elbedour Monique A. Newell 1/20/2014 [Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.] Apple Corporation is a computer company that sells consumer electronics and computer hardware/software. It was started by three men; Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino,CA. They wanted to make and sell personal computers. Later, Ronald Wayne sold his Share to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Back then, it was a very risky investment and too much of a risk for Ronald Wayne. Now, Apple is one of the biggest computer companies in the world. Today they are said to be worth around $705 Billion (Finger, 2013). It has very loyal customers that trust and buy only Apple products. This is because it is a company/product well known for its quality electronics. Despite its rather high prices, people will wait in line and pre-order Apples’ “Next big thing”. This company is well respected and well known. It must adhere to ethical business practices by being a socially responsible business. This paper will examine Apples’ current position as a socially responsible business. We will start by determining if Apple meets the standards it has made for itself as well as legal standards. Then we will...
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...the reference page.] [You have started what appears to be a good schedule however it needs to be completed. It only has the first few items scheduled.] [It is difficult to locate the actual assignment because other information was submitted that was from previous weeks. I suggest submitting what the assignment is asking for in upcoming weeks.] Project Management Final Project Mary Bailey PM/571 Project Management 31 August 2015 [Incorrect date] Gary Casey Project Management Final Project Riordan Manufacturing Relocation Management Plan Riordan Manufacturing is planning to relocate to the city of Shanghai in an attempt to save money, provide a better urban infrastructure, and to have a better position for shipments of their Chinese products throughout Europe and Asia customers. By moving the plant it will also be closer to the Quantang River, and this will put it closer to the ports to help the company become more proficient with its shipping needs. ------------------------------------------------- Project Characteristics and Requirements 1. Increased shipping destinations 2. Cost Saving 3. Time reduction 4. Simplicity of operation Flexibility – ability to expand and adapt Deliverables Reconstruction of the departments listed below Receiving, Assembly, Packing and Shipping Fully functioning and operating plant Operations to be placed close to the river in order to increase the proficiency of the shipping needs Milestones Inform vendors...
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...I believe the viewpoint of the author is that he believes the founder of Wal-Mart’s beliefs are still visible but due to the demand to be more profitable it has lead them to many problems. The author lists several lawsuits that Wal-Mart was found guilty which include child and labor laws, sexual discrimination, off the clock work, use of unions, health benefits, and use of illegal aliens which many stem around Wal-Mart trying to cut cost. I also fell the author believes that with as much income/profit that Wal-Mart generates, they could provide better benefits to employees such as health insurance and income. The ethical issues Wal-Mart is facing with off the clock work is that Wal-Mart managers alleges they do not allow employees to work off the clock but through investigations and lawsuits this has been found to be untrue. Wal-Mart is not treating the employees fairly by compensating them for work they performed in order to keep cost down and to show a profit. Wal-Mart faces sexual discrimination issues which are unethical due to using personal opinion on the judgment that women do not want to be managers. They are not treating women equally in the areas of pay, respect, and equality. While it is important for a company to manage cost to be profitable, the health care benefits that Wal-Mart provides could be considered unethical because their cost for benefits were more than other companies. In order to reduce health care cost, it was recommended to hire more part time workers...
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...Counterintelligence and Chinese wave of spies INTL 408 B001 SPR 15 Professor John Dolan June 29, 2015 Introduction China has set a goal for itself to become a global power; having full dominance in the Pacific region. (Secretary’s International Security Advisory Board ISAB) It wants to dominate the region and the United States with its economy growth, military domination, and technological advancement. To achieve their strategic goal, Chinese leadership is trying to modernize every aspect of their economy and military. On the economic arena this means accelerated growth through technological development. (ISAB) On the military side, it means modernizing its military from a manpower-based land army to a technology advanced and proficient army on a world scale. (ISAB) In order to achieve this level of modernization and growth, China uses every effort and means possible. That means buying new technologies from the West, but it also means using espionage to acquire secret corporate and military intelligence. China utilizes its intelligence security services in these efforts, but also has called upon Chinese immigrants/expats with ties to Chinese heritage that hold key access at important industries such as naval and aviation. This creates an insider threat for United States’ security. Secret data on U.S. military technology is being stolen by a long-term Chinese insider threat that is being...
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...Google and Operation Aurora “Business Ethics” Group Angela Fisriza Anita Christiani Sigiro Suryadi Williem Faculty of Economics and Business Master of Management Universitas Gadjah Mada 2014 Google and Operation Aurora I. Introduction In a competitive business world, there are two practices to win the competition which so-called competitive intelligence and industrial espionage. In competitive intelligence, a business entity legally gathers information by examining corporate publications, websites, patent filings and the like, to determine its activities. For the same reason, in industrial espionage, it steals trade secrets by removing, copying, or recording of confidential or valuable information in a competing company. Industrial espionage describes hidden activities, such as the theft of trade secrets, bribery, blackmail and technological surveillance. Industrial espionage is most commonly associated with technology-heavy industries, particularly the computer and auto sectors, in which a significant amount of money is spent on research and development (R&D). One of the most notable industrial espionage is “Operation Aurora” which took place in 2009 when some parties hacked Google China operation, stealing intellectual property and, in particular, accessing the email accounts of human rights activists. II. Brief Explanation Operation Aurora was a cyber attack conducted by advanced persistent threats, such as Elderwood Group that based in Beijing...
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...A GUIDE TO APPLICATION FOR RESTAURANT LICENCES Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (January 2012 Edition) -1- FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE DEPARTMENT (FEHD) PERFORMANCE PLEDGE APPLICATION FOR RESTAURANT LICENCES We are pleased to state below our performance targets in respect of applications for restaurant licences. Processing Steps To return proposed layout plans which fail the Preliminary Screening to the applicant To arrange Application Vetting Panel (AVP) meeting with the applicant To issue Letter of Requirements for provisional licence and/or full licence To conduct inspection final verification Standard Response Time within 10 working days after receipt of proposed layout plans within 20 working days of acceptance of the licence application for further processing before or at the AVP Meeting upon confirming the premises are suitable for licensing within 8 working days of receipt of notification of compliance with the licensing requirements from the applicant within 7 working days upon confirmation of compliance with all licensing requirements within 1 working day upon receipt of acceptable Certificates of Compliance with licensing requirements from the applicant within 7 working days upon receipt of acceptable Certificates of Compliance with licensing requirements from the applicant To issue Full Licence To issue Provisional Licence a) if the documents are submitted to the Licence Issuing Office b) if the documents are submitted...
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...two direct concerns that led to the August 2007 recalls of millions of toys worldwide. The first was the use of paint with excessive lead content on a variety of toys manufactured by Chinese firms contracted to Mattel. The second concern, which led to a vast majority of the recalls during this period, was due to a design defect that could result in magnets becoming dislodged and ingested by children. A highly placed Mattel official “confirmed that the vast majority of the recalled toys, 17.4 million, had been due to [defective design], while … 2.2 million were related to [lead paint].” Although the public outcry that resulted from these recalls centered on poor quality control in Chinese manufacturing operations, the statistics seem to indicate that the outsourcing to China may have not been the biggest problem in this particular set of recalls. That said, some of the recalls relating to the magnet design issue may have resulted from “excessive” caution, according to statements made by Mattel, therefore the true percentage of the recalls caused by lead content rather than significantly dangerous product design is difficult to determine. The proximate cause of the manufacturing recalls, however, was lax oversight of published policy and poor adherence to established guidelines. Chinese manufacturers have historically been extremely low cost, due to both low wages and low raw material cost. However, this low material cost is often a result of poor material quality. Mattel...
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...INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDY PRESENTATION ON MATTEL This is an ‘open-book’ presentation that is designed to assess your ability to apply the essential theories, principles and techniques of supply chain and operations management to a realistic business situation. The questions will draw on material from the other modules in the MSc Supply Chain Management programme. You will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of relevant theoretical principles, concepts and techniques; to apply these appropriately to the particular situation described in the case study and; above all, to make sound decisions. You will not gain marks by presenting a general essay on the topic. Please note that all work should be your own. Copying or plagiarism will not be tolerated and could result in no marks being awarded. If quotes or short extracts are used they should be attributed or the source of the information identified. Play Fair The core values of Mattel, the world’s largest, branded toy manufacturer, appeared on its company website, and on its literature, under the heading ‘Play Fair’: “Act with unwavering integrity on all occasions. Treat each other with respect and dignity. Trust each other to make the right decisions. Be accountable for all that passes in front of us.” In 2007 these values would be put to the test as never before, when it was discovered that substantial numbers of Mattel branded toys had been contaminated with lead paint with global signature...
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...globalization, that not just one, but each and every country has its own problems with ethics regarding business. It is made quite clear that there is a common scourge in business practices worldwide. It is also very clear that we are victims to the same faults that occur in humanity on a global scale. However, what is quickly becoming equally apparent, for international businesses and corporations to deal successfully with a foreign contractor, business, or even government; the proper measures must be taken to understand the differences in ethical perception and to work to accommodate those differences. Failure to do so leave many of these companies and businesses vulnerable for international ethical dilemmas that are quickly brought to global attention by international media sources. Discussing the radically changing practices occurring in the business world of China, it is well known among those educated for corrupt business practices. This is, however, stereotypical and can be said of almost every country throughout the world. Though the Chinese do not wish for such corruption, it is often because of the...
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...GRUNDFOS A/S IN AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Case updated by MSJ Center for International Business Department of Business Studies September 2009, Aalborg University (updated August 2011) Table of Contents A. The World Pump Market: ........................................................................................................................ 3 1. Introduction: ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Major Markets: ....................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Technological Developments (Brief History):............................................................................. 4 4. Main applications of Pumps: ............................................................................................................. 4 5. Industry drivers: ................................................................................................................................... 5 6. Major Players and the Level of Competition: ............................................................................. 5 B. Grundfos: ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 1. Company Profile: ...............................................................................
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...The Department of Defense (DoD) manages one of the largest and most targeted networks, up to 250,000 attacks per day. (Daniel Gouré, 2015) As a member of this organization, I see the low level applications set forth by the strategic minds of the DoD Chief Information Officer and Secretary of Defense. As the organization that laid the foundation for the internet, the DoD has evolved over the years reacting to the vulnerabilities and threats to their vast information systems. Past breaches have illustrated how vulnerable the networks are, and we can look at history to see the development of the defense networks and security. The DoD made a large impact across the computer security field with their security handbook called the “Orange Book”. The official name for the Orange Book is “DoD 5200.28-STD, Department of Defense Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria”, which was first written in 1983 and further updated in 1985. (Department of Defense, 1985) It is the computer system criteria book within a series of security related guides and directives called the “Rainbow Series,” which are the numerous standards and guidelines published by the Department of Defense. The document laid the foundation for the communication between the developers and the customers. The model was based on systems meeting six security requirements: security policy, marking of objects, identification of subjects, accountability, assurance, and continuous protection. After evaluation, the system is placed...
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