Nike International Ethics

Almost everybody loves Nike. How could you not? Their products are sold all around the world and every athlete is sure to don the iconic check mark on some article of workout clothes or uniform. Nike is a well-recognized label and generally has very positive reviews. Despite general approval, Nike actually employs questionable moral standards in order to produce these goods, something many consumers are not aware of. There are many underlying issues with the production of Nike products. The athletic wear is made in "600 contract factories that employ more than 800,000 workers in 46 countries around the world.  Nearly 60 percent of the work force is in North Asia, 31 percent in South Asia" (Connor). Having so many factories around the world makes it increasingly difficult for the corporation to set standards and have them followed in all 46 countries. These issues include pay, working conditions, and overtime as well as the possibility of unionization. Nike has made some steps to prevent a complete ethical breakdown of the corporation and though there have been improvements, there is definitely room for more. In the years 2007-2009 Nike published a lengthy Corporate Responsibility Report, further pushing more for the growing innovations of the company.  The sustainable business and corporate responsibility section of the Nike website helps to explain their initiative to change the questionable production issues and create a safer environment for workers. “It’s not just about getting better at what we do – addressing impacts throughout our supply chain – it’s about striving for the best, creating value for the business and innovating for a better world” (Sustainable). Though Nike is creating these movements and improving their ethical viewpoint, factories abroad have still been considered similar to those of a sweatshop. There are many demands put on workers to churn out the countless designs and gear released every year, often resulting in employees working overtime to meet the deadlines. It is unreasonable to expect citizens of other countries to suffer through unsafe conditions for low pay in order for our first-world countries to enjoy a high standard of living and more affordable athletic gear. 

                                                                     Works Cited
Connor, Michael. "Business Ethics." Business Ethics RSS. N.p., 24 Jan. 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2013
"Sustainable Business at NIKE, Inc." NIKE, Inc. -. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. <http://nikeinc.com/pages/responsibility>.

Offshoring in the World

Morocco is an Arabic (and French) speaking country located in Northern Africa. Offshoring is something that it well supported and encouraged in Morocco because improves the economy significantlyand is motivating residents to obtain the necessary training to receive these new jobs. It's ideal proximity to France and the rest of Europe, puts it in a prime business area. In fact, it won the European Outsourcing Association award for "2012 Offshoring Destination of the Year." Mr. Hanof of the EOA added that the country deserves the award primarily because "it offers world class infrastructure, stable, competitive costs, and well-trained human resources, in combination with Morocco’s geographic, cultural and linguistic proximity to Europe"(Morocco Named). More and more countries around the world are opting to offshore to Morocco, which beat out Egypt, South Africa, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia for the award. Many industrial parks are being opened in Morocco for these new ventures including Casanearshore Park, Rabat Technopolis and Fès Shore, which opened officially on 20th of June. These industrial parks house over 100 multinational corporations and create jobs for 20,000 people, which is expected to grow to 90,000 by the year 2017. This obviously is a huge benefit to the economy of Morocco because more jobs are being created, and therefore more money is being brought in.  King Mohammed VI of Morocco has jumpstarted, in 2008, an initiative throughout the kingdom to grow industry and create jobs. This "National Pact for Industrial Emergence" was developed to "implement innovative programs to improve the daily lives of citizens, and create wealth generators jobs for our youth" (King Mohammed VI). It is clear that offshoring is a welcomed prospect throughout the kingdom. Because so much of the business in Morocco is related to European countries, there is a demand for citizens to become fluent in more than one language. Most Moroccans are fluent in both French and Arabic; but most also study English and often Spanish as well. These new demands are pushing for a more rounded overall education, both in terms of needed job skills and the actual languages need to communicate with other countries. Morocco itself has a strong domestic industry in leather, textiles, and food, but they are recognizing the benefit of opening up sites to accomodate foreign corporations. These types of corporations include business in production and technology, including many factories opened in the industrial parks. The King is implementing training programs so Moroccans can get skill based jobs within these new companies. Offshoring in Morocco brings in many oppertunities to the kingdom due to all the jobs created and the push for a more rounded education for the youth. Morocco is truly becoming a global force in the business world.

Works Cited

"Morocco Named "2012 Offshoring Destination of the Year" by the European Outsourcing Association." Lemag : The Maghreb Daily. N.p., 29 June 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2013

"Presentation of the Sector." National Pact for Industrial Emergence. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013