As I sit with my trusty iPhone beside me every day, it’s not often that I ask myself where it came from and how it was manufactured. However, a week or so ago, I came across an article someone linked in my Twitter feed titled “The Man Who Makes Your iPhone”.
The article itself is pretty groundbreaking – it represents the first time Foxconn, the megapower in technology supply manufacturing in China, granted access to Terry Gou, its founder and chairman. The article is more of an extended profile of Gou himself, and how he raised the company from the basement to an empire, than an in-depth look at the business practices of Foxconn.
Nonetheless, it did highlight the recent suicides of 11 employees, which spurred Gou and Foxconn into PR action. I found it intriguing to learn about the work campuses of Foxconn – they operate like cities, with bookstores, pools, restaurants, and living accommodations. I also found it curiously intriguing that, in response to the suicides, Foxconn installed mesh netting on buildings to catch jumpers.
Steve Jobs vs. Terry Gou
Of course, it shouldn’t have gotten to that point in the first place. There are a multitude of reasons why these employees felt the need to take their lives, and perhaps they did not all point to the job/Foxconn itself. Nonetheless, with pressure from Apple, HP and the public/investors in general, Foxconn felt the need to take responsibility. I’m not sure if the motivations were right, but if the end results prove as a solution, then maybe it doesn’t matter. Of course, the best step would be prevention, and I think this needs to start with ensuring fair wages, work conditions, fair treatment from managers, and social events for employees. Unfortunately the article doesn’t provide too much insight into these factors, but there’s certainly always room for improvement, if anything. Let’s just hope that a year from now, we’ll be reading about Foxconn’s innovations in technology, not suicide prevention.
Yellow suicide prevention netting strung around Foxconn buildings
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