In the world of CSR, the issues can be quite subjective.  What is it that firms are responsible for is often a hazy question depending on how far the branches of the tree extend from the roots, and rarely are we able to see all the issues or programs of a single firm.  so, developing benchmarks publicly, and understanding how to view the true level of a firm’s commitment to CSR can be quite difficult.

Over the last several years, one of the firms who has struggled (in my perspective) has been Apple, and my multiple posts on their failures serve as enough evidence of their poor supply chain standards… and their placement at the bottom of the green rankings by several notable NGOs certainly did not help to bolter their "commitment" to the highest standards of responsibility.

But last week, when the news broke that iPhone users were being "tracked", another opporuntity to judge Apple’s CSR standards was presented.. and, unlike in other areas, Apple’s reaction (which included Steve Jobs taking interviews) was quite impressive and really highlighted the core catalyst for Apple.

That Apple will react (positively) when a credible threat to the top line of the company exists, something that a tracking iPhone presents.

So, for Apple, consumer privacy and protection are a core element of their CSR policies, that garner immediate executve response.  while labor conditions in factories in Suzhou are not… for now.

Let’s see how long Apple can maintain this standard.