Intel Corporation Ethics

Research Paper #1

Intel Corporation and Society

Centennial School of Business

Business Ethics

MGMT-703

Avinash, Sharma

300874679

Submitted to:

Edmund DelSol

September 20, 2016

Intel Corporation is a worlds largest semiconductor chip producing American Multinational public company founded on July 18, 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. (McHoes, 2002) The most widely used x86 series of microprocessors found in most of computers today is invented by Intel. (Intel, n.d.).

As corporate company Intel corporation is one of the most socially responsible company. Intel has been considered as one of most ethical company worldwide 6 times by ethisphere.com (World's most ethical companies Honorees, n.d.).  Intel focus on the three areas of corporate responsibility which are increasing education, saving environment and involvement of community. It believes in solving global challenges and sustainable growth. The best example of this can be understand by there step “conflict-free” supply chain. Intel is the first company to realize that how four minerals (gold, tin, tungsten, and tantalum) that they use in production are helping and financing violence activity in Republic of Congo. (In pursuit of Conflict-Free minerals, n.d.) These four minerals are named “conflict minerals”. So, as socially responsible company Intel is creating a supply chain which is “conflict-free”.  This not only ensures that company is reducing crimes, but also give economic and safety benefits to mine workers. (In pursuit of Conflict-Free minerals, n.d.)

The other program “Intel® She Will Connect” is also there which aimed of connecting 5 million women by 2020 to have new opportunity in this field of technology. (Krzanich, 2015)

 As taking into consideration the spheres of corporate power, Intel is affecting in every sphere at different level. But the sphere which is most affected by Intel is technological sphere. As the main purpose of company is to produce microprocessor, the product on which todays most of technology is dependent. Intel can be considered as the leader in revolution of information technology, especially in the field of personal computers. From the first product invented in 1969 SRAM (Intel, n.d.)till latest launch of Intel® Curie (a low powered flexible and tiny hardware built especially for wearable devices) (intel curie module, 2016)is changing path of technology. Intel is affecting the technological sphere at Macro level. It is not only affecting the semiconductor or microprocessor industries Intel is affecting the whole Information Technology industry. Intel was ranked 1st in 2015 as Internet Of Things company by overtaking search Engine Giant Google Inc. (The top 20 Internet of Things companies right now: Intel overtakes Google, 2015)Intel is working over a platform to connect the data from things to cloud.

The least affected sphere of business power by Intel is political sphere. The best example of this is when in June, 2016 when Intel CEO Brain Krzanich cancelled the event of meeting with America’s Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. (King, July). The reason given behind this cancellation of event was that meeting was to discuss about technological issues which later on was converted into fundraising campaign. (King, July) Another issue in which Intel was stopped by U.S government for selling there Xeon chips to China because of some political concerns. But Intel did not go against this decision nor it try to dispute this decision of U.S. government, although Intel projected loss of revenue was $ 1 to $1.3 billion because of this ban. (Sun, 2015).

Social Contract theory is about freedom and equality at basic level. And Intel as member of society is performing well on both dimension of Social Contract which is obeying the law and understanding its social responsibility. Although Intel has been in controversy and legal problems lot of times because of its competitor AMD. And because of that Intel has been charged several times for Antitrust lawsuit indifferent countries like in 2005 in USA, in same year in Japan, Allegation by European Union in 2007, in 2007 one more allegation was filed by regulators in South Korea. (Intel, n.d.) All though Intel is being in this controversy, it is considered as on of the most ethical company in world. (World's most ethical companies Honorees, n.d.)