A few weeks ago, the Congolese government issued a stern warning to Apple: stop using blood minerals in the manufacturing of your products.
Apple’s ubiquitous electronic devices—iPhones, laptops, and others—rely on several minerals sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including cobalt, tantalum (often referred to as coltan in its ore form), and copper. Apple’s mineral sourcing has been under scrutiny due to the ethical concerns regarding the mining conditions: forced labor, violence, and other human rights abuses in the east and southeast mining regions of the country.
Apple is an Associate Member of the ITSCI programme for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains, which is essentially a self-policing association of miners. In light of well-documented and persistent industry abuses, as documented for example, in “Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives,” by Siddharth Kara (recently named a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize), one has to ask: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who will guard the guards themselves?
To be fair, bringing lasting and meaningful reform to the Congolese mining sector will require a major and concerted effort, as there are multiple agents and stakeholders involved in the sourcing and excavation process, as is well documented in Iguma Wakenge Claude’s book, “Eating the Congo: Unveiling State Governance of Copper and Cobalt Mining in the Former Katanga.” A lot more needs to be done by companies that rely on these minerals to manufacture their products, Apple included. Clearly the systems and measures currently in place are not working and may even be doing more to mask the problems than to fix them.
The notice from the Congolese government would be problem enough, but Apple has been facing trouble in its domestic market, too, in a way bringing the two often disparate worlds of supply chain and end-user together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that form an unsettling tableau. The company recently attracted a wave of criticism for a major marketing misstep. The ad featured what appeared to be an industrial trash compactor, crushing multiple creative tools and instruments into a thin metallic machine—presumably the new iPad Pro, one of those sleek devices fabricated with the very minerals called into question by the Congolese government.
A skeptical viewer (and there have been many) could see the spot as suggesting that Apple’s products, in their pursuit of technological advancement, have reduced human creativity to a mere commodity—and one that’s been utterly flattened. This depiction of creative tools being crushed and commoditized bears an unsettling resemblance to the way in which the lives and labor of Congolese miners have been devalued and exploited in the pursuit of the raw materials that power our digital devices.
Just as the ad suggests that human creativity has been reduced to a shiny commodity, the current state of the Congolese mining industry treats its workers as disposable resources, their humanity and dignity flattened in the name of technological progress. This parallel between the commoditization of creativity and the exploitation of labor reveals a disturbing truth about the hidden costs of our digital age.
Apple’s recent newsworthiness starkly contrasts with the revolutionary ethos and creative-sector vanguard position Apple and its iconic founder once held. Back then, they put humans at the center of the creative process and gave us seemingly magical tools and devices designed to service and enhance the creative process, not trivialize or replace it. Apple’s “Think different” mantra now feels like a relic from the ’80s, crushed and buried like the products in the “Death and Destruction of Original Thinking” TV ad.
Apple’s current situation, which suggests the company may be at a critical juncture, brings to mind stage six in Sir John Glubb’s treatise “The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival“: decadence. In this essay, Glubb examines the lifecycle of empires, from the ancient Assyrians to the modern British (the latter famously described as the empire on which the sun never sets… until it did), positing that empires, regardless of their geographical location or historical period, follow a similar lifecycle consisting of seven stages, and that the cycle tends to repeat itself because empires fail to study and learn from the mistakes of empires past.
But does Glubb’s treatise also apply to corporate, high-tech empires? I believe so, even if in today’s digital age, empires are no longer confined by physical boundaries or even nation-states, but exist as expansive digital platforms, often wielding far greater power and influence than empires of the past, with far more “citizens” (or “users,” though the more apt term today might be “the used”). Unlike traditional empires, which had some forms of accountability, today’s platform empires are more like absolute monarchies, powerful enough to skirt government regulations, media scrutiny, and even public opinion.
Applying Glubb’s framework to modern business giants like Apple can shed light on corporate trajectories—and perhaps suggest a different, more sustainable path than Glubb’s predicted rise and its converse, the inevitable fall.
The Stages of Apple’s Empire
- The Age of Pioneers (Outburst): Apple’s early days were marked by the innovative vision of Steve Jobs and his co-founders. Groundbreaking products like the Apple I and Apple II set the stage for the company’s future success, establishing Apple as a pioneer in the nascent personal computer industry.
- The Age of Conquests: Apple’s major product launches, particularly the Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone, reshaped entire industries. These conquests solidified Apple’s position as a leader in technology and design, setting new standards for user experience, functionality, creativity, and self-expression.
- The Age of Commerce: As Apple’s influence grew, the company expanded its ecosystem through initiatives like the App Store and Apple Music. These strategic moves strengthened Apple’s commercial power, creating a vast network of developers, content creators, and loyal customers—forming the famous walled garden or highly secure ecosystem of hardware, software, and services.
- The Age of Affluence: Following the tremendous success of the iPhone, Apple reached its financial zenith. However, it seems the passing of Steve Jobs marked a cultural shift within the company. While not necessarily a decline, this transition period saw Apple adapting to new, arguably less inspired, leadership and market challenges—the era of the pioneers was over, and it was all about sealing the borders and protecting the old guard behind an increasingly fortified moat. It was not unlike empires building walls to keep out migrants who are viewed as threats (rather than welcoming them as the new generation of driven pioneers needed to reinvigorate the empire).
- The Age of Intellect: Apple continued to invest heavily in cutting-edge technology and innovation, making strides in areas such as chip design and energy efficiency, and branching into new areas like payments, sports, film, vehicles, etc. However, the company also faced strong and persistent headwinds, such as regulatory and legal questions regarding anti-trust concerns (particularly in relation to the App Store), worries over its reliance on overseas manufacturing, and anxiety over increasing competition (especially in emerging markets). Though the intellectual empire only worries so much: with a $3T market cap, Apple’s valuation not only dwarfs the GDP of many nations but also matches or surpasses the combined GDP of all African countries. This economic scale has shaped Apple’s strategy, for a long time treating emerging markets as moments where Mohammed must come to the mountain, expecting these markets to accommodate Apple rather than the other way around.
- The Age of Decadence: Recent public events suggest potential signs of the age of decadence within Apple. The iPad ad campaign hinted at a disconnect with consumer values, while ethical questions surrounding the sourcing of conflict minerals like coltan have drawn scrutiny from governments and human rights organizations, highlighting a possible erosion of corporate moral standards or at least a willingness to conveniently turn a blind eye.
- The Age of Decline and Collapse: Looking ahead, Apple is facing myriad challenges. There’s market saturation in its mature markets, intensifying competition across the board, and mounting regulatory pressures domestically and particularly in Europe. Add to that what is likely to be an increasingly critical focus, from both government and non-governmental challengers, on the sourcing of essential minerals—many of these being excavated from regions where the company has the weakest presence, and thus goodwill—and the equation could add up to trouble.
The MBA case study canon is already full of corporate autopsies of once iconic companies and brands—Polaroid, Nokia, Blackberry, and IBM, to name a few—that failed to innovate. These companies, much like the empires described in Glubb’s “The Fate of Empires,” reached their zenith before falling into decline due to complacency, loss of creativity, and an inability to adapt to a changing world.
While Apple may be showing early signs of entering the Age of Decline, there is still hope. By rediscovering its core values and innovative spirit, Apple can learn from the mistakes of its historical counterparts and maintain its position as a global leader while setting a new standard for good corporate citizenship.
To achieve this, Apple must address the tough issues head-on, engaging with stakeholders to develop and implement solutions. In an age of citizen journalism, unethical practices can and will be uncovered and challenged.
Apple should maintain a startup-like mentality in certain areas, even as it grows, matures, and ages elsewhere. By creating spaces where employees are encouraged to experiment, take risks, and challenge the status quo, Apple can keep its pioneering spirit alive and foster a culture of continuous innovation.
Actively seeking out fresh perspectives from “outsiders” and corporate migrants can fuel a second age of pioneering innovation. These individuals can infuse new energy and ideas, counteract complacency, and drive innovation in new and diverse markets.
By embracing diversity, experimentation, and a pioneering spirit, Apple can avoid decline and even lead the tech industry into a new era of responsible innovation and global citizenship. The choice is Apple’s: cling to the status quo and risk obsolescence, or boldly pioneer a new path forward that values humans, human creativity, sustainability, and the well-being of all stakeholders.
As a global community of citizens and users, we can only hope that they will “think different” once again.
This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.
