Bitter Milk Timberland and Nike Essay

Nike

John Woodman, Nike's general manager in Indonesia, defended the company's practices, saying that the company had brought jobs that would not have otherwise existed to the region and thus raised many people's standard of living, despite the sweatshop-style conditions and wages. He said it was not Nike's business to know about the conditions on the ground -- despite the fact that Nike promoted itself as a socially responsible company. Michael Jordan's $2 million dollar paycheck was greater than the entire payroll of all Nike workers in Indonesia. Even through Nike may have been buying the shoes from independent contractors Nike still had a moral responsibility to take an interest in the conditions of the manufacturers of its shoes.Presumably, Nike exercises quality control to make sure the shoes are constructed appropriately. A similar level of concern must be paid to the human rights of workers. Mattel later used a similar excuse when it did not properly check its toys manufactured in China for safety hazards and like Nike, it was also subject to media criticism and consumer….....