There has been a lot of controversy lately about the working conditions and low wages in overseas Nike shoe factories. These stories have affected thousands of overseas workers, hurt the economy of Indonesia, decreased the gross revenue generated by the Nike Corporation, and lowered the overall opinion of the corporation. Nike has worked diligently to combat this controversy and help find a solution to end this and help everyone involved. The purpose of this research is to provide a clear view of the controversy, a history of the events that lead to it, and solutions for the whole ordeal. So, what are these controversies about Nike?.
II. Analysis of Research re: My Key Question.
In 1957, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman met at the University of Oregon in Eugene. In the early sixties, they formed a company named Blue Ribbon Sports, which they ran from Knight's mother's laundry room. Then Phil Knight purchased two hundred shoes from the Japanese shoe company Asics. Knight and Bowerman designed the first two Nike shoes called the Cortez, named after the Spanish conquistador, and the Boston, for the Boston marathon. Business kept growing into the 1970's; they changed the name to Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory. The swoosh design was made by Carolyn Davidson and was sold to Nike for $35.00. In 1973, Steve Prefontaine became the first major track athlete to wear Nikes. He helped to convert many athletes to wearing the young company's shoes. In the 1980's, Nike decided to go public with 2000 shares of stock. Nike became the number 1 seller of shoes in Canada and the company reaches out and forms Nike International Ltd to service more than forty foreign countries. .
In 1985, the Nike Air Jordan court shoes are introduced with a whole line of apparel. With the Air Jordan, Nike is established as the technological leader in the industry. In 1987, Nike introduces a new ad campaign called the Revolution.
