AC

Apple's efforts to improve working conditions at the factories that make its iPhones and iPads in China may resonate more with consumers in that fast-growing market than in the U.S. That's because consumers in China and other emerging markets say they're more willing to support or boycott companies based on their business practices, a growing body of research shows. In a survey last year of more than 10,000 consumers in 10 countries by Cone Communications and Echo Research, nearly three of four respondents in China said they were very likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause, if there was an alternative in the same price range and of similar quality. That compares with half of respondents in the U.S. and about half of all respondents surveyed. Meanwhile, 83% of respondents in China said they refused to buy a company's product when they learned that the company acted irresponsibly, compared with 50% in the U.S. and 56% overall. A 2010 Edelman study of more...