Foxconn, the Taiwan-funded electronic manufacturing giant, making products like the iPhone and the iPad for Apple, has been the subject of widespread criticism and speculation over its enterprise culture after six workers recently attempted to kill themselves, four of whom succeeded.  The suicides coincided with the iPad launch timescale, which leads to speculations that pressure from Apple may have exacerbated  the situation.

The Shenzhen Federation of Trade Unions spoke of a "quasi-military management system" and urged Foxconn to take care of the psychological needs of its huge number of young employees. Wang Tongxin, the federation's vice-chairman noted that both the suicides and attempted suicides exposed defects in the company's management system and philosophy, particularly where the changing demands of a new generation of workers was concerned. At a press briefing Wang said that Foxconn "developed a kind of quasi-military management system", which, along with tight production schedules, emphasized assessments that were at odds with a new generation of workers who cared more about their quality of life than their parents. The federation's investigations showed that more than 85 percent of the employees at Foxconn were born after 1980. "It's not only a problem of Foxconn, but a common social problem. Companies should provide more mental care for employees besides material benefits," Wang said.