Working In Wal-Mart Case Essay

1) Should Wal-Mart be expected to protect small businesses in the communities within which it operates?

“Up Against Wal-Mart” by Karen Olsson, a senior editor at Texas Monthly and who’s article appeared in Mother Jones, introduces her article through the perspective of a Wal-Mart worker. She focuses on the negatives of Wal-Mart by telling the real life struggles of different Wal-Mart employees. “Progressive Wal-Mart. Really.” by Sebastian Mallaby, a columnist for the Washington Post, focuses his article on what Wal-Mart critics say and attempts to defend Wal-Mart by comparing Wal-Mart to other retailers. Even though Karen Olsson and Sebastian Mallaby both examine the negative effects of Wal-Mart, Olsson berates Wal-Mart’s unfair treatment towards employees and the unlivable wages that the world’s largest retailer provides while Mallaby

As described by Schein (2010), the interactions of grocery team members between each other, and with customers gives off a very laid-back climate. This aspect of employee culture can be explained by how management fails to effectively motivate employees. As the majority of the grocery workforce is either students who won’t continue working at Colesworth once they’ve finished university or are those who have another job in which they’re more committed to, very few employees have an interest in advancing their career at Colesworth. Therefore, grocery employees embody many of the principles in Herzberg’s two factor theory (Robbins et al, 2014), as they’re complacent enough in their job to be satisfied with it, but lack factors that motivate them to push themselves to complete work faster and move up in the company, resulting in the aforementioned laid-back culture. Finally, certain ‘rules of the game’, as defined by Schein (2010), exist within the grocery department which all new members eventually learn. While grocery team members are expected to maintain certain fill standards, in actual practice, these standards are not rigidly adhered to by grocery workers, and new members soon learn to focus on putting out as much stock as fast as possible, rather than adhere to the fill standards prescribed by

1. On the basis of our research, and through the case study, would we categories Wal-Mart’s and ASDA’s approach to resisting trade union organization as unitarist or pluralist (union substitution or suppression)

In each company the employee looking for a great conditions to work on it. During this semester we had covered the book American Way of Eating talk about Wal-Mart this is a big part of the book. McMillan, which is the writer of the book, has written her experience as an associate. She had discovered most of her daily work such as wages, shift time and other problems that she deals with. On this part talking about how associates suffering with their work in Wal-Mart. according to McMillan, “Wal-Mart is the largest grocer in both the U.S and the world” (101). Wal-Mart is the place that most Americans go to buy their daily or weekly needs. However, Wal-Mart consider as a big company that unfair they do suffering the employees. If you work at Wal-Mart four values will be less in your live less family time to spend with your family, less income you will get it comparing with other job, overtime work and not count or pied and health care worthless.

In addition, Olsson in her article suggests that Walmart is over work their employees. By doing so, Olsson shows how Walmart employees struggle to keep their job, even when they over work. Moreover, Olsson forms a definite picture that shows us how Walmart employees need their job, despite their low wages and difficult to get promoted. Olsson state, “to get the job done, according to the dozens of employee lawsuits filed against the company, Wal-Mart routinely forces employees to work overtime without pay” (4). In short, Olsson claims that Walmart employees work overtime all the time but still don’t getting paid for it, and former employees that now suing Walmart declare those allegations. Furthermore, Olsson uses of an example that shows that

There is never a normal day it Wal-Mart. Why, just yesterday when I walked to the front entrance I see a Ford truck smashed into the crossing pole. There were a young man and an angry mother with her daughter, both were voicing their opined sides of the story. The livid mother was yelling “YOU SAW MY CAR COMING, YOU CLEARLY SHOULD HAVE STOPPED WALKING”. The young couple responded calmly,”Ahh ma’am , pedestrians always have the right away.” The mother fused on and on in a fervid manner to prove that she was in the right. The daughters face had insensate written all over it , she knew her mother was in the wrong so she just stayed in the car threw the whole fracas. The young man said I not going to be apart of this palaver because when the police

Rumors say that this Walmart is haunted- that it was built on an ancient burial ground. Prisoners have buried police officers and cut off their throats. That a criminal hung over fifty innocent kids and watched them all die one-by-one-by-one. Multitudinous stories have been told about this Walmart, yet no one knows which are true or if any of them.

Wal-Mart is a company who also uses a cost leadership strategy. According to Dana Griffin, “to practice cost leadership, organizations compete for the largest number of customers through price” (n.d., para. 3). Unfortunately, this can only be accomplished when a company is able to standardized their goods or services for consumers (Griffin, n.d.). As a result, this strategy will help them sell their goods or services at the lowest prices. It can also help them minimize their cost, so that they can in return help minimize costs for their customers without having a decline in their profits (Griffin, n.d.) Griffin states, “a company can sell its goods at average industry prices in order to earn higher profits than its competitors or it sells them

Once upon a time there was a lady and she was a Walmart worker, her name was MC she is 30 years old, and all she ever wanted was to support her family and do something she loves.

Wal-Mart’s lowering of prices has always been a main attraction for consumers. To provide domestic necessities at more than affordable prices draws potential customers from various other local retail stores. Being the top multinational retail company has allowed Wal-Mart stores to create economical and domestic shifts within respective communities. Despite being beneficial for consumers, Wal-Mart’s economical and business practices have destroyed competitors within local communities and affected profits in such a way as to limit adequate compensation for its employees. This issue emerges from a reciprocity that exists solely between the company and its customers. Wal-Mart’s employees and workers belonging to other local retail corporations are neglected; and thus the image of the company remains high-handed due to this incomplete reciprocity. Wal-Mart’s seemingly cost- effective strategy which has brought forth – the Wal-Mart Effect – charms its customers at the expense of the treatment of its own employees, and the job prospect of workers from local competitor retail stores.

Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Currently, Wal-Mart has an annual revenue of $485,000,000,000 and over two million employees. Wal-Mart is ranked as the largest retailer in the world. Their NAICS number is 45291 and SIC number is 5331 (Mergent, 2016).

Wal-Mart, although one to the largest and most productive organizations in the world, faces many threats and challenges. Critics and groups everywhere are lining up to take shots at this global giant and destroy its image. Some of Wal-Mart’s current challenges can be seen in daily operations, its internal and external environment, product sourcing, healthcare, wages, communities, diversity, employee benefits, and social challenges. Though these challenges or weaknesses pose a very large threat to the organization, they also pose great opportunities to turn them into strengths. If these challenges are met correctly, Wal-Mart stands to gain a great amount of profit and respect among its critics.

This research paper will present the history and background of Wal-Mart. The review will describe and evaluate the resources that will provide additional understanding of the corporate operations and its management strategies. A SWOT analysis will be provided which will identify specific areas that can impact the outcome of the organization’s success and potential hazards. Upon conclusion, recommendations will be presented that will help Wal-Mart continue its competitive advantage. This paper will utilize qualitative methods, which will include, reviewing journal articles, reading other pertinent literature, analyzing online corporate records and other respected resources.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. also referred to as Walmart is the company that I am going to research for my proposal. The company website is www.walmart.com and the corporate website is www.corporate.walmart.com.