Business Ethics Term Paper: Wal-Mart Walmart serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 9,826 retail units under 60 different banners in 28 countries. With their fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, with the opening of the first Walmart discount store in Rogers, Ark. The company incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., on Oct. 31, 1969. The company's shares began trading on OTC markets in 1970 and were listed on the New York Stock Exchange two years later. In this term paper I will be discussing the different ethical questions that arise about Walmart and some of the ethical concerns that people have about …show more content…
On the other side of this issue is that Walmart does a good job in providing employment. Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide. This is a good thing that Walmart provides so many jobs especially in a tough economy. Some would argue that it has positive effects on our economy. It seems that everywhere I read that the negatives of employment at Walmart overpower the good. And because of this it is an ethical concern. I think that some of the possible resolutions would be to raise the wage for the employees so that they could be able to afford more. Also they should have kept their employee benefits that they cut. While Walmart may not take care of its employees as well as they should, there is really not argument for their corporate philanthropy. Some of the things they have done is that they donated approximately $800 million in value in 2011 and were name the biggest cash contributor by Chronicle of Philanthropy. Walmart also gave a $2 billion commitment to help end hunger in America. Walmart seems to be doing a very good job in dealing with its philanthropic responsibilities. Another ethical issue that I am going to discuss is the issue of Walmart being a monopoly and how because of this it is destroying other business around it. The reason people think that Walmart is a monopoly is that it owns the majority of the market shares. The reason people think this is because it is the largest
The term “ethics” is defined as moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior. When speaking of business ethics, one is referring to the study, and examination of moral as well as social responsibility relating to business practices, also including its application to the four functions of management as well as the decision-making process in business (Batesman, pg.167). This internal factor can easily influence the how an organization goes about accomplishing the four functions of management. Wal-Mart, like most businesses believe they uphold ethical standards in their business practice. According to Wal-Mart’s statement of ethics, leading with integrity in a workplace is key to running a business (Wal-Mart Ethics pg.10). Leading with integrity, and expecting teammates to work with integrity is one of their main focuses- Wal-Mart’s original founder Sam Walton said,” that it has always been an ethically led company” (Wal-Mart Ethics pg.4). They follow their three basic beliefs: respect for individuals, service to the customers, and striving for excellence (Wal-Mart Ethics pg.5). Although organizations may have their code of ethics, they still come across the occasional ethical problem in the company. Wal-Mart for example, had an issue with an employee named, Chalace Epley Lowery. Lowery believed that another
Rhetorical Analysis: “This is a Love Story” Tayari Jones was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 30, 1970. Growing up, Tayari Jones was exposed to the culture and diverse experiences that later infected her work. She is now an acclaimed author known for her storytelling and exploring the complexities of human relationships. In "This is a Love Story" written by Tayari Jones, she implies specific rhetorical choices, that include vivid imagery, figurative language and tone. The purpose of the poem is to explore and express the multi-faceted nature of love.
Since its establishment in 1962, Wal-Mart has grown to be one of the biggest conglomerates in the world. Inevitably, with the expansion of the company, the weight and number of social and ethical issues facing the company has increased.
The author of “Working At Wal-Mart,” a case study, provides a stunning overview of a day in the life of a Wal-Mart employee. The sheer number of ethical issues that present themselves for the average Wal-Mart worker are beyond astounding, as Barbara Ehrenreich covers in her study. The sheer morality and care for Wal-Mart staff that is far from evident in this piece speaks to the way that corporate culture has become ethically and morally bankrupt in numerous ways.
Walmart is a global employer in the retail industry that employs employees all over the world. We believe Walmart can improve by implementing the following strategies: Cost leadership strategy - this is what Walmart is known for, Differential strategy - a big portion of what how Walmart stands out from others (is different) is because of their pricing, which kind of reflects #1 (cost leadership), Value-creating strategy - again they create value because consumers enjoy their prices and offerings, because of their supplier diversity ..which again kind of reflects #1 (cost leadership), Revamp the external view of its workforce - this one is different from the others and we all know how much Walmart has been in the news for their treatment of employees and some of their policies.
The following report will discuss American retail giant, Wal-mart’s current ethical and business objectives. The report will look at Wal-mart’s employee relations in regard to discrimination and other various issues involving their employees. It will look at how their ethical stance contradicts with what has gone on in the past regarding associates (employees) and management.
Since the central contradiction of corporate social responsibility ethics is reduced to a matter of noblesse oblige, not human rights. Wal-Mart have been breaking the labor in which it is unethical practices because the labor department felt they were not being treated properly and the customer felt they were not giving the right quality of merchandise in which they paid for. According to report all outlets along with the suppliers are to fully abide to the law regulations in relation to the immigration labor, safe environment health. Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 in Arkansas by a mean named Roger’s Sam in 2002 Wal-Mart had become a very popular store for consumers to shop however
Wal-Mart, the multi-billion company and the second largest employer in the world, is the most controversial corporation in the world. Wal-Mart is a global powerhouse and affects many people around the world. Wal-Mart is constantly getting attacked from unions, human rights groups, small towns and small businesses. Wal-Mart is accused of treating their workers poorly and driving small businesses out of business. But however these accusations are false or over exaggerated. Wal-Mart offers families and low income people quality products. Also, they pay their workers competitive wages and treat them with respect. Wal-Mart opens their stores in rural and under developed areas. Wal-Mart improves the lives of the people who live rural area and
The values and attitudes in Walmart’s business situation deals with a lot of the overall ethics. This paper will discuss some situations that comes in walmart .ethics. This paper will include clear definitions of organizational values and a description of the organizational values of Wal-Mart. This research is conducted to understand the success of Walmart’s employment rate. The values and attitudes will be related to some examples of other companies and how Walmart was successful. Some arguments that will be addressed in this research paper is basic and common.
This case study is based on several ethical dilemmas involving Walmart. Walmart has a social responsibility to operate in an honest and ethical manner. It is important that they use the correct economical model to achieve the goals the company has in place. Large companies like Walmart need to ensure they are using the utilitarianism approach. Although the company has investigated some of the claims made against them, they did it for the wrong reason in a few circumstances. Walmart investigated a bribery claim because the public found out that they swept it under the rug. There are still investigations involving employees being put in part time positions to avoid paying health care, not being paid for overtime, and discrimination.
When you talk about Wal-Mart the first thing that you have to remember is that they are the largest retailer in the world. Wal-Mart employs more people in the United States than any other company and is second only to the federal government in the number of employees that they have on the payroll. These are important facts to consider in that due to their tremendous size, Wal-Mart has an enormous
Wal-Mart is commonly known for its low prices, clean appearance, and large variety of products; however, the super store has constituently been the center of many ethical issues. From working conditions, wages, benefits, product issues, and even bribery, Wal-Mart has been shrouded in ethical disputes for years. In the next few pages I intend on discussing these issues, the impact they have had on the company, and the actions that management has taken in response to them.
Wal-Mart Ethical Dilemma Wal-Mart is a variety store that has had its up and down through the years since its first opening in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. The year was 2008 when the company decided to settle 63 federal and state lawsuits for a sum between $352 and $640 million dollars in total. This reason for this was the multiple lawsuits filed for unpaid hours most of which were in the form of overtime wages. Although this is not the only ethical dilemma the discount store, neighborhood mart, or supercenter has had to face, it raises many aspects as to how Wal-Mart handles certain dilemmas.
Ethics and moral obligations are issues we all encounter at one time or another. In the professional setting, all people should act in a manner that would uphold the good of society. To be ethical, one has to determine their obligations, moral ideas, and moral philosophy (Boatright, p. 19, 2009). The case analysis involving Jacob Franklin was a perfect example of how an individual can face the dilemma of doing what is right or wrong. Businesses have their own code of ethics, and the employees within the business have to determine whether or not they will follow the company’s code of conduct. I will discuss several ethical issues in the case analysis including; failure to report information, remaining silent regarding faulty equipment,
Yes, I do believe Wal-Mart is doing enough to become more sustainable. Wal-Mart is one of the most powerful companies internationally. As with all things that come with power, Wal-Mart’s business practices are scrutinized thoroughly. This includes their relationships with suppliers, employees, consumers, and the environment. In recent years, the environment has become such a big issue that Wal-Mart, as well as other companies have had to respond to this growing concern.