Essay on Wal-Mart Case Study

Environmental Studies is the academic field, which systematically studies human interaction with the environment in which we live in. It is a broad field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them. Environmental studies takes into account many different factors that help provide an enjoyable, fruitful way of life, such as national policies, politics, laws, economics, sociology and other social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature.

Wal-Mart is a brand that is well known around the world, especially in the USA. It has gradually developed into the largest retailer in the world. Wal-Mart’s globalization efforts have been happening rapidly. But have they been successful in all aspects of their international expansion or not? This is the main thought that is going to be discussed in this essay. The questions I will be looking at are based on a case called “Wal-Mart takes on the world” from the book of International Business The Challenge of Global Competition eleventh edition – Ball, McCulloch, Geringer, Minor, and McNett. Questions are the following:

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

The purpose of this business report is to gain familiarity with Wal-Mart and to learn about the different aspects that make Wal-Mart a successful company. This report gives an in-depth analysis of the company history, services and products provided, the company philosophy, business methods, organizational structure, and financial and competitive analysis.

Retail super-giant Wal-Mart has fought its way to becoming the world's largest company. Wal-Mart’s legendary supply chain technology has allowed them to break the three-day barrier that some economists in the eighties felt that it was unbreakable. In other words, Wal-Mart is often able to replenish items on the Wal-Mart shelf in less than three days – not from the central warehouse to the shelf, but from the manufacturer to the shelf. With quick and reliable 2-day turn around, Wal-Mart is able to maintain lower levels of inventory and still meet customer demand. These lower inventory levels result in either a reduced floor plan with lower carrying costs and lower interest expense – or a greater diversity of products on the store shelves.

to see where the company is now with the use of a brief Swot analysis.

Retail super-giant Wal-Mart has fought its way to becoming the world's largest company. Much of their success can be attributed to providing a vast assortment of products at exceptional prices all under one roof. Wal-Mart began operations in 1964 and has since become the world leader in retail. Today, Wal-Mart is visited by 138 million customers per week at their 4,750 stores. Wal-Mart operates under four basic rules in order to satisfy such a large number of customers:

Whether it's a brand new 59” LCD widescreen television or merely a pack of gum, each purchase you make from a Walmart store inadvertently results in a higher price paid; both within your community as well as the greater world around you. Relying entirely upon you-the ever consuming scavenger – to fuel the bustling utopia of the manufacturing industry, exists Walmart. More importantly, Walmart relies upon the oblivion towards matters outside of our own lives that we as society generally project. However, by looking past our own greed in a world full of price cuts and sales, we can expose Walmart for what it truly is; an entirely corrupt corporation feeding off of countries' vulnerabilities and reaping the benefits.

 Illustrates low prices and at the same time, not portray a cheap image to consumer.

The organization that I have chosen for the purpose of this corporate finance analysis is Wal-Mart. As is well known, Wal-Mart is the global market leader of

A Wal-Mart photo lab associate, Claude is facing a difficulty concerning attending his father’s major birthday dinner.( Brotheridge, C. 2005) Claude comes from a tight family, and he didn’t want to miss the celebration. However, there is a conflict between his working schedule and the dinner plan. Owing to the inflexibility of the auto scheduler program and his manager’s non-negotiable management style, he was sure that his manager wouldn’t give him the time off. Additionally, he didn’t want to call a sick day, not wanting to bend the truth. He also couldn’t feel there was a cold coming. Yet, the main problem is Wal-Mart’s organizational management. Managers do not treat their employees with dignity and respect

Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) were introduced in 1980 with the purpose of saving energy. They initially were very expensive and consumers were aware of many flaws that made them hesitant to purchase the bulbs and bring them into their homes. The positive effects of switching from alternative bulbs to CFLs were overshadowed by media attention highlighting the issues that remained unresolved. Wal-Mart pushed promotional programs in 2007 that were very successful. They introduced a private label at a lower price, offered online ordering, posititioned the products well, installed interactive displays and engaged with new partners to promote energy efficiency. In 2009 the CFLs were redesigned and

As we have reviewed and studied the strategy, culture, finances and the challenges and successes at Wal-Mart, there are many strategies we see that the company must undertake to hold its dominate position and drive further growth. Herein, we define our top four. These core strategies include: rebuild and recreate its reputation in the face of recent challenges; continue to show price leadership; improve the customer experience; and drive international growth.

Ever since Wal-Mart started it has taking off not only nationally but internationally, especially over the past ten years. Wal-Mart has become the world’s largest and probably the most powerful retailer to this day, having the highest sales per square foot. The major keys to Wal-Mart’s success is due to their inventory turnover, operating profits, providing discounted prices to their customers, and of course their supply chain. Through all of those, Wal-Mart says that it focuses on change, technology, and effective management to lower cost all across the board. Wal-Mart’s incredible supply chain, as shown in the case with its seafood, but with all of its products is where most of their ability to lower product

The key elements/problems that occurred within the Wal-Mart case studies consist of the following features: The companies’ lack of ability to construct a balance between the executive officials and those with a direct interest or stock in the company. These unbalances between these created issues within the business sector. “The obvious problems associated with the companies policies of poor management involve taking care of their employees, suppliers, the environment, and the economic dynamics of the community (Ferrell, O., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2011).” In the companies lack of management these strategic efforts did not pay off. Their approaches for success were tarnished due to the company’s unethical policies and procedures. For example, the right of the woman was a form of stiff discrimination, social activists rights were ignored as well. When accessing these methods one would have to examine the labor unions, belief’s that Wal-Mart would not comply to providing their consumers with lower prices. “This approach was an error on behalf the previous CEO Jim Weir (Ferrell, O., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2011)”. This plan was a wrong decision that would later become the start of the meltdown with the company. Some of the other issues surrounding these mishaps involved ensuring the product to different global regions around the world, which caused a chain reaction with the companies’ efforts of expansion. Therefore, these executive managers’ strategies for data