Walmart's Sustainable Business Development

Strategic management is the art and science of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its objectives. It involves the systematic identification of the firm 's objectives, nurturing policies and strategies to achieve these objectives, and acquiring and making available these resources to implement the policies and strategies to achieve the firm 's objectives. Strategic management, therefore, integrates the activities of the various functional sectors of a business, such as marketing, sales and production to achieve organisational goals. It is the highest level of managerial activity, usually

Sustainability from a strategic business perspective is the potential for the long-term well-being of the natural environment, including all biological entities, as mutually beneficial interactions among nature and individuals, organizations, and business strategies. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). Business sustainably is often defined as managing the triple bottom line – a process by which companies manage their financial, social and environmental risks, obligations and opportunities. These three impacts are sometimes referred to as profits, people and planet. (Business sustainability definition from financial times lexicon, no date). This essay will discuss the idea of sustainability being an important element within a businesses and its core strategies and the importance of it within different businesses. Secondly, this study will look at how different stakeholders are affected and influenced by sustainability as this could be seen as a catalyst to improving the environment as a whole and. Then this study will look at how businesses not focusing

Bertrand Piccard quotes, “In the 21st century, the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more sustainability. This is a powerful message, it sums up the concepts discussed throughout the course. Additionally, the case studies such as the New Belgium Brewery, SC Johnson and The Kimberly Clarke organization have been proven to practice this philosophy. As society progresses in its efforts to provide a more sustainable future, there is a fundamental foundation of principles that must be followed to ensure success. Sustainable business development takes into account the application of business operations as it relates to the three pillars of sustainability, which is a dynamic yet integrative place to begin this journey. DesJardins, (2006) calls for a re-imagination of the future to create a vibrant sustainable model; which forms similar beliefs to Piccard. In addition, organizations are more inclined to create sustainable practices based on consumer demand and the willingness of leadership to participate in sustainability programs.

Strategic management is the process where leaders establish an organization’s long-term direction, set the specific performance objectives, develop strategies to achieve these objectives in the light of all external and internal changes, and undertake effective strategies to manage these changes and execute action plans.

Strategic perspective encourages management to create a more robust action plan and to adhere to more informed decision-making opportunities. Initially, goals and objectives are set. Management responsibilities include: setting transparent goals, clear objectives and accountability. Visualizing the business scope is essential in creating an optimum perspective strategy. Perspective defines the clear vision and direction of the company’s ultimate objective. Perspective

It is said that “The only social responsibility that there is, is to obey laws and pay taxes,” but according to Milton Friedman, “social responsibility is to increase profits.” This kind of responsibility also a form of giving back. Many people believe that the future of Wal-Mart is sustainability. Wal-Mart Stakeholders are the associates, otherwise known as employees, the suppliers, and the investors of this company. I believe that Wal-Mart is doing enough to become more sustainable both locally and globally by the resources, its key stakeholders.

Lee Scott's Founding Vision takes the point of view from the zenith of the association as Walmart's CEO, Lee Scott, creates and verbalizes his vision of what Walmart plans to accomplish by seeking after a forceful sustainability system. This case investigates the weights that drove Scott to report the organization's goal-oriented sustainability objectives: accomplishing zero waste, 100% renewable energy, and offering sustainable items. It additionally investigates the decisions made when characterizing and imparting the extent of

Corporate social responsibility is very important in a business. Millions of Wal-Mart shoppers feel Wal-Mart is socially responsible for their actions and provides high value (Carroll and Buchholtz 779). As issues of environmental awareness grew, Sam Walton began to think environmentally and made commitments to “land, air and water” (Carroll and Buchholtz 774). Wal-Mart began to be socially responsible for the environment by making shelf tags from “100 percent recycled paper” in hopes of informing customers about Wal-Mart‟s efforts to be environmentally safe (Carroll and Buchholtz 774). On the other hand, some business and communities dread “the winds of the „Wal-Mart Way‟” (Carroll and Buchholtz 774). Carroll and Buchholtz, quoting Kennedy Smith, state that „“downtowns will never again be the providers of the basic consumer goods and services they once were”‟ (774). One of the biggest complaints of communities is that Wal-Mart “kills” small “mom and pop” downtown merchants because they cannot compete with Wal-Mart‟s low prices (Carroll and Buchholtz 774). These small stores have been around for years, and Wal-Mart just comes and takes over. Carroll and Buchholtz say that some retailers believe the methods that Wal-Mart uses/d to compete with their competitors left “bad tastes” in their mouths (775). Retailers told Atlanta

Since Wal-Mart opened its doors in the early 1960’s profit as with any corporation has been a main focus. Achieving and succeeding in this however is easier said than done, development and success of a company relies on efficiency in current practices and improvements in those practices to insure the future of the company. A strong sustainability strategy which is closely followed will allow for such growth and success; bringing profits to the organization.

Nowadays, many international companies take sustainable development seriously. They understand that sustainable development can enhance their quality of life and their reputation in public. Sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (Brundtland, 1987) Sustainability requires monitoring and managing all the person to ensure that our economy and society can continue to exist without destroying the social and natural environment during development. The sustainability includes three pillars, which are economic, social and environment, forming a triple bottom line. The triple bottom line demands that a company 's responsibility lies

Sustainability has become a great topic of interest in many arenas. Particularly, leading organizations are recognizing sustainability needs to be an essential aspect of their long term strategies. With this recognition, better business practices are being sought by investors as well as sustainability is becoming a driving force for better efficiencies and innovation. Two organizations, Wal-Mart and Starbucks, have both took on sustainability as long term initiatives to address their customer needs and affect how their suppliers operate.

Walmart launched a massive business sustainability strategy in October 2005. The initiative strived to reduce the company 's impact on the global environment. In a speech broadcasted to the entire company worldwide, Walmart 's president and CEO Lee Scott pleaded that, "being a good steward of the environment and being profitable are not mutually exclusive. They are one and the same"(pg. 1). He also identified three goals: to be supplied by 100% renewable energy, zero waste and sell products that uphold the environment. It was clear that sustainability in the 21st century was not only for environmental purposes, but also for doing good business.

What Is Strategic Management a process for defining and addressing the management implications of an organization's strategic and operational plans? A long-term context for short-term activities. Strategic management is the analysis of the work done by the management of an organization on behalf of the owners. It gyrates around expressing the purposes of the organization and coming up with an appropriate mission and vision statement. Mission and vision statement together are used to help develop policies and plans to be used in long term and short term goals often categorized as projects or programs. It also involves the right resources of management to ensure that the business profit are maximized to grow the company. Strategic Competitiveness

Competitive advantage can be defined as a means by which a firm manages to keep making money, add value by providing distinct products and sustain its position against its competitors. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is one of such companies in the retail sector that has achieved sustainable competitive advantage over a period of time. ¬This report focuses on how Wal-Mart has achieved competitive advantage by adopting cost leadership strategy and providing consumer goods at lower prices. The report also discusses how Wal-Mart is taking lead on environmental sustainability by investing in solar power plants, offering environment friendly products in its various stores and encouraging recycling of different products. Wal-Mart’s strategies

CEO Lee Scott announced that Wal-Mart was launching a sweeping business sustainability strategy to dramatically reduce the company 's impact on the global environment and thus become "the most competitive and innovative company in the world." He argued that "being a good steward of the environment and being profitable are not mutually exclusive. They are one and the same." Scott also committed Wal-Mart to three aspirational goals: "To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain our resources and the environment." To meet those goals, Wal-Mart would seek to transform its supply chain, in cooperation with suppliers and environmental nonprofit organizations. In addition, Mr. Scott said that as the largest buyer of manufactured goods in the world, Wal-Mart has the power to encourage its more than 60,000 suppliers to adopt environmentally conscious business practices. "Our most direct impact will be on our suppliers," he said. "If we request that our suppliers use packaging that has less waste or materials that can be recycled, everybody who buys from that manufacturer will end up using that package." As an example of how the company can encourage better packaging, Mr. Scott said he would ensure prime