Assignment No. 1 February 9, 2016 Question 1 Company Name: Walmart Stores Inc. Walmart is one of the biggest American retail companies which is famous for discounted consumer products. It operates in more than 25 countries throughout the worlds with as high as 2 million employees. In order to meet the demands of its growing customers, Walmart relies on various domestic suppliers for its products. On Walmart’s website, www.corporate.walmart.com/policies, we will find the company’s policies and guidelines. Further, the company has two separate documents that can be taken as Codes of Conduct; i.e. Global Statement of Ethics (addressing a range of general issues) and Standards for Suppliers Manual . Further, on http://giving.walmart.com/foundation, …show more content…
It also applies to all colleagues and directors of Walmart-controlled subsidiaries.” Further, it provides that “Walmart expects all suppliers, consultants, law firms, public relations firms, contractors and other service providers to act ethically and in a manner consistent with this Statement of Ethics. If you hire a third party, you should take reasonable steps to ensure the third party is aware of this Statement of Ethics, has a reputation for integrity and acts in a responsible manner consistent with our …show more content…
With respect to working hours, wages, annual leave and other related matters, it calls for the compliance of local applicable laws. Moreover, it requires supplier to treat their employees with dignity and not interfere in their freedom of association. It further prohibit discrimination of workers based on age, sex, ethnicity, pregnancy,… • Health and Safety: Walmart requires its suppliers to fulfill working place health and safety rules and regulations. Suppliers are required to deliver necessary trainings and equipment related to chemical, electric and fire safety. An emphasis is given on particular countries Bangladesh and Pakistan where Walmart’s Suppliers were involved in business with local garment factories with degrading working environment. • Environment: supplier are also expected to observe all environmental laws and regulations. The particular emphasis areas are waste disposal, emissions, discharge of toxic substances... in accordance with international standards and applicable national
Since the company was founded as a corner store, the company’s business plan has always emphasized on expect more, pay less brand promise that sets it apart from its chief rival, Walmart. Although, Walmart is known for its low prices and offers a large selection to its customers; it’s customer service is often found to be nonexistent. This
In the article Up Against Wal-Mart, Karen Olsson exposes the largest retailer in the world by listing many of the retailer’s flaws such as worker mistreatment and discrimination. Throughout the article, Olsson uses anecdotes from employees that have worked at the company and statistics to support her arguments. Ultimately Olsson’s piece serves to harshly criticize Wal-Mart due to low pay wages, unpaid overtime, and gender inequality. From the start, Olsson relies on actual employee interviews to support her arguments against Wal-Mart. By introducing Jennifer McLaughlin, a young woman who has been working for Wal-Mart for three years but makes under $17,000 a year, the author builds tension between the worker and the company.
Some people may wonder how, with such low prices, Wal-Mart can sustain such a large profit margin. Well according to Jim Hightower, that answer lies within Wal-Mart’s workforce. Hightower believes that Wal-Mart is tricking its workers into thinking they are, “one big, happy family,” when in reality those workers are being exploited. According to Jim, Wal-Mart is diverting their workers from the actual issues such as, “fair wages, hiring discrimination, or unionization.” This is backed up in the 2004 documentary aired by PBS called, “Is Wal-Mart Good for America?”
In her essay “Up Against Wal-Mart,” Karen Olsson claims that the employees of Wal-Mart are mistreated. They are overworked; each has to perform a plethora of duties because their stores are understaffed. She contends that they are not paid according to their heavy work loads, causing them to be disgruntled. Her view is that they are underappreciated and underrepresented, and based on her essay, I have come to agree with her points. From the facts and first hand accounts she presents on employees of Wal-Mart, I agree with her proposition that employees are underappreciated.
"Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" gives a provocative examination of the effect Wal-Mart has had on the U.S. economy. The documentary highlights the changing connection amongst makers and the purported "big box" retailers, exemplified by Wal-Mart, that has added to the insolvency of some American organizations and a developing unemployment rate. While Wal-Mart supporters tout the upsides of one-stop, ease shopping, others are frightened at both the outsourcing that has made these low costs conceivable and how extensive retailers influence littler, neighborhood organizations. Cutting edge inspects the champs and the failures as it archives how: Worldwide retailers are superceding makers in settling on choices about item quality, sort and cost.
The author goes on in detail about Walmart’s employee selection process and the unique attributes they look for. Walmart looks to employee staff that will not look to unionize the company and employees that are afraid they wont be able
It appears that Wal-Mart is ruthless and unforgiving in their demands from manufacturers, even at the cost of a long-standing business relationship with a highly respected American company. Ostensibly, Wal-Mart promotes the consequentialist ethical methodology with “better consequences”. As the book states, “Better
‘Is Wal-Mart Good for America?’ On PBS Frontline, May 11, 2015 ‘Is Wal-Mart Good for America?’ is a documentary that examines the relationship between Wal-Mart’s rapid growth and its impact on the US economy ever since it blossomed in trade productivity in the mid 20th century. The documentary, published on February 2014 by PBS Frontline, conveys a deep understanding of how Wal-Mart changed the living standards of many Americans and took consumerism and retail logistics in the U.S. to another level; by cutting costs through offshore outsourcing to China and employing cheap Chinese labor. The documentary focuses on the changing relationship between big retailers and manufacturers and the transition in pricing and decision-making.
Core Values and Ethical Principles The six core values recognized by the NASW Code of Ethics are: service, social justice, dignity and worth of person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW, 2008). These values are defined and expanded upon, and are then listed as ethical principles. Several of these principles apply to this case.
This motto has gone so far that they now price match to other stores for the customers. This simply means that if the same product is found at another store for a cheaper price Wal-Mart will sell it to the customer for the price that it was found listed as at the other store. Customer
Walmart was founded in the summer of 1962 by Kingfisher, Oklahoma native Sam Walton. Although Walton’s original vision for the store was relatively modest, the half century since its founding has seen Walmart morph into one of the biggest companies in the world. Today headed by one Doug McMillon, Walmart boasts more than 5000 stores in the United States of America alone and employs more than 1.5 million people. Walmart is undoubtedly an American institution, yet each Walmart store feels like its own little country. Walmart seems to have its own laws and customs and the people who shop their on a regular basis appear almost primitive in their behavior as they go about raiding the store’s shelves and wrestling with fellow customers for discount flat screen televisions and bulk packages of two-ply toilet paper.
According to the recent research of Hierarchy Structure group, they have introduced the Walmart Business Hierarchy. Walmart was first introduced to this world in 1969. It is one of the worlds’ famous grocery stores and supermarkets. It is also widely operating in different countries around the world. As Walmart is a huge company, they require a structured and strict hierarchical system in the company.
Vision, Mission Statement "Price Leadership Drives Global Performance" is the Wal-Mart visualization statement. The management of Wal-Mart emphasises on price leadership in every market since pricing strategy is the direct approach to reach performance and attract customers. In order to implement price leadership, they stated "Save Money, Live Better", which remains as relevant now as it was in 1962 by Sam Walton. The mission is that everybody is able to purchase products in Wal-Mart because the stores offers low price products to them.
Walmart has succeeded in achieving the leading position in the retail industry. Walmart now stands as the biggest retailer in the world. However, the external factors constitute pressure on the company that must be address carefully. By analyzing the five forces of external factors we will define the nature and power of our rival power in the market. The five factors are competitors from rival, potential new entrants, substitute products, supplier bargaining power and customer bargaining power all of these competitive forces affecting Walmart position.
Introduction The key ethical issues that were presented in this case study were quality control, lack of customer care, responsiveness, and harming the customer. The Johnson and Johnson case may have been seen as a turning point due to many things the company did right. However, there were many ethical issues in this case which will be explored more throughout this paper.