Organization Culture at Wal-Mart
Jan 8, 2010
Case Study Contents
1. Introduction
2. Wal-Mart – Company Background
3. Sam Walton and Wal-Mart’s culture
4. Exhibit: Unique values that support Wal-Mart’s three basic beliefs
5. The 10-Foot Rule – Wal-Mart’s secret to customer service
6. The Sundown Rule
7. Open-Door Policy
8. Servant Leadership
9. Rank-and-file profit sharing
10. Grass Roots Process – Associate Opinion Survey
11. The Wal-Mart Cheer
12. Wal-Mart’s efforts to make the company an even better place to work
13. Employee Development programs
14. Combining Technology and empowerment
15. Awards and Recognitions received by Wal-Mart
16. Wal-Mart – Timeline
17. Wal-Mart – Quick Facts
18. Wal-Mart – Various Store Formats
19. Wal-Mart – International operating formats
20. Sam Walton’s ten rules for building a business
Introduction
"Wal-Mart continues to execute well and deliver solid results in a challenging economic environment"- A Goldman Sachs analyst
"What makes ordinary people do extraordinary things?" Sam Walton once asked. "Aren’t we a group of ordinary folks? We really are. And I think we, together as a team, have done extraordinary things. We’ve all grown, we’ve all accomplished much more than any of us ever thought that we could."- Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
"We are a people association supported by one million associates. Much of what we do centers around individual stores. We’re in a labor-intensive customer service business. Associates can’t treat customers as number one if they are not treated that way." – Susan Oliver, Wal-Mart’s SVP of human resources in 2005
In August 2008, Wal-Mart Stores announced that its profit rose 17 percent in the second quarter and that it is raising its full-year forecast. In a challenging economy, the world’s largest retailer benefited from low prices and its moves to cut costs. Wal-Mart’s