...Verhaal Wal-Mart Case Study September 16, 2014 Sam Walton started Wal-Mart in 1962. When Wal-Mart was first introduced, it was believed to be the least likely to succeed in the discount retailing business. The central focus of Wal-Mart was on price. By 1970, Wal-Mart had expanded to 30 towns, all in small towns. In order to expand Wal-Mart beyond its small region, Wal-Mart decided to go public. By the 1990s, 100 shares increased in value from $1,650 to $3,000,000. At this time, Wal-Mart had also spread throughout the United States in both large cities and small towns. Wal-Mart had many different opportunities and threats facing them including, but not limited to, the general environment, five-forces, and their industry structure. Using the VRIO framework, one can assess Wal-Mart’s resources and capabilities and conclude whether or not they have sustainable competitive advantages. The overall general environment of Wal-Mart posed opportunities as well as threats. Technology posed disadvantageous to Wal-Mart and other companies in the discount retail industry. “Internet shopping was appealing because of the convenience and selection available, but perhaps the most attractive aspect was the competitive pricing” (Hesterly, p. 1-13). Less people were coming in to look around the stores, and many items could be ordered at the comfort of the consumers’ home with the click of a finger. The demographics posed an opportunity for the discount retail industry and Wal-Mart. Demographics...
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...of Contents Introduction2 Wal-Mart’s resources2 Tangible resources2 Intangible resources3 Human resource3 Wal-Mart’s capabilities4 Distribution4 Corporate function4 Operation4 Management Information4 Marketing5 Competitive advantages5 Knowledge management5 Distribution network5 Relationships strategy with suppliers and associates6 Financial management6 International operation6 Conclusion7 References list7 Introduction This project will analyze resources and capabilities of Wal-Mart and the linkage between two strands. According to Wal-Mart’s case, it can be divided Wal-Mart’s resources into three main types of resource: tangible, intangible, and human resources. Moreover, thanks to its resources, Wal-Mart’s capabilities comprises of distribution, operation, management information, marketing, and corporate function. If linkage between resources and capabilities can be indicated and understood, it enables Wal-Mart to produce many competitive advantages: knowledge management, distribution network, partnerships, and financial management. Through those advantages, Wal-Mart creates some strategies for the growth of its operation line within United State or extending over the world. Wal-Mart’s resources Tangible resources In terms of financial resources, the company has established in discount retailing format and become the largest and most profitable retailer in the world. It has been developing rapidly, as result; Wal-Mart produces much profit to reinvest...
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...Webster University | Management and Strategy | A glance into Wal-Mart | | Monica Kendra Leigh Spell | 2/5/2011 | A case study of Wal-Mart discussing strategic initiatives | Threats and Challenges A SWOT analysis provides a description of an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is an important tool in management decision making, because managers are able to look at what their areas of improvement need to be, what their strong points are, and how to integrate the two to benefit the organization. After conducting a SWOT analysis of Wal-Mart, a few threats and challenges were identified. Changes in executive leadership can and usually do pose challenges for an organization. In this regard, Wal-Mart is no different. Lee Scott took the post as CEO of Wal-Mart in January 2000. Some of his challenges throughout his reign as CEO were ethical issues, personnel dilemmas, health insurance reform, and pressures from external groups. Ethics guides the managers’ decision making process by determining moral awareness, judgment, and character. The manager must acknowledge that an ethical issue exists, determine a solution that is within morals, and have the ability to carry out their ethical decisions. Managers must also wear a “veil of ignorance”, a term based on John Rawls experiment. This means that managers must place themselves in the group that the decision will negatively affect and weigh the decision. Ethical decision making...
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...1. Do you think Wal-Mart could translate its merchandising strategy wholesale to another country and succeed? If not, why not? Wal-Mart is the worlds largest retailer with a bunch of advantages above the rest. I think it is extremely possible for Wal-Mart to translate it’s merchandising strategy wholesale to another country and be highly successful. The main method to focus on is being able to understand the culture and environment that it would need to transition its methods to. For example, China originally turned its nose up at the Americanized way that Wal-Mart presented itself when it first opened. Chinese culture didn’t agree with many things, the main thing being that the meat was sold in Styrofoam or that the fish was dead, it was offensive to them. So Wal-Mart adapted to the Chinese culture and it has been a huge success for them. 2. Why do you think Wal-Mart was successful in Mexico? I think Wal-Mart was successful in Mexico because they hired local managers that were very well versed in the Mexican Culture and they allowed them to control the merchandising strategy as they saw it. After reading this case study I learned that adaption is the key to survival in different environments and economies. Since there are very few vehicles in Mexico transportation is slim, so by building smaller, closer stores was another huge benefit of it being successful in Mexico. 3. Why do you think Wal-Mart failed in South Korea and Germany? What are the differences between...
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...YIK UID 3035036503 Case study of Wal-Mart Introduction In this essay, the case of Wal-Mart will be discussed by applying the Milton Friedman’s argument on CSR and utilitarianism. Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world, however, it is also known for ruthless exploitation of employee, squeezing suppliers, and crushing communities. It has been the Public Enemy No. 1 for a generation of activists and reformers. To cope with these oppositions, Wal-Mart responded vigorously and, instead, announced plans to preserving the environment, fighting hunger, empowering women and providing access to healthy, affordable food. The essay will try to argue the problems of Wal-Mart dominating the world in the retail business to create great profit by giving low wages to the employee according to Milton Friedman and utilitarianism. Also, it will discuss how the plans announced by Wal-Mart deal with the global responsibility. Moreover, how should government involve in this situation. Problem: Low-wages for the Employee 1. Milton Friedman According to Milton Friedman, an American economist and philosopher, the most important social responsibility of a corporation is to maximize profit for its owner- stockholder (Friedman, 1970). He suggested that if a corporation put the focus on being socially responsible, it would make the corporation less competitive with those competitors who did not put much focus on social responsibility. For the act of Wal-Mart to provide only low wages...
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...Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. vs Dukes The case of Wal-Mart vs Duke which was filed in court June 19, 2001 (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 2017) and it was granted certiorari by the United States Supreme Court for review where the females received billions for the company. There were five other women with Betty Dukes, who started the case. The plaintiff stated that the company was engaged in discrimination against female workers under the violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964. This law was passed by Congress to end racial discrimination, including women so they could feel protected on their job from discrimination. (Brown, 2014) The company did not want to give females promotions, pay decisions, job assignments and did not want to train the females, because the supervisor said that this was not a place or job for females. Wal-Mart now appeals to the Supreme Court, arguing that the class certification does not meet the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a). “Wal-Mart also claims that class certification was improper under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b) (2) because the employees primarily seek monetary compensation in the form of back pay, and Rule 23(b) (2) does not authorize the certification of claims seeking monetary relief.” (Rumpf, 2011)...
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...Case Study I: Sears, Roebuck and Co. vs. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Chao Han Junliang Shi Zhongyi Hu 2/25/2015 Azusa Pacific University Case Study I: Sears, Roebuck and Co. vs. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. are the two big retail companies in U.S. Although Wal-Mart was acknowledged powerhouse of the U.S. retailing industry, Sears’ ROE exceeded Wal-Mart’s 2%, which can show that this firm was the true powerhouse. Therefore, Don Edwards, an analyst with a prestigious investment bank. He compared two financial performances of these two companies and he wanted to figure out which company performed better in different areas. Sears, Roebuck and Co. was founded in 1891. It started originally with a sole catalog business and then expanded into retail stores in 1924. Its stores were primarily located in shopping malls, including a large variety of merchandise. Sears has become the world’s largest retailer in terms of annual sales. By the early 1980s, Sears faced increased competition and declining market share. In 1992, The CEO of Sears, Arther C. Martinez has carried out three methods to improve profitability. The first was to cut costs. The second was to re-oriented the product mix in which the target audience was set to be middle-class female shoppers. The third was to offer customers more flexibility through the use of the company’s proprietary credit...
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...CASE STUDY 10 | SHRM Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 2 ANNEXURE ............................................................................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY ................................................................................................. 9 QUESTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 10 QUESTION 01: ................................................................................................................................... 10 QUESTION 02 ................................................................................................................................... 12 QUESTION 03 ................................................................................................................................... 14 QUESTION 04 ................................................................................................................................... 16 CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................
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...Wal-Mart- A Case Study of MIS Strategy Walden University Wal-Mart – A Case Study of MIS Strategy Management information system is all about people using technology to work with information as they support the organization in its quest for a competitive advantage (Haag & Cummings, 2008, p. 29). Researchers and authors have discussed management information systems and technology over the decades. The concepts of competitive advantage, technology, outsourcing etc. have been theorized, yet discussion on the subject matter continues. While MIS strategy formulation has seen advancement, organizations are evolving and constantly changing their operating models. An example of such organization is Wal-Mart, the global retail giant. This research seeks to pin-point Wal-Mart’s key management information system strategy, while providing a deeper understanding of the organization’s management information systems strategy and its impacts. Further it aims to investigate knowledge management, e-commerce strategy, and the impact of database management which are aspects that can be incorporated into the MIS strategy formulation. To achieve this objective the literature survey was conducted to explore available published papers in the sphere of IS/IT strategy formulation. Considering that the applicability of information systems and technology is mission critical, the research design focused on the qualitative approach. The primary method of data collection was through semi-structured...
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...Wal-Mart and the Ethical Dilemma Presented to: Dr. Robert D. Gulbro In completion of MGT 5013 Organizational Behavior Florida Institute of Technology By: Felix Knight Wal-Mart was started by Sam Walton in 1962; the first store was in Rogers Arkansas. By the beginning of the 1970’s, Wal-Mart had grown to 1,500 employees and 44.2 million dollars in sales. The company also went public in 1970. The company’s growth continued throughout the decade, with the employee count reaching 21,000 by 1980 with $1.2 billion dollars in sales. Wal-Mart made its first acquisition, buying 16 Mohr-Value stores. In 1983, the first Sam’s Club warehouse opened followed by the first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1988. By the end of the decade, the company had over 1,402 Wal-Mart and 123 Sam’s Club locations and $26 billion dollars in sales – an increase of 2,600% over the decade. Today, Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer, with $405 billion in sales, over 4,300 stores, and 2.1 million employees (Duke, 2010, p. 0). One hundred shares of Wal-Mart stock purchased for $1,650 when the company went public would have grown to 204,800 shares worth over $10.1 million as of July 9, 2010 for a return of 613,431% (“Dividends & stock splits”, 2010, July 9) (“Wal-Mart (WMT) stock quote” 2010, July 9). Daft (2008) stated “Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the United States” (p. 129). Wal-Mart’s 2010 annual report provides the mission statement of the...
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...Case Study: 6 – Wal-Mart Case Study: Data Communications at Wal-Mart Erin Barraclough Case Study: Data Communications At Wal-Mart • Case Study - Data Communications At WalMart Page 116 1. How has Wal-Mart improved its data communication systems for suppliers? 2. What are some typical data communication applications in Walmart? 3. What are some of the applications of wireless technology in WalMart? 4. What are some of the features and capabilities of VMS? • Due Date Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:59:00 PM CDT (Bidgoli, 2013, p.. Question 1) Wal-Mart has improved its data communication system for its suppliers through various approaches. The main reason for doing so is to, remain the lowest cost retail merchandiser. The first improvement Wal-Mart has done to improve its communication system was adding a customized web site for its suppliers. This customized network has enable suppliers to retrieved, all sales, inventory, and forecasting data through faster connections. To make sure that the confidentiality of data is maintained, Wal-Mart has implemented a security system to ensure that no suppliers can access each other’s data. The second improvement to the data communication system was allowing the suppliers, Web-Based access to Wal-Mart’s Retail Link system to access information in the database. Question 2) Wal-Mart utilizes various data communication system to remain at the top of the retail business. Some typical data communication...
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...Wal-Mart Crushing Mom and Pop Shops Mary Ritter English 122: English Composition II Lauren Higgins July 8, 2013 Wal-Mart Crushing Mom and Pop Shops That one of the paper’s opening quotes is actually from a pro-Wal-Mart article, which goes on to discuss the merits and efficiency enhancements that result, claiming that “in a free market, large suppliers of nearly everything will drive most small suppliers out of business.” Wal-Mart watch, one of the largest Anti-Wal-Mart organizations, features an academic article claiming that in Iowa, Wal-Mart’s expansion has been responsible for widespread closings of ‘mom and pop’ stores, including 555 grocery stores, 298 hardware stores, 293 building suppliers,161 variety shops, 158 women’s stores, and 116 pharmacies. Perhaps because of its size and success, unlike most other firms, Wal-Mart’s ability to open new stores is decided within the political process. State and local economic development authorities, and state courts, in most cases make the final decisions on whether to allow the entry of a specific new Wal-Mart store. These decisions are often influenced by arguments about the harm done to small businesses. For example, in her comments to a local reporter surrounding the city commission’s vote on allowing a new Wal-Mart store, Aberdeen, South Dakota city commissioner Pat Klabo stated “If this were a moral decision, we would have voted right away in favor of the...
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...Wal-Mart: The Challenges of Dominance There are few companies that have become household names all across the Americas and many parts of the globe. One such company is Wal-Mart. Since its’ birth in 1962, there have been over 4,700 company locations opened, employing over 1.4 million people in the continental United States alone. (WALMART STORES.COM 2011) Wal-Mart was founded by Sam and Bud Walton as a department-sized store targeting small rural towns throughout the Midwest. It has immersed itself in a rapid amount of growth and success over the first few years by offering among the best levels of customer service, as well as “Every Day Low Prices.” After several decades of extreme growth, Wal-Mart began to finally shift its focus from targeting rural areas to that of urban areas all across the United States with its adaptation of the larger supersized centers that could offer a wide array of products and services. A great example to show its rapid movement would be to compare its growth to that of several of its’ competitors. It was founded the same year as corporate moguls Target and Kmart, and in 2011 it grossed revenues of more than four times that of both of these companies combined. (WALMART 2011) Retailing is the second largest industry in the U.S. and one of the most sizable in the world, and Wal-Mart is larger than the next four global giants combined. Wal-Mart’s capabilities in the Retail link-system, as well as its innovations in developing the hub...
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...Case analysis on ‘Human resource strategy and productivity at Wal-Mart’ Course: MGT 489 # 7, Fall 2015 Submitted To Dr. Muslima Zahan Assistant Professor Submitted By |Name |Student ID | |MD. Zahid Hossen |111 0104 030 | |Mehedi Hasan |121 0212 030 | |Mohammed Irfan |121 0823 030 | |Nujhat Nakiba Khushbu |123 0279 030 | School of Business and Economics North South University Date of Submission: 13/10/2015 Letter of Transmittal October 13th, 2015 Dr. Muslima Zahan Assistant Professor Strategic Management (MGT 489) School of Business North South University Subject: Submission of the case analysis on “Human resource strategy and productivity at Wal-Mart” Madam, We would like to thank you for assigning us with this course-work for the course of strategic management. This case study has given us the opportunity to combine our theoretical...
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