Walmart Case Study

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Executive Summary

Over the past 30 years Wal-Mart has grown into the world leader in retail and supply chain management. However, the company has faced and continues to face challenges with its stakeholders and other parties who are very critical of their business practices and ethics. Wal-Mart has established a reputation of squeezing the little guy to acquire the lowest possible price for the most earnings at the expense of some of its stakeholders as addressed in the 2005 documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price by director Robert Greenwald. Various parties including community groups, religious organizations, grassroots organizations, environmental groups and Wal-Mart customers as well as current and former associates have accused Wal-Mart of engaging in unethical business practices for the Every Day Low Price (EDLP) strategy.
Wal-Mart’s stakeholder issues involve racial and gender discrimination, treatment of product suppliers, product sourcing, child labor, environmental practices and the use of government subsidies. This paper will discuss some of those issues and address some solutions Wal-Mart has implement and should implement to increase their competitive advantage and enhance their reputation by taking a proactive approach to Cooperate Social Responsibility.

Brief History and Business model

Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. According to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2013, Walmart is the world's second largest public corporation, the world’s largest retailer, largest grocery retailer in the United States and the biggest private employer in the world with over 1.7 million worldwide. The company was founded by Sa...

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..., their new CEO Mike Duke has stressed a change in the way business is done to change the negative perceptions of the company. The wages are still low and problems still exits but the recent creation of a Senior Director for Stakeholder Engagement and their new mantra “Save money, Live better” highlight their new emphasis on shared value and CSR. They have added several components to their business such as:
• Environmental Sustainability
• Increases in US manufacturing
• Woman’s Economic Empowerment domestic and international
• Hunger and Nutrition
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Veterans and Military Families
• Ethical Sourcing
Wal-Mart is too large to fade into the night, but companies must adapt to the ever changing global changes technology and globalization bring. People have become more aware of their choices and Wal-Mart must adjust or people will shop elsewhere.

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