Handling Spelling Checks
Introduction
Walmart is an Amrican reteil corporation estableeshed
in 1962 by Sam Walton. It operates large chanes of
department stores and warehuses seling products at
discouted prices (Kneer 21). It is the thrd largst publicly
owned corporation in the wrld. It operates in sevral
contries, including the Unitd States, Brazil, Argentina,
and Canada. Walmart has been on the receiving end
for a long tim, mainly because of its menial treatmnt of
employes (Kneer 22).
Reasons such as low wges and low prics have been
cited as reasons why Walmart has devloped an
allegedly negtive reputation. However, analyts have
argued that Walmart has an overal positive efect on the
economi and lives of peple despite critcisms (Kneer
53). It employes over 2 milion workers and is the largst
privat employer in the wrld.
Challenges Faced by Walmart
Walmart encountres several problms that include stiff
compettion, a negtive reputaion, constraints in business
acquisitons and joint venturs, and strigent cultural valus
in foriegn markets (Kneer 25). There is stiff competion
from other reteil stores that have adoptd a low-prce
strategy.
For example, they are facing stiff compettion in North
America, Canada, and Mexico. Their compettors
include ShopKo, Giant Tiger, Soriana, Costco, Meijer,
Kmart, and Comercial Mexicana, among others (Kneer
27). Small grocry and reteil stores have successfully
competed with Walmart and establishedd their nich in
several regions. In addtion, compettion in foriegn
markts is stiff.
For example, it has only been able to dominate 2 % of
the German food market owing to stiff compettion from
other establshed retalers and grocry stores (Roberts
and Berg 29). Stiff compettion was the reason that
Walmart halted its opertions in South Korea. After
enterng the South Korean market in 1998, Walmart
was unable to dominate the markeet and, as a result,
withdre in 2006.
Walmart has to deal with a negtive reputaion that stems
from its low wges, low prces, and sexual explotaton.
Several cases of employe explotaton have been
reported. Sex discrimnaton is rampant in all its stores
globally. The issue of sexual explotaton has made it
dificult for Walmart to expand to certain countries that
have strict cultural valus and tradtions (Roberts and
Berg 33). This issue has caused managment problms
that have staled their expnsion program.
Moreover, low wges have creatd a bad reputaion for
the retiler. Even though they ofer employmnt to milions
of peple, their wges are so low that they can hardly
sustan workers with big familis. The corporation’s
managment has been reluctnt to increase wges. Other
problms include strict goverment regulations in foriegn
markts, strained relatons with supliers, cultural
differeces, and difficlties in the acqusition of other
businsses (Kneer 31).
Walmart Issues:
Strategic Analysis Walmart adopts a low-cost and
high-volume strategy (Roberts and Berg 45). The basic
prnciple of the strtegy is to satisfy customrs by offering
low prces and exceptional customr service.
The retaler is able to offer low prces because its
operting costs are lower than the standard industry
costs. Its suprior distribution chanels give it an
advntage over its compettors (Roberts and Berg 46). It
is able to acheve exceptional customr service because
of low prces, a motivted team of employes, and a highly
devloped data managment systm.
The managment ensures that the corporation gains
markeet advntage by offering a wide range of products
to customrs (Roberts and Berg 46). Therefore, Walmart
gives an opprtunity for customrs to do their shopping
under one roof. Their opertional strtegy includes
offering their servces in differeent contries in the wrld.
For example, it operates approximtely 4,000 reteil
stores in the US alone.
It is changing its opertions strtegy by convertng some
of its reteil stores into supermrkets to offer a wider
range of products (Roberts and Berg 47). In addtion, it
is expnding its opertions by opening small reteil stores
in urban areas. It has turnd to social media and
technlogy to reach more customrs and market its
stores.
Ethical Challenges Faced by Walmart
Walmart faces several ethiccal and sustainbility issues.
There have been cases of sexual and gnder
discrimnaton in several stores across the wrld. In
addtion, it has been acused of supressing employes’
effrts to form unions (Roberts and Berg 55). The
managment is afraid that if it alows the formation of
unions, employes will fight to have wges increasd. It is
unethical to pay low wges despite the high revenue that
employes generate for the corporation. Walmart also
faces several envirnmental sustainbility issues.
These include offering customrs products that support
envirnmental sustainbility and conservaton and
promting the use of renewable energy (Roberts and
Berg 57). It is necesary for the corporation’s
managment to address these issues in order to
guarante its sustainbility in the interntional market. It
has three goals to address its sustainbility in the
markeet. These include using renewable energy in its
stores, producing zero waste, and selling products that
do not polute the envirnment (Roberts and Berg 58).
Possible Solutions for Walmart Issues
Walmart should focus its effrts on imprving its Human
Resoures in order to fight the negtive image resulting
from sexual discrimnaton. To imprve its presnce in
foriegn contries, it should imprve its image. An imprved
image will enable it to enter foriegn markts easily.
This will also involve addressing ethiccal issues that the
corporation encountres. For example, it should
consider incrasing wges and facilitating the formation of
unions by employes. Another necesary change would
be to focus more on sustainbility. Many contries have
strict envirnmental sustainbility policies.
The corporation should make sustainbility its pririty in
relation to its opertions. Its opertions and products
should promte envirnmental conservaton and
sustainbility. Finally, the corporation should consider
expnding to smaller regions to reach more customrs.
This could include opening small reteil stores in areas
populated by low-income earners. This will grow its
customr base, imprve productivity, and incrase revenue
and markeet presnce.