...This article is published in a peer-reviewed section of the Utrecht Law Review Four Case Studies on Corporate Social Responsibility: Do Conflicts Affect a Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy? Cristina A. Cedillo Torres, Mercedes Garcia-French, Rosemarie Hordijk, Kim Nguyen, Lana Olup* 1. Introduction 1.1. Background and objectives This article will discuss the different Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues that emerged within four multinationals (Apple, Canon, Coca-Cola and Walmart). There is no clear definition of CSR. In Corporate Social Responsibility, Legal and semi-legal frameworks supporting CSR Lambooy gives an r o verview of several definitions of CSR.1 The European Commission defines CSR as ‘the esponsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society’.2 This is the definition which is the most suitable for the c ontext of the article’s research question. As this article will focus on companies from the US and Japan, the authors also provide an overview of the focus on CSR from the US and Japanese perspective. In the US there is no governmental regulation regarding CSR or business best practices. Instead, according to findings from Bennett American, companies have a marked tendency to use codes of conduct.3 The American CSR perspective could be described as following a principles-based approach, with codes of conduct that prescribe values and principles which company members as a whole should aspire to follow. ...
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...This article is published in a peer-reviewed section of the Utrecht Law Review Four Case Studies on Corporate Social Responsibility: Do Conflicts Affect a Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy? Cristina A. Cedillo Torres, Mercedes Garcia-French, Rosemarie Hordijk, Kim Nguyen, Lana Olup* 1. Introduction 1.1. Background and objectives This article will discuss the different Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues that emerged within four multinationals (Apple, Canon, Coca-Cola and Walmart). There is no clear definition of CSR. In Corporate Social Responsibility, Legal and semi-legal frameworks supporting CSR Lambooy gives an r o verview of several definitions of CSR.1 The European Commission defines CSR as ‘the esponsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society’.2 This is the definition which is the most suitable for the c ontext of the article’s research question. As this article will focus on companies from the US and Japan, the authors also provide an overview of the focus on CSR from the US and Japanese perspective. In the US there is no governmental regulation regarding CSR or business best practices. Instead, according to findings from Bennett American, companies have a marked tendency to use codes of conduct.3 The American CSR perspective could be described as following a principles-based approach, with codes of conduct that prescribe values and principles which company members as a whole should aspire to follow. ...
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...conduct in India: Bharti Walmart "This disclosure has nothing to do with political or governmental contacts with Indian Government officials," a Bharti Walmart Spokesperson said in a statement. BSE () Vol: shares traded NSE () Vol: shares traded Prices|Financials|Company Info|Reports NEW DELHI: Bharti Walmart, the Indian arm of the US retail giant Walmart, on Wednesday said the allegation that routine US lobbying disclosures reflects improper conduct on its part in India are false. "This disclosure has nothing to do with political or governmental contacts with Indian Government officials," a Bharti Walmart Spokesperson said in a statement. The disclosures to US regulators showed that company's business interests in India was discussed with American officials along with 50 or more other topics during a three month period, it added "The allegation that a routine U S lobbying disclosure reflects improper conduct on our part in India, is false, it said. Under the US law, on a quarterly basis, all companies which meet certain time and expenses thresholds, are required to disclose issues and expenditure incurred in connection with contacts with the United States Government, including staffing cost, association dues, and payments to consultants, it said. The company said all organisations which expend more than USD 11,500 annually on lobbying activities and employ at least one lobbyist must register and file the quarterly reports. In the third quarter...
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...Walmart in Japan I. Problem identification phase Introduction Walmart is an American international retail company that is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company began operations in 1962 after being founded by Sam Walton and incorporated in 1969. The present brand name—Walmart—came about in 2008 and before that it was referred to as Wal-Mart. The company is famous for operating chains of large discount departmental stores and warehouse stores. Presently, the company is the 18th public corporation in terms of size and the biggest in terms of revenue, private employment, and retailer (Walmart 2011 Annual report). Furthermore, the largest shareholders are the Walton’s with 48% shares; hence they control the company. The company has approximately 9000 stores in over 15 countries all operating under different names. For instance, in Mexico it is called Walmex, in UK Asda, and in Japan Seiyu. This article analyses Walmart in Japan through three phases. The three phases are: problem identification, analysis, and solution phases. Background Walmart bought 6.2% of Seiyu in May 2002 (Holstein 73). The shares of the company increased over time and in 2005 December, Walmart was the majority shareholder of 50.9%. In 2008, Seiyu was entirely owned by Walmart whose headquarters are in Tokyo. The company has 419 retail units that are inclusive of: Seiyu Hypermarket, Seiyu Supermarket, Wakana, and Seiyu General Merchendise. Setting operations in Japan was not an easy feat...
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...successful business. The modest beginnings and impressive 50-year growth of Walmart Stores, Inc. are an example of such practice. Walmart Stores, Inc. reflects decades of continued positive return for investors in its annual report and presents a five-tiered strategic plan. The Walmart Store, Inc. 2012 Annual Report lists these initiatives as ―1) Developing our people; 2) Driving the productivity loop; 3) Winning in Global ecommerce; 4) Reinvigorating our customer-focused culture; and 5) Leading on social and environmental issues (p. 3). This essay will focus on two initiatives driving the productivity loop and reinvigorating our customer-focused culture. These two initiatives are tied to short-term and long-term financial concerns, and expansion strategies. The following details the organization’s financial planning surrounding the initiatives, the risks involved in the ideas, and the effect on revenues and expenses. Driving the Productivity Loop With strategic planning the team determines where to spend money for expansion, cut costs to reduces expenses, and invest profit for sustainably. Supporting this framework is the short-term and long-term financial plans a successful business needs to operate. According to Titman, Keown, and Martin (2011), the primary objective of both short- and long-range financial planning is the estimation of the firm’s future financing needs (p. 564). In the case of Walmart, these financial goals and reviews are based on a positive record of providing...
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...It’s seemingly that Walmart de Mexico bribery scandal is far from over. Many investigations has been carried out to fully answer what acctually happened in the past, what system failed, and who was responsible for possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which bars bribery of foreign officials, but questions of accountability recently remain unanswered. It also means that Walmart leaders have succeeded in hiding all the important clues to avoid sanctions. The whole thing began when Walmart de Mexico was alleged orchestrating bribes to obtain building permits, zoning variances, and environmental clearances at Mrs. Pineda’s alfalfa field in 2003. As Walmart started digging the ground at Mrs. Pineda’s field months later, it provoked fierce opposition coming from strong protests, nearby residents, and archaeologists. By offering donations, personal gifts and other bribe payments, they could get approvals from each level of authorities, records and interviews from the New York Time (NYT) report. The secret held even after a former Wal-Mart de Mexico lawyer, Martiza Munich, contacted Wal-Mart executives in Bentonville, Ark. She had former Sergio Cicero’s, Walmart de Mexico executive’s information about “irregularities authorized by the highest levels” in 2005 and hoped to meet soon. Then immediately Mike Duke, Vice chairman, WalMart International in 2005, sends detailed memos outlining Cicero’s allegations to Walmart senior management (– including Lee Stucky...
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...December 18, 2014 Richard Nashner Working Capital Strategies Walmart is on the path of expanding its brand; this paper highlights its finances by looking at its recent financial reports- balance sheets and statements of cash flow. By doing so, we can therefore make a projection or forecast Walmart’s revenue for 2015. Such projection comes with working capital recommendation, and the new lesson learned from previous financial reports of the company. Working Capital A review of Walmart’s financial statements shows that its net working capital had range from positive to negative and vice versa. Walmart current revised assets total $61,185 billion; an increase of two percent in 2014. The current liabilities in 2014 total $69,345 billion and $71,818 billion in 2013 (Walmart, 2015). This information indicates that Walmart working capital in was negative in 2014 with a balance of -$8,160 billion, which obviously reflects a long term liabilities. In 2013, its working capital was also in the negative of -$11,878 billion; this notwithstanding reflects a decrease of its working capital by over three million dollars. According to Walmart (2015), “ The decrease in our working capital deficit was primarily attributable to a decrease in long-term debt due within one year and an increase in our inventory levels due to lower than anticipated sales across the Company” (p. 27). Walmart as per its first quarter report in 2015 intend to decrease its negative working capital. The company...
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...Company Motivational Profile – Walmart Company Motivational Profile – Walmart To achieve success, organizations must have a clearly defined plan. Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, began his retail career as a management trainee at JC Penny. Walton opened a five and dime store in 1951 and his first Walmart opened in 1962. Walton’s concept of discounting prices included a large variety of low priced items, buying large quantity goods at the lowest price, and passing the savings on to his customers. Today’s retail organizations must have a plan to achieve success. Walton’s vision allowed Walmart to grow into a multi-billion dollar international retail giant. This paper discusses Walmart’s motivational profile including the background and history of Walmart, their corporate culture and management, the strengths and weaknesses of their motivational strategies, and finally, an analysis of Walmart’s motivational strengths and recommendations for future improvements. Background Information Before opening Walmart, Sam Walton traveled around the world studying everything he could about discount retailing. Walton became eager to bring the United States a different type of store. He had an idea that Americans wanted something out of the box. Walton put in most of his own personal money to open his first store in Rogers, AR. Walmart extended with more stores in later years. He always believed that if a business gave their customers what they wanted, they will continue to...
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... | | | | | The evolution of the largest retailer in the world, Walmart, has involved both success and controversy. It is a source of cost-savings for millions around the world, but it also seen as responsible for the destruction of its neighboring communities. In its forty year history, the company has dealt with allegations of discrimination, harassment and poor labor relations. The former general store has expanded into several arenas and has made its owners, the Waltons, some of the richest individuals in the world. Despite this, the chain continues to faces large obstacles on its quest to increase profits, improve efficiencies and maximize its customers’ savings. In 2006, Walmart Stores Inc had sales of over $312,000 billion and 1.7 million employees, making it the world’s largest employer (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2008). The concept evolved from a chain of variety stores owned by Sam Walton in the 1950s; Walton intensely...
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...of each company based on the DuPont Method. In addition, I will also look at how changes in accounting methods affected Seven and I holdings’ results in 2013 when compared to 2012. Finally, I will conclude my analysis on how comparable it was under different accounting methods based on above analysis. _____ Three Companies Chosen for Analysis For this ratio analysis assignment, I chose three companies from the UK, US and Japan: Walmart Country: US Industry: Supermarket Retail Accounting Standard: GAAP TESCO Country: UK Industry: Supermarket Retail Accounting Standard: IFRS Seven and I Holdings Country: Japan Industry: Supermarket Retail Accounting Standard: Japan Standard _____ Change/Amendments in Accounting Methods Walmart Even though there is a mention about recent accounting pronouncements and future adoption of those policies, there is and will be no effect in the firm’s net income, financial position or cash flows. Sainsbury Although there were two amendments effective from this annual reports, the firm has concluded that it doesn’t have a significant impact on the financial statements apart from additional disclosures. Seven and I Holdings Due to change in Corporate Tax Law, there was a change in depreciation methods for the long-term intangible assets obtained after 1st April, 2012. Because of this, there was an increase of 2,764mil yen in net income. On a side note, the increase in profit compared...
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...UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES OF WALLMART AND NIKE INTRODUCTION Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., branded as Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's second largest public corporation, according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2013, the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees, and is the largest retailer in the world. Walmart remains a family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family, who own a 48 percent stake in Walmart. It is also one of the world’s most valuable companies. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. It is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. Walmart is also the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51 percent of its US$258 billion sales in the U.S. from grocery business. It also owns and operates the Sam's Club retail warehouses in North America. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the company rose from a regional to national giant. By 1988, Wal-Mart was the most profitable retailer in the US and by October 1989 it had become the largest in terms of revenue. Geographically limited to the South and Lower Midwest up to the mid 1980s,...
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...global organization named Walmart. I will also analyze ethical and social responsibility issues that WalMart deals with as a result of being a global organization. I will further compare these ethical perspectives with other cultures that do business with Walmart. Walmart’s Ethical Perspective Walmart belief is built on a foundation of integrity , values of honesty, fairness and objectivity. Sam Walton founded Walmart with the strong conviction that a retailer could help people save money and live better. Since, Sam’s passing away, Mike Duke, Chief Executive Officer, President and CEO of Walmart states “culture is how we work together to fulfill that purpose. It's incorporated into every aspect of our business”. He further states “Our beliefs are the foundation of our culture: service to our customers, respect for the individual, and striving for excellence which rest on the foundation of personal integrity and responsibility(p.1).” Strong adherence to these principles has created a unique work culture at Walmart. No matter where you go — to any of our stores and offices in any of our brands around the world — our associates live these values” (p.1). The Statement of Ethics is strictly enforced in conjunction with local laws, to create an honest, fair, and legal workplace. It applies to all stores in 27 countries and to third parties such as suppliers, consultants, law firms, public relations firms, contractors and other service providers. Walmart encourages associates...
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...Grocery Stores Market Research Report | NAICS 44511 | Jan 2015 Shopping smart: Increasing premium brand sales and healthy eating trends will spur growth The Supermarkets & Grocery Stores market research report provides key industry analysis and industry statistics, measures market size, analyzes current and future industry trends and shows market share for the industry’s largest companies. IBISWorld publishes the largest collection of industry reports so you can see an industry’s supply chain, economic drivers and key buyers and markets. Market Share of Companies Kroger Publix Super Markets Inc. Safeway Industry Statistics & Market Size Revenue $584bn | Annual Growth 10-15 1.3% | Annual Growth 15-20 | | Profit | Employment 2,489,995 | Businesses 42,036 | Industry Analysis & Industry Trends The Supermarkets and Grocery Stores industry has grown over the past five years, benefiting from a strengthening domestic economy. As per capita disposable income has grown over this period, some consumers traded up to premium, organic and all-natural brands, helping lift industry revenue. Over the next five years, the industry is anticipated to grow as a result of rising discretionary income, albeit at a more conservative rate than in the previous five-year period. As health concerns intensify, more consumers will seek all-natural and organic products, which are priced at a premium... purchase to read more Industry Report - Starting a New Business Chapter ...
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...Adams ETH/316 May 4, 2015 Michael Esquivel Organizational Ethics Walmart started from a small discount retailer in Rodgers Arkansas. There are now thousands of Walmart stores within the United States and the company has also expanded internationally. Walmart created the one stop shop for anything, anywhere and at any time with most of its stores allowing a 24 hour shopping experience to the customers. The company operates over 11,000 retail units under 71 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. ("Walmart", 2015) Over 2.2 million people are employed by the corporation around the world with 1.3 million in the United States alone. The company’s founder, Sam Walton, said “personal and moral integrity is one of our basic fundamentals and it has to start with us” when he spoke of his company’s ethics and integrity. ("Walmart", 2015). High moral and ethical standards are embedded in the company yet controversial ethical issues haunt the company like proverbial retail ghosts. One such ghost is Walmart’s treatment of its employees. Walmart has been criticized and publically assaulted due to the treatment of the retailer’s employees. A documentary titled Walmart: High Cost of Low Price, was released. The documentary included interviews of former employees and managers who presented critical views of Walmart’s policies in respect to the treatment of workers. Walmart was so concerned with the content of the documentary that the company formed...
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...wrong because of a cultural tradition. (Rosenstand, 2013). The corrupt behaviors which were discussed in Phase 2 discussion board were of two different companies, the two companies that I chose were Walmart and Nike. However, in this particular individual project I will focus on corrupt behaviors of Walmart. In today’s culture, there are three particular factors of behavior, thought and feeling and these patterns are considered normal only because they are and can be significant and useful. Normal behavior supports unity where abnormal does not come together with in an organization and can easily destroy the organization. The behavior of Walmart has destroyed a part of their integrity as it has caused a significant profit loss for the organization. Behavior thought and feeling are all different factors where a judgment can be placed on what is right and what is wrong. The fact that the behavior where Walmart was investigated for allegations of bribery to Mexico for their own gain and where they failed to report large sums of money for payment to Mexico to rapidly get building permits amongst other favors does not constitute that the behavior is or is not normal, due to no moral of right or wrong, as Walmart actually felt that they...
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