...1. What is the ethical dilemma facing Wal-Mart in this case? Do Wal-Mart’s associates also face an ethical dilemma? If so, what is it? Wal-Mart faces the ethical dilemma of Quality of Life. While there are many components discussed in the book that comprise quality of life, the one component most subject to violation by Wal-Mart would be Maintaining Boundaries. The flexible schedule system being implemented by Wal-Mart does have business value, but at what cost? Wal-Mart rationalizes the system by focusing on improving customer service. “Our main goal is to ensure that we have the correct number of associates in our stores needed to serve the customers shopping which we believe results in better customer service hour by hour” (clwill.com). The problem is that many associates of Wal-Mart have been affected by the flexible schedule in a negative way. The flexible schedule makes it difficult for employees to plan babysitting needs or prevents them from having Wal-Mart as a second or third job. That means workers may not know when or if they will need a babysitter or whether they will work enough hours to pay that month's bills. Rather than work three eight-hour days, someone might now be plugged into six four-hour days, mornings one week and evenings the next (Maher, Kris 2007). 2. What ethical principals apply to this case? How do they apply? There are two ethical principals that apply to this case for Wal-Mart. The first is the The Golden Rule, which states “Do unto others...
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...1. What is the ethical dilemma facing Wal-Mart in this case? Do Wal-Mart’s associates also face an ethical dilemma? If so, what is it? Wal-Mart is trying to implement the Kronos system which will automate a process that usually requires personal judgment. The Kronos system will create work schedules that are favorable to the company’s profit margin. Wal-Mart will be responsible for the potential conflicts the new system may cause its employees. Wal-Mart employees will face an ethical dilemma too under the Kronos system. The new system generates schedules that are irregular and unpredictable which may decrease the employee’s job stability and potentially create financial hardships. The dilemma will be whether to cheat on the personal availability forms so the system will create a schedule that is favorable to their needs. 2. What ethical principles apply to this case? How do they apply? Both sides, Wal-Mart and its employees, should be guided by the Candidate Ethical principle of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Would Wal-Mart want its employees to treat customers as callously as the employees feel they have been? Do the employees want Wal-Mart cheating against them like many of them might on their availability slips? Wal-Mart must consider Descartes’ rule of change. While the new scheduling system may bring only small changes now, what happens if the corporation continues making similar small changes to the detriment of its employees? What...
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...The Effects of Global Warming Global Warming: Fact or Fiction I. Description: Global Warming In plain terms, global warming is a phenomenon where the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere has increased, and is causing a green house effect. The temperature is raised due to increased levels of carbon dioxide (Balaguer, 2010). On average, in America we annually release an estimated 20 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through driving to work, the use of heating and cooling appliances, and turning on lights (Ecologic Development Fund, 2010). The increased temperature is depleting our ozone, causing severe hurricanes, major flooding, and intensifying desertification, meaning “reduction or destruction of the biological potential of the earth which can create the conditions analogous to a natural desert" (Desertification and Hazard Assessment, 2010). Although human activity is commonly blamed for the problem, there is some debate among experts regarding the severity of global warming, and whether the cause is a natural phenomenon or in fact a result of mankind’s environmental negligence. A. Impetus discussion: 1. Global warming is fiction: Although it is agreed that an increase of Co2 levels are causing a green house effect, according to Brown, there is no consensus among scientists to explain the true cause of global warming (2010). Some scientists believe the warming temperatures and rising sea levels is a natural...
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...Information Systems CASE STUDY 1 Flexible Scheduling Good or Bad for Employees? With nearly 1.4 million workers domestically, Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, Wal-Mart is also the nation’s number one retailer in terms of sales, registering nearly $379 billion in sales revenue for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2008. Wal-Mart achieved its lofty status through a combination of low prices and low operational costs, enabled by superb continuous inventory replenishment system. Now Wal-Mart is trying to lower costs further by changing its methods for scheduling the work shifts of its employees. In early 2007, Wal-Mart revealed that is was adopting a computerized scheduling system, a move that has been roundly criticized by workers’ rights advocates for the impact it may have on employees’ lives. Traditionally, scheduling employee shifts at big box stores such as Wal-Mart was the domain of store managers who arranged schedules manually. They based their decisions in part on current store promotions as well as on weekly sales data from the previous year. Typically, the process required a full day of effort for a store manager. Multiply that labor intensity by the number of stores in a chain and you have an expensive task with results that are marginally beneficial to the company. By using a computerized scheduling system, such as the system from Kronos that Wal-Mart adopted, a retail enterprise can produce...
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...the Networked Enterprise INTERACTIVE SESSION: MANAGEMENT FLEXIBLE SCHEDUUNG AT WAL-MART: GOOD OR BAD FOR EMPLOYEES? Withneady 1,4 million workers domestically, W.8},.Mart:i5 the largestprlvate employer in the ·tTnit~States, Wal-Mart is also the nation's number one~i1er in terms of sales, registering nearly $379 billi,dn insales revenue for the fiscal year ending ..Ji'JnU8ltit31, ZP08, Wal-Mart achieved its lofty status t1u:ough~ combinationoflow prices and low oper~tionaJcosts, .enabled by a superb continuous .... i~ventory replenishment system. Now Wal-Mart is. trying to lower costs further by t::hangi:rJgitsmethods for scheduling the work shifts ofitsemp16yees.. ln early 2007, Wal-Mart revealed that it was adopting a {;omputerized scheduling ~vs,tl'>:fn a move that has been roundly criticized by advocates for the impact it may have en;Lpil)Vf~s' lives. scheduling employee shifts at big as Wal-Mart was the domain of store m,,~nageJrs who arranged schedules manually. tl}eirdecisions in parton current store pl'!:mJlotilOIltS as well as on weekly sales data from the .Drt~V1lJUS Year. 'JYpically, the process requited a full d~'y ofeffort for a store manager. Multiply that labor inltenlSitv by the number of stores in a chain and you expensive task with results that are margiwllybeneficia1 to the company. . .By using a computerized scheduling system, such system from ){ronos that Wal-Mart adopted, a enterprise cali. produce work schedules for in...
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...Alike any other organization Walmart’s policy has been derived from increasing the firm’s profit margin. This is the firm’s responsibility for it’s shareholders. For Wal-Mart, using Kronos translates to improved productivity and customer satisfaction. Management reported a 12-percent gain in labor productivity in the quarter ending January 31, 2008. Therefore Walmart’s action is benefiting the shareholders thus the firm is fulfilling its obligation to the shareholders. Nevertheless, For Wal-Mart employees, known to the company as associates, the change may decrease the stability of their jobs and, possibly, create financial hardship. Then, the employees or the stockholders, which one of these the firm should satisfy more? This is the ethical dilemma facing walmart. The scheduling generated by Kronos can be unpredictable, requiring associates to be more flexible with their work hours. Stores may ask them to be on call in case of a rush, or to go home during a slow spell. Irregular hours, and inconsistent paychecks, make it more difficult for employees to organize their lives, from scheduling babysitters to paying bills. Alerts from the system may also enable store managers to avoid paying overtime or full-time wages by cutting back the hours of associates who are approaching the thresholds that cause extra benefits to kick in. Walmart’s initiative to increased it’s workforce efficiency may be difficult for some of the employees. Employees can quit anytime and find...
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...The argument presented in “Will the Web Kill Colleges?” discusses the changing of traditional colleges over online colleges by using the internet as the main source of contact and interaction. A few points are made in the article that stands out. Such as, there is an overwhelmingly high demand of cheaper college in today’s economy and that the internet is become a preferred method of completing a degree. The method in which redundancies can be removed is also discussed. As well as, how online colleges offer a varied range of classes, which satisfies learners choosing to go to school. The key points of the points of the argument are as follows: “Online classes are simply cheaper to produce” (Chaffee, 2012, p. 91) and traditionally universities have depended on selling information that is difficult to find. College is expensive, so when attempting to choose a college or university, one of the top factors looked at is price. Due to the tough economic times, people may view the area of education as one in which they can cut back on spending and online education is an option that may be the way to go. For example, as cited in the article, “East Carolina University costs only $99 per credit hour; that’s a base of $1,200 per year” (Chaffee, 2012, p. 92). In contrast that is significantly different from the in-state tuition the University of Texas in Austin offers for regular in-class courses which currently totals $24,266 – 25,658 for one year. With the internet, comes information...
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...Abstract Wal-Mart is the United States largest retailer and the largest employer. It has more revenue and more employees than any other company in America. The growth is unmatched by competitors and is a dominant force in the retail space. It has insignificant operating costs that let the retailer set low prices on a range of goods. The paper will examine theses economical burdens of this practice. There are concerns about Walmart’s growth, along with the financial impact it has on its workers, the environment, surrounding communities, and its competitors. This paper will examine these concerns by answering the following questions: Was there a correlational relationship between the leadership’s decisions make abilities and the events that led to employees rights? Was there a connection between Walmart’s business practices and the practices of senior leadership that effect the environment? How has the public’s perception of Walmart caused a reduction in the work force, and effecting surround communities? This paper will look deep into these issues and describe possible solutions Wal-Mart: The Economic Power House Walmart runs on small operating costs, it has low prices, it’s a gigantic company, the world’s second largest employer, families spend thousands of dollars a year there, and it has everything from apples to glue, and most people live within 20 miles of one. These facts represent an organization that has had expansive growth since its inception. With this expansive...
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...Background Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a public corporation that runs a chain of large discount stores and a chain of membership required warehouse stores. Sam Walton founded the company in 1962, and since then Wal-Mart has become a global company with annual sales of $405 billion for the fiscal year of 2010 (Wal-Mart Corporate). In 1992, Sam Walton passed away and many doubted the future of the company under the leadership of David Glass, CEO and Don Soderquist, COO. The Company suffered in April, 1993 when the growth of the company had fallen under 10% since 1985. At the same time their stock price fell 22-26% destroying nearly 17 billion in market value (Wal-Mart Corporate). Glass and Soderquist had their work cut out for them, they needed to come up with a strategy to keep their competitive advantage in the industry. The following analysis will explain Wal-Mart's competitive advantage in discount retailing, whether they will be able to sustain their position in the discount retailing industry, and the effectiveness of their diversification into the food industry. What is Wal-Mart's competitive advantage and the sources of its competitive advantage in discount retailing? Wal-Mart’s main competitive advantage in discount retailing has always been providing the lowest possible prices on brand name goods to customers (Bradley 4). The “everyday low prices” approach is the biggest reason why Wal-Mart has become the leader in the retail industry. There are a number...
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...Question 1. Success of Newell Corporate Strategy The strategy of Newell Corporation can be described as a strategy of related diversification. The diversification strategy may seem unrelated because Newell was acquiring companies from different industries (office products, picture frames, cookware etc.), but in fact the diversification was related on the basis of: 1) Deploying the unique resources of the company (management relationship with retailers, logistics etc.) 2) Using the same channels of distribution (Wall-mart, Kmart, etc) 3) Common characteristics of the products: low-technology, non- seasonal, non- cyclical, non-fashionable . The most representative quantitative data that proves the success of the Newell strategy is 10 years average return of 31% for investors, that was much higher than average market return of 18%. Also we can mention the stable growth of revenues and profit of the company, but these figures may be not very representative, because the growth in revenues could be a result of extensive growth of the company (if you acquire a lot of companies, your sales will grow for sure, but it is not an indicator of success). What is more important is a stable growth in earning per share in 1992-1997 from $1,05 to $1,82. Another indicator of stable financial situation in the company was a high level of liquidity. This fact could be mention not only on the level of competitive strategy, but also on the level of corporate strategy because the policy of relationship...
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...The essay will discuss the concepts and the importance of logistics in our global word. It will then move to the recent climate change and its impact on our world with particular reference to logistics and GHG emissions relationship. The write up will follow up with the EPA and other agencies reactions and discuss the impact and the changes in the logistics management by the companies around the world. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply Chain Management refers to the flows of processes though which the goods are moved from the customer order to the acquisition of raw materials, supply, production, and distribution of the goods to the relevant customer. It basically refers to the management of the activities for the collections of raw materials to the production at the factories to the distribution of these goods. The manager must coordinate with all of these pieces in a cordial manner for the effective management of the supply chain (Mentzer, 2001). LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT Logistics Management is widely known concept in the global world. All companies rely on the logistics for the efficient flow of the goods and services. For Example: Industrial manufactures rely heavily on these logistics for the transportation of the mass-produced items. At the same time, the consumer goods manufactures want their goods to be delivered to the outlets and warehouses before the customer calls for it. Therefore, Logistics management has now evolved into one of the most important links in the...
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...Conclusion 18 Appendix 19 Appendix A 19 Products suitable for cross-docking 19 Types of cross-docking 19 References 21 Introduction A Supply chain consists of all the participants and processes which are involved in satisfying the customer demand. The large amount of participants, variety of processes, dynamics and uncertainty in materials and information flow prove that the supply chain as a complex system in which coordination is considered as a key element for success. The lack of supply chain coordination between the participants results in a “Bullwhip Effect”. This report analyzes different techniques followed by Wal-Mart to improve coordination for reducing the bullwhip effect. Wal-Mart’s use of CPFR, VMI to mitigate the bullwhip effect by improving information accuracy is explained and the drawbacks of those systems are discussed. Wal-Mart’s revolutionary use of cross-docking and vendor consolidation programs to achieve coordination by improving operational efficiency is analyzed. Based on these analyses the requirement for efficient coordination and the important...
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...Grocers: Kroger 1. INTRODUCTION: CASE OVERVIEW AND KEY ISSUES The case Attention Shoppers: Executive Compensation at Kroger, Safeway, Costco and Whole Foods situation explains the costs and strategies related to a companies growth and expansion. Kroger is the main focus of this case. In 2006 Kroger’s was the second largest seller of groceries by revenue with an estimated $60 billion. The success of Kroger Company began in 1883 and which became one of the first chain stores in the country. Kroger then expanded its stores by buying out local competitors with low prices when the economy was suffering. Throughout the twentieth century, Kroger implemented several innovations to throw itself above the competitive advantage. By the 1950’s Kroger had built a reputation of producing fresh good quality products and began to label products with “sell by” dates and nutritional facts. Kroger took on multiple acquisitions helping push its expansion to the West. Under the full leadership of David Dillon Kroger increased revenue and lowered its debt dramatically and also found new ways to increase customer frequency. Kroger also sustained a four-month strike by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which impacted not just Kroger, but Safeway, and Albertson’s. Retail grocery sales represent a significant amount of the U.S. economy. The industry that Kroger competes in is highly competitive. This resulted in Kroger reducing its operating costs in order to maintain profitability...
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...MIIZ04, ME001-S : Analysis and Design of Management Information System by Dr. Eric C.C. Tsang (曾祥財 曾祥財) 曾祥財 FIT, MUST 1 Chapter 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems 2 Management Information Systems Chapter 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Identify the ethical, social, and political issues that are raised by information systems. • Identify the principles for conduct that can be used to guide ethical decisions. • Evaluate the impact of contemporary information systems and the Internet on the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property. • Assess how information systems have affected everyday life. 3 Management Information Systems Chapter 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Is Your Student Loan Data on Loan? • Problem: Insufficient privacy protections for sensitive data related to student loans. • Solutions: Improve system security and protect student information to restore confidence in the system. • Revoke over 52,000 user IDs suspected of misusing access to students’ private information. • Demonstrates IT’s role in providing quick and convenient access to data. • Illustrates how the very same technology has the potential to threaten privacy and cause more harm than good. 4 Management Information Systems Chapter 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Understanding Ethical and Social Issues Related to Systems • Past five years: One of the...
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...------------------------------------------------- TERM PAPER ------------------------------------------------- OF Operation management ON (SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF VARIOUS RETAIL CHAINS) TERM PAPER MORE FREE TERM PAPERS ON SITE: www.BesplatniSeminarskiRadovi.com Introduction: Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers. Supply Chain Management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption. It defines SCM as the "design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand, and measuring performance globally." A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm. ...
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