...Organizational Structure of Wal-Mart Timothy Frost MGT230 May 24, 2012 Howard Kersey Abstract Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, can be viewed as a model of success upon reviewing the internal structure of its organization from within. Comparing the various types of organization structures gives an insight regarding the type of structure Wal-Mart is composed of. As we take a closer look at this company’s structure it enables us to understand better the management functions and elements of control and coordination in place to achieve strategic planning and goals and to implement those into specific actions. We will also explore how this structure affects the relationships among the various departments. I will discuss three objectives throughout this paper. First, I will describe Wal-Mart’s organizational structure and make a comparison to that of other organizational structures used today so as to clarify differences and similarities. Second, I will evaluate how the organizational functions influence and determine its structure. Third, I will explain how organizational design helps determine the best structure. Organizational Structure of Wal-Mart Wal-Mart operates under three divisions, which are Wal-Mart US, Sam’s Club, and Wal-Mart International. Its global operations expands over several continents with numerous subsidiaries geographically located in several countries. These subsidiaries operate under different business names to include ASDA,...
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...Gender Discrimination – Wal-Mart Employment Practices! MBA 6241 Human Resource Management in 21st Century Knowledge Situational Analysis Final Action Plan Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….…..3 Executive summary………………………………………………………………………............3 Wal-Mart’s Profile……..………………..…………………………………………..….…3 Wal-Mart’s Vision…………………………………………………………………..…….4 Wal-Mart’s Mission………………………………………………………………….……4 Human Resource Profile…………………………………………………………………..5 Economic context…………………………………………………………………………5 Political and regulatory context…………………………………………………………...6 Competitor analysis……………………………………………………………………….6 Cultural Context…………………………………………………………………………………7 Measuring organizational Culture…………………………………………………………7 Action Plan/Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………...11 Surveying members to identify organizational cultures and norms……………………11 Install executive CTC HR professional as member of Board of Directors………………13 Develop long term HR strategies and policies for growth of CTC………………………15 References……………………………………………………………………………………….18 Introduction Gender discrimination has been widely debated everywhere from the boardroom to the courtroom. In spite of the laws and regulations that exist to prohibit gender discrimination, it continues to be a common practice within many organizations. Throughout history, women have been relegated to administrative positions, such as typists, secretaries, receptionists and the like. Although...
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... | | | | | | | March 10, 2012 Profile of the Company Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., was established in 1969. The company has a variety of retail stores that offers a variety of layouts all across the world. Wal-Mart showcases a variety of affordable merchandise to its customers. Some of the products offered, are groceries, jewelry, home furnishings, electronics and a whole host of other products. Wal-Mart...
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...Supply Chain Management – Assignment (Wal-Mart & IKEA) Are they involved in strategic alliances with major trading partners? If so, how and for what purpose? Strategic Alliances Definition of Strategic Alliance: Strategic alliances are inter-firm collaborative business models that allow firms to create value by sharing resources, obtaining market influence or access novel markets. Simply put, strategic alliance allows for projects where companies can share their resources and risks for an agreed period or project. Resources such as distribution chains, development of products, technologies or services become communal amongst alliances. In recent times, the potential positive effects of alliances are highly regarded by firms, thus, leading to an increasing trend in entering into strategic alliances with the aim of constructing stable collaborations. While the successes of alliances are plentiful, there is also evidence of many undesirable business outcomes. This section of the research paper will discuss and analyze the applications of strategic alliance for global giants in the retail business: IKEA and Wal-Mart. IKEA’s Strategic Alliances: IKEA aims to provide consumers with low-price products through fostering long-lasting business relationships and networks with its main suppliers. These relationships are a pivotal part of the development of IKEA’s products and technologies. IKEA tends to push interactions with their suppliers as far upstream as...
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...Diversity in the Workplace / Wal- Mart Case Shirley Nolan October 30, 2011 Class #: 1109MGMT Section: 610514 Turnitin Score: 14% This Research paper is about diversity in the workplace. It also talks about how management handles diversity in the workplace and how they view it. The case that I will be talking about is the Wal-Mart case. This case will also show you how leadership played a very important role in this case when it comes to the managers that work for this company. This case had a big in pack on the retail organizations around the world. Woman that works for Wal-Mart are not given the same advances that the males are in the same position in this company. I also talk about some suggestions that managers at Wal-Mart could have done different to stop this case from going to the Supreme Court on June 20, 2001. One of the most significant issues that management faces today is diversity in the workplace. “Diversity means employing people without discrimination on the basis of gender, age and ethnic or racial background.” (Graves, 1993, p .4). Diversity has important implications for the values of an organization’s culture and for organizational effectiveness. Management is the process by which a person in a supervisory role focuses on planning...
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...Analysis and Recommendations Introduction – Wal-Mart, founded by Sam Walton in 1962, is one of the world largest companies by market capitalization and number of people employed and touching millions of customers everyday. There are more than 7,800 Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Club locations in 16 markets worldwide and there are more than 2 million associates serving more than 100 million customers per year (About Us, n.d.) It is the largest grocery retailer in the United States with an estimated market share of around 20% of the retail grocery and consumables business. To be able to efficiently operate such a complex operation at such a large and do it consistently would only be possible by the huge effort by Wal-Mart’s ‘associates’ as its employees are called. This papers looks at the human resources practices of Wal-Mart with a special focus on group and team behavior, leadership, conflict and negotiation, human resource practices and organizational culture and diversity within the company to understand them and also provide some recommendations to make them better in the future. Analysis of various HR related areas of Wal-Mart – One of the reasons why Wal-Mart has been so successful and scale up its model across so many locations is the values and beliefs established by its founder and the customer centric culture that is replicated across locations. The company right from the time of its inception has a clear mission which is to save its customers money and enable them to...
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...Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR. The decisions that a company makes ultimately has an effect on the community and society as a whole; defining the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility,’ (CSR). As Basil (2009) noted, “Corporations are increasingly being held responsible for the social impact of their organizational priorities,” (p. 387). Furthermore, as Revathy (2012) indicates: “As a part of society, it is in business’ interest to contribute to addressing common problems. Strategically speaking, business can only flourish when the communities and ecosystems in which they operate are healthy,” (Para. 1). With this type of focus on how a company acts on a social level, leadership at larger companies is taking notice and making CSR part of the strategic vision. “Company support for employee volunteerism, (CSEV) benefits companies, employees, and society while helping companies meet the expectations of corporate social responsibility,” (Basil, 2009, p. 387). Several companies can show their effort in different ways and with different programs. Three companies in our community of Tucson, who have chosen to be a part of corporate social responsibility efforts is Intuit, Wal-Mart, and Citi Group. Businesses must maintain a good relationship with the community in which they operate. Intuit, Inc. operates a major call center in the Tucson community. Part of Intuit’s corporate strategy is rooted in being a good corporate citizen. Intuit offers its employees 32 hours per year to...
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...Wal Mart A Proposal on How Wal-Mart Can Reduce High Employee Turnover Tiffanie Jenkins GM 591 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. branded as Wal-Mart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000 list, and the largest public corporation when ranked by revenue. It is also the biggest private employer in the world with over 2 million employees. 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. Wal-Mart is also the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51% 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. Wal-Mart has 8,500 stores in 15 countries, under 55 different names. The company operates under its own name in the United States, including the 50 states and Puerto Rico. Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations. However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in Bentonville, Arkansas, but called it "Walton's Five...
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...Wal Mart A Proposal on How Wal-Mart Can Reduce High Employee Turnover Tiffanie Jenkins August 21, 2011 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. branded as Wal-Mart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000 list, and the largest public corporation when ranked by revenue. It is also the biggest private employer in the world with over 2 million employees. 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. Wal-Mart is also the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51% 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. Wal-Mart has 8,500 stores in 15 countries, under 55 different names. The company operates under its own name in the United States, including the 50 states and Puerto Rico. Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations. However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in Bentonville, Arkansas, but called it "Walton's...
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...Employees Wal-Mart Organizational Issues Instructor: Dr. Mitra Asif Student Name: Phunsuk Wangdu Submitted on: July 7, 2015 Wal-Mart Organizational Issues and Situation Analysis Phunsuk Wangdu Index Introduction 3 OB issues and situation analysis 3 Conclusions 7 References 8 Appendices 12 Introduction Wal-Mart stores Inc. is the world’s largest retailer with reported gross earnings of 460 billion U.S. dollars for 2014. It has 4,281 stores in the United States and over 11,100 stores worldwide. Wal-Mart hires more workers than any company in the whole world; in 27 different nations around the world it has hired over 2.2 million workers. The interest on Wal-Mart stems from their ability to provide products to its customers at relatively low prices, earning them a competitive advantage over other retailers, since their products sell five times more than other American stores. However this has involved both positive and negative effects on the long term. These sales at low prices to customers have been achieved as a result of their low cost imports and high integration with foreign suppliers from various countries around the world especially China. Due to the high volume of imports a large number of small businesses have been destroyed together with jobs in the manufacturing industry; the US economy has been affected by an increased trade deficit and the local manufacturing sector has also been affected by this growth. Moreover, Wal-Mart has received...
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...Organizational Background - Summary of company’s history, vision, mission, growth, development, and core competencies ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND – Upon completion of his military service, Sam Walton opened a five-and dime store in 1945 in Bentonville, Arkansas (Wal-Mart, 2016). Sam was successful and inspired in his first venture and was driven to focus on consumers and providing value, Sam opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. By 1967, 24 Wal-Mart stores had opened. Sam’s vision was to “save people money so they could live better”, his core value was that of respect, for customers, employees and suppliers (Ghazzawi, Palladini & Martinelli-Lee, 2014) and this continues to be the mission and values of Walmart today. Since the opening of the first store in 1962, Wal-Mart has grown to 11,500 stores, operating in all fifty states, as well as 28 countries, under 72 banners and e-commerce, and employees 2.2 million people and weekly services 260 million customers and members. The Wal-Mart, Incorporated consists of four operating divisions Wal-Mart U.S., Walmart International. Sam’s Club and Global e-Commerce (Wal-Mart, 2016). Analysis of Management Functions: Planning. Based on what you have learned through your research, how would you characterize conditions in the planning environment? What types of problems does the organization face (e.g., structured, unstructured), and to what extent should the organizations decisions be programmed or nonprogrammed...
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...Microeconomic Effects of Change in Demand and Supply Factors: Wal-Mart Raina Devoid Southern New Hampshire University Introduction The following research study of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Wal-Mart) examines the effects of non-price factors as they relate to the graphical representations of demand and supply curves. After describing the industry itself and the services/ products it provides and an understanding of how the organization operates as a market has been established, this study will give insight on the effects of four non-price demand factors have on the demand function. The non-price demand factors include consumer income, seasonal products, availability of substitutes, and population. Once this has been defined, the study will discuss the effects of the following non-price determinants on supply: technological progress, government regulation, seller expectations, and alternative products and related goods. The explanation of these changes will be as it relates to the change in the graphical representation of the supply function. Organizational Profile Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a publicly-traded company that offer consumers discounted prices on everyday items. It is the world’s largest retailer and is known not only for its discount stores, but also its super-centers, neighborhood markets, and club stores. “The company operates approximately 10,130 retail units under 69 different banners across 27 countries,” (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2013). Whether a customer is shopping online...
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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 Target Corporation: Strategic Analysis A Comprehensive Report By: Nick Gysberg Kelsey Lee Richard Cline Table of Contents: Target Analysis 3 Wal-Mart Analysis 18 Sears Holdings Analysis 27 Moderate Growth Strategy 39 International Strategy 42 Financial Data 43 Appendix 46 References 50 Strategic Profile The Target Corporation, founded by George Dayton, is now one of the top general merchandise retailers in the United States. The company’s mix of stylish products and everyday essentials at low prices give it a unique strategy; it is one of the only companies to simultaneously incorporate price leadership and differentiation as its strategic business model. Strong private label brands have allowed Target to capture high profit margins. The company also utilizes its large size to achieve economies of scale so as to better compete with merchandising giants such as Wal-Mart, one of Target’s main competitors. PESTL Analysis Political The ever changing international political situation affects both domestic and international firms. International trade policies, political movements and global events all affect the manner in which firms operate within the market. The general retail industry has greatly benefited from the liberalization of international...
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...Enterprise Risk Management at Hydro One (A) An early adopter of Enterprise Risk Management, energy giant Hydro One anticipated new threats and opportunities in an industry that faced climate change and carbon legislation, the deregulation of electricity markets, and the greater adoption of renewable technologies. CEO Laura Formusa felt Hydro One's risk profile had shifted, to the extent that she had to ask herself -- was the strategy tenable? The case provides a rich description of Enterprise Risk Management in action, and shows how Hydro One executives arrive at a shared understanding of the risk profile of the company. In the narrative a diverse group of managers (the chief executive, the chief financial officer, the head of the public relations and the chief regulatory officer) voice their views on the risks, collectively bringing a multiple stakeholder perspective to the risk profile. The case challenges students to define the problems and risks that the company faces, given its strategic objectives, its evolving risk profile, and the changing environment. The case also offers a discussion ground for defining the role of the chief risk officer, and the relationship between risk management, strategic planning and capital budgeting. Procomp Informatic: Stepping on Ethical Landmines in Asia The collapse of Procomp Informatics Ltd, a major Taiwanese chipmaker, has been regarded by Taiwan's market watchdogs as similar to the scandal of the U.S. energy giant Enron in 2001....
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