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Pros and Cons of Walmart

Lyman J. Woodworth
Webster University
Denver, CO
Corporate Responsibility and Society

Starting a paper on the pros and cons of the Walmart Corporation can be a little overwhelming, especially when the latest news about Walmart usually comes through the media with a negative spin. Trying to keep a positive attitude about a corporation that supposedly does not treat its employees properly, supposedly does not pay their employees a “living wage” and can never seem to do anything right in many people’s eyes can discourage a writer that wants to provide both pros and cons. Finding news about Walmart that is positive is not an easy thing; until you find something about one of the many Walton family members that is doing positive things in the local Bentonville, AR community. Alice Walton is an American heiress to the fortune of the Walmart Stores, Inc. She is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and her current net worth is $34.3 billion. Alice founded and financially supports Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art located in Bentonville, AR. The museum focuses on attracting little known artist from around the United States that would otherwise not have their art curated in other U.S. museums. Alice and her team, made up of the museums president and curator, travel the U.S. looking for artists from rural areas that are using unique mediums to make new and inventive pieces of art. (Werner, 2014). Many of the people that speak publically about Walmart do not have positive things to say about the people that are in charge of the company and the people that make the financial decisions for the corporation. A number of people will tell you the executives and Walton family members do not do enough for the communities in which they have their stores. Many people say the corporation does not do enough for employees that work for at the Walmart stores in the U.S. However, there are several examples of Walton family members that make a difference. Alice Walton is just one of the many family members that is giving back and helping the community. Alice’s primary activity is as a board member of the Walton Family Foundation. Additionally she is active on the Board of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences at Little Rock and the Board of Advisors for the University of Arkansas Graduate Business School at Fayetteville (Unknown, 2014). In my opinion, stating all of the positives things that Alice does for the community of Bentonville, AR, the Walton Family Foundation and the University of Arkansas are some of the pros about Walmart. But now to focus on the cons of Walmart and what most people probably hear more about than the positive things mentioned previously. Negative news about Walmart can be found by doing a simple search on the internet. Walmart has been the subject of criticism from several groups and individuals. Accusations range from Walmart’s company policies and business practices, including charges of racial and gender discrimination. Union groups, grassroots organizations, religious organizations, environmental groups and its customers and suppliers are just some of the groups that have protested against Walmart. The treatment of Walmart’s suppliers and foreign product providers along with its employee’s compensation plan are some of the complaints these groups have levied against Walmart. Do they treat their employees well; that depends on who you ask. Does Walmart pay their employee’s a living wage? The answer to this question is one of the most heated topics when people talk about Walmart. A job as a Walmart employee is probably not one that will sufficiently provide for a family of four. Walmart can do more for its employees and the corporation needs to start with paying them more. Although the average Walmart employees make more than $12.00 per hour that is not enough for most families to survive upon (Wikipedia, n.d.). Walmart has also been accused of ruining towns, leaving empty buildings when their store is not successful and forcing family owned business to shut their doors when they build a new store. Another con of Walmart is the fact that these are not just accusations but that Walmart is guilty of each of the items listed. Walmart has the bargaining power to offer lower prices that smaller businesses are unable to offer to their customers; this is usually the number one reason small businesses are unable to compete against Walmart. Although forcing a small business to shutter its doors is not all the fault of the Walmart Corporation. If the residents of these small towns did not shop at the new Walmart store then the family owned businesses would survive. The pros and cons of Walmart will be a debate that will last as long as there is a Walmart store for which people will buy their groceries and other items. The Walmart family is doing their part to give back to the communities, but they could do more.

References - Chandler, D. & Werther, Jr. W. (2011) Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility - Werner, A. (2014) A treasure hunt for undiscovered American artists. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-treasure-hunt-for-undiscovered-american-artists/ - Unknown (n.d.) Alice Walton. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Walton - Unknown (n.d.) About Us. Retrieved from http://crystalbridges.org/about/ - Unknown (n.d.) Walmart. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walmart

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