Preview

Assignment 2 HRM 522

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1084 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Assignment 2 HRM 522
Organizational Climate at Wal-Mart

Abstract Wal-Mart’s business is the result of Sam Walton’s visionary leadership, along with generations of associates whose focus was on customers and how they could save money and live better. Sam Walton believed that by putting everything a person may need in one place such as food, electronic, clothing, toys, home goods, office supplies and even automotive items would increase the amount of people that would shop and decrease the amount of different places customers would have to go for different items.
Wal-Mart is the largest multinational retailer corporation that employs employees worldwide. Wal-Mart is known for their discounts and their one stop shop. This study paper will provide information on how viable employee relations’ practices have contributed to Wal-Mart’s success as an employer. It will also show how the benefits may contribute to the success of Wal-Mart’s employment practices. Lastly it will describe how the organizational culture and the use of performance criteria could affect the introduction of a union.

Explain how viable employee relations’ practices have contributed to Wal-Mart’s success as an employer. Employees and managers are charged with continuous improvement, nonstop learning, and employee ownership. Wal-Mart promotes an environment that encourages superior performance and, employee empowerment in an effort to unite employees together as a team. Wal-Mart teams are highly productive but at the same time the staffing levels are slender. HR insures employees are held accountable for keeping a poised focus on customer service, theft control, and keeping products in stock (Townsend, 2011). Wal-Mart’s spend a considerable amount of time and effort trying to make employees feel like they are a valuable part of the company by soliciting new ideas through surveys. Wal-Mart is a continuously expanding company and that is why they are constantly searching for good candidates to



References: Holley, W. H., Jr., Jennings, K. M., Wolters, R. S., Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2012). Employment labor & relations. (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: South- Western Cengage Learning. Richardson, M. (2003), New Unions, New Workplaces: Strategies for Union Revival, New York, NY: Rutledge Taylor & Francis Group. Townsend, K (2011), Research Handbook on the Future of Work and Employment Relations, North Hampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publication. Schein, E (1992), Organizational Culture and Leadership (The Jossey-Bass Business& Management series), Houston, TX: Jossey-Bass Publishing. Yates, M. D (2009), Why Union Matters, New York, NY: Library of Congress Catalog-in-publication data. Retrieved June 27, 2013, from http://walmartwatch.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/pdf/medicaid_factsheet.pdf

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Walsh, D. J. (2010). Employment Law for Human Resource Practice: 2010 custom edition (3rd Ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.…

    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    HR Hero. (2011, Spring). Labor Union Organizaing in the United States Workplace. Retrieved from www.hrhero.com…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    References: Lawler III, E. E., & Mohrman, S. A. (1987). Unions and the New Management. Academy Of…

    • 1338 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Jimmy Hoffa and Unionism

    • 2002 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Willman, P., & Bryson, A. (2007). Union Organization in Great Britain. Journal of Labor Research, 93-115.…

    • 2002 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    BUS 372 Entire Course

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Changing Landscape of Unions. At the inception of unions, its members consisted of “blue-collar” workers concentrated in the manufacturing sector. Today, only about 35% of union...…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethic violations includes bribes, theft, personal conduct violations, and falsification of company assets, system hacking, or global trading malpractices. While Founder Sam Walton had a vision of employees of excellence. In the past 20 years Walmart’s ethics regarding employees has been questionable in the eyes of today’s workforce. It is evident by visiting several Walmart stores that customer service, excellence and engagement of Walmart employees is often inconsistent among locations and the individual leaders or Store Managers of each locations. It is not uncommon that the customer experience varies greatly from one Walmart location to the next. Walmart has long been criticized for low employee wages, unethical employment practices, which has resulted in thousands of employee related lawsuits. In a move to improve company image, culture and ethics, Walmart introduce new opportunities to employees, which included higher wages, flexible schedules, advancement opportunities, benefits and investment opportunities. Walmart also prides itself with by offering advancement opportunities for those stakeholders who practice dedication and commitment to the company. While these efforts appear to be long overdue by Walmart. Employers across the country are watching and measuring results as workforce challenges continue to plague industries throughout the…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although to some of us it may seem Wal-Mart is only a few years old, it is actually over forty years old. It was founded in 1962 by Oklahoma native, Sam Walton. He was known to be a very cheap man; he was always on a hunt for low prices, it was a natural lifestyle for him. He still visited his regular barber and spent no more than $5 for his haircuts, although he was ranked as America 's richest man during the 1980 's. He always found a way to save money, therefore saving his customers money and still make a profit through volume. His charisma and leadership skills helped him to keep his staff or "associates", as he called them, happy. Also, the fact that he lived his life modestly showed that he was on a crusade for the lowly consumer, as he was always looking for better deals from suppliers.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Are Unions Outdated

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages

    (How Today’s Unions Help Working People, Aug. 2017, Economic Policy Institute p.…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    10. Kaufnan E Bruce, “The future of U.S private unionism: Did Geroge Barnet get it right” Journal of Labor Research, (Summer 2001): pg43, 22-3. ABI/INFORM Global print.…

    • 2725 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Decline of the Union

    • 3539 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Budd, J. W. (2010). . In Labor Relations: Striking a Balance (p. 77). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.…

    • 3539 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Lindner, P. (2005, January 1). 50 Ways to Roll Back Wal-Mart. Daymon Worldwide Design, Stanford, CT.…

    • 2308 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Trade Unions In Canada

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Since the Industrial Revolution, unions have been credited with creating improvements in working conditions, improving wages, and providing security in the workforce. Most unions were developed in manufacturing and resource companies such as companies operating in steel mills, textile factories and mines. Eventually, however, unions began to expand into other industries. Today, most unions are found in transportation, utilities and government. Unions grew rapidly from the 1930’s to 1950’s, however it is clear that the presence of unions has decreased significantly from the 1960’s to present. Throughout this essay, a popular current topic of discussion will be examined to determine is whether unions are past their prime or if they…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Through the years Wal-Mart has had to restructure their business but they have done so efficiently, always changing and always growing but always making the consumer feel as if they are first. Their unique way of treating employees helps to make this company stand out. Their mission of “Saving people money so they can live better” was built on the philosophy of their founder, Sam Walton, who believed that associates should treat customers the way management should treat associates. Wal-Mart's goal to always supply their customers with great retail products at affordable prices along with a smile as well as always being of assistance is another reason they are able to stay ahead of their competition. Some of Wal-Mart's sustainable sources of competitive advantage lie largely in their goal to providing their customers with the "Everyday Low Prices" that they have grown to expect.…

    • 966 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Walmart employment relation

    • 3307 Words
    • 14 Pages

    With an employment of almost 2.2 million staff, based in the US Wal-Mart is the largest private retailer in the world. It has expanded its operations across fourteen other countries, representing about one-fifth of its overall sales in 2005 (Wal-Mart Annual Report, 2005). Though Wal-Mart's ethical statement claims that it strives for greater good for all their stakeholders, covering suppliers, employees, shareholders and environments, all is not gone as the statement, especially in the case of employee relations at Wal-Mart. If enter 'Wal-Mart's employee relations' in Google search, countless lawsuits and issues regarding to its workforce will be brought up. It is evident that Wal-Mart suffers from infamous employment relations and workplace unfairness. Compare to the minor favor of employees’ right, which includes the wages, working hours, union activities and the health care, Wal-Mart seems has valued much more shareholders’ interests throughout its business operations.…

    • 3307 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    We all know Wal-Mart, and the first thing that comes to mind is how huge the company is, but the key to the company, is its people. 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. 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.…

    • 2188 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays

Related Topics