Preview

reserch paer on wal-mart

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
997 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
reserch paer on wal-mart
Torres, Juan
ENC1101—03
Professor Trolinder
December 5, 2013
Misconceptions of Wal-Mart

In the 1990’s most families made a dollar stretch due to lower inflation changes. As gas prices sky rocketed, in the 2000’s, families felt trapped, thriftier, and scrapping for pennies to shop for groceries. Present day Wal-Mart has given all families a way around large corporations that control prices. As a result, Wal-Mart has given a second chance on living the American dream and stretching a dollar to unimaginable possibilities. The essay Squeeze by Charles Fisherman gave me insight towards Wal-Mart, since it mentions the large control it has over large corporations. The essay projects Wal-Mart being negative towards large company but fails to mention benefit towards community. In addition, the 51,000 square acre food stores are perceived by some as a monopoly, damaging to the economy, and forcing low wage jobs. However, this new Wal-Mart has made significant changes to better the environment, provide better wages, and help families by forcing their vendors to run more efficiently. Though the issue has divided critics, Wal-Mart benefits local communities in America, since they provide low cost produce, support the environment, and help soldiers with jobs. To begin, most economists can agree that Wal-Mart’s low cost on produce is the best way to benefit the communities in America. Moreover, because of Wal-Mart’s low prices we can see less affluent families afford luxuries such as a LCD T.V. People today are making the same money, while the cost of living is skyrocketing. As a result, Wal-Mart low cost is giving hope to communities looking to provide for their family during this load of inflation.
According to Robert B. Reich, the former labor secretary and a professor of social and economic policy at Brandeis University,” Wal-Mart is the logical end point and the future of the economy in a society whose preeminent value is getting the best deal”(Reich). As

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    References: Sederquist, D. (2005). The Wal-Mart Way: The inside story of the success of the world’s largest…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The film makes use of firsthand information from interviews conducted by Greenwald on individuals that have faced the impact of Wal-Mart’s reign. Since its establishment, Watson had promised customers and workers great services by offering goods at low prices. According to the film, Wal-Mart has established its retail business in local areas where large retailers are not available to avoid competition. As a result, they drew attention of many small community consumers because of their cheaper prices and variety of differentiated products. This has caused havoc to small business, which have been wiped out because they lack the potential to compete with this retail giant. Lack of competition has enabled Wal-Mart to dominate its business at low prices because they have captured all customers (Fishman 23).…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Former bureau chief for the Economist, Sebastian Mallaby writes in defense of a large retailer in his essay, Progressive Wal-Mart. Really. Through his essay he explains that through the continual campaigns against the large corporation, Wal-Mart has been and still remains a benefit to working Americans seeking affordable goods. He elaborates on the crusade of Anti-Wal-Mart campaigns looking to paint the business as a detestable parasite, when all the company has done is keep costs low and earnings for its shareholders high while trying to defeat competitors, just as any company would.…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the unstable society that we live in today, Wal-Marts’ affordable prices are eye-catching to the middle class in the United States. One of the biggest debates that come up when discussing Wal-Mart, a global supercenter, is if it really is as friendly and appealing as it appears. In Karen Olssons’ article “Up Against Wal-Mart,” she emphasizes her perception of the poor treatment that the employees receive at Wal-Mart and emphasizes the struggle that the everyday Wal-Mart supercenter employee goes through. Olsson, a senior editor at Texas Monthly, who has written for Slate, the Washington Post, and the New York Times Magazine, opposes the actions of Wal-Mart. In contrast to Olsson, Sebastian Mallaby, a columnist for…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within Karen Olsson’s “Up Against Wal-Mart” logos the author throws numbers at the audience to appeal to our logical sense of financial instability created by the poor benefits and wages Wal-Mart gives its employees. This is the author’s way of depicting the difficult if not impossible means that these families live. This article is very clearly anti Wal mart, mentioning not one instance of any “good deed” done by the corporation. Using each of the first-hand account the author shows a different aspect of the cruel mistreatment of employees. Even telling us about Wal mart’s tendency to hire a major company to bust up any union supporters in the corporation. Using logos the author shows us all the numbers that appeal to our financial reasoning, presenting these numbers that lead us to the conclusion that the workers at Walmart are…

    • 1238 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Irwin, E. G., & Clark, J. (2006). Wall Street vs. Main Street: What are the benefits and costs of Wal-Mart to local communities? Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm & Resource Issues, 21(2), 117-122.…

    • 2340 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Wal-Mart Research Paper

    • 2709 Words
    • 11 Pages

    References: Bivens, J. a. (2006, June 14). The Walmart debate: A false choice between prices and wages. Retrieved from Economic Policy Institute: http://www.epi.org/publication/ib223/…

    • 2709 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Up against Wal-Mart

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Karen Olsson believes that Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer company, under pays their employees for the amount of work they do daily. They do not offer good working conditions for their employees or enough medical benefits to support themselves and their families. Sebastian Mallaby says that Wal-Mart is not wrong for the way that they run their business; he feels as though Wal-Mart does their consumers a favor by keeping the wages low and offering “low prices” (620). It’s just business! They have to do what it takes to remain the world’s top retailer and continue to, “enrich shareholders, and put rivals out of business” (620). Karen Olsson and Sebastian Mallaby both address the topic of big business in today’s economy, but I find Karen Olsson’s argument to be the most persuasive because she has more information and quotes to support her opinion and views of the way that Wal-Mart treats their workers, while Sebastian Mallaby’s article is quite the opposite. Their opinions are very different but they share common interests which are: Wal-Mart, their customers, and their workers.…

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wal-Mart gives their customers more advantages than disadvantages, when those customers receive low income. As the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, they include low prices, a variety of goods, and jobs that people are willing to work for. These attributes that Wal-Mart possesses are often overlooked but cannot be denied once shown. It gives people an option to fall back on when in need, and is able to grant a more enjoyable way of living. Despite all of the controversy, Wal-Mart is good for…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Walmart

    • 6499 Words
    • 26 Pages

    The first Wal-Mart store was opened in Rogers Arkansas in the Year 1962. From Wal-Mart’s company website a common misconception people have in regards to discount retailing is put to rest. That being this was the year it all started, When Kmart, Target, and Wal-Mart first opened. In actuality however, the chain of variety stores Sam Walton owned during the 1950’s faced stiff competition for many regional discount stores. In 1972, Wal-Mart stock was offered for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange. With this infusion of capital, the company grew to 276 stores in 11 states by the end of the decade. Also from the company’s official website, it is important to note that in 1983 the first Sam’s Club members-warehouse store opened. The first Supercenter opened in 1988, featuring a complete grocery, and 36 departments of general merchandise. By 1989, there were 1,402 Wal-Mart stores and 123 Sam’s Club locations. Employment had increased tenfold. Sales had grown from $1 billion in 1980, to $26 billion. Wal-Mart’s company website states that Today, 7,262 stores and club locations in 14 markets employ more than 1.9 million associates,…

    • 6499 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    We all want to do what is best for our families, our friends, ourselves and our country. However, our nation’s number one corporation is under constant ridicule for being a negative part of the American way. Wal-Mart is the overall number one on the fortune 500, over taking Exxon Mobile after a one year slip to the number 2 spot. However Wal-Mart is constantly being ridiculed by media and everyday citizens, its employees included. These opinions are often brought forth because of four major issues; the pay and benefits packages of Wal-Mart employees, the quality and buying of their goods from China, big box corporation killing local businesses ,and Wal-Mart taking jobs away and not creating new, stronger jobs .To answer each question I will use research from many different mediums, financial statements, and my personal experience as a three year Wal-Mart employee, and present facts and numbers that would be crucial in making an educated decision, following this information I will present what I believe is strong and weak about Wal-Marts current way of doing business, and then offer my solutions to answer these questions and answer the big question. Is Wal-Mart good or bad for America?…

    • 6224 Words
    • 25 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wal-Mart operates as a distributor, and retailer of consumer goods. Wal-Mart's history is one of innovation, leadership and success. It started with a single store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962 and has grown to what is now the world's largest - and arguably, the most emulated - retailer. Some researchers refer to Wal-Mart as the industry trendsetter. 1.4 million Employees worldwide, Wal-Mart's workforce is now larger than that of GM, Ford, GE, and IBM combined. Wal-Mart has enormously affected local communities and US economy. What role does Wal-Mart play in our society? Does Wal-Mart represent the American dream or is it just a monstrous capitalist empire? In order to examine the matter from a sociologist's point of view one…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Walmart is the largest retailer in the universe and has the most jobs in the private sector currently. They presently have more than 2.2 million people employed worldwide. With a large amount of money, stores, and influence, they have been part of thousands of legal issues. Over the past 10 years, Walmart has put out of business a number of individuals by having the same products at a lower price. They have not only shut down a number of businesses due to the undercutting of competitor prices but they also made a great deal of people lose higher paying jobs during their expansion to pay their employees very low wages with marginal benefits (Logan 2014). Walmart has seen a great deal of external social pressures however we will focus on the external social pressures they have encountered due to their direct effect on the economy. Since Walmart is a big factor in regards to the economy a number of people look to them for assistance in acquiring a job. Nonetheless, Walmart has impacted the economy by not offering well-paying jobs to employees and having very…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    July 2nd, 1962 Sam Walton opened the first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas. Walmart is a name that is commonly known in every household across the United States of America. It’s right around the corner to nearly all Americans and a haven for bargain hunters, so people think. Walmart brings jobs and helps the economy when they move to the area. This is another misconception Walmart wants you to believe. Walmart actually is doing the exact opposite. Sure it creates jobs, poverty level paying jobs with less than forty hours a week and no benefits. People who own and operate their own businesses, who actually stimulate their local economy, are at risk for going bankrupt and losing everything they have. Why would people want to spend money when they can get a similar product at Walmart for half the cost? There’s a simple answer to that question, people don’t want to spend money they don’t have to. Millions of people in the United States are living paycheck to paycheck working minimum wage jobs. These people can’t afford to buy products from a local family run store. The only places they’re able to go and get everything they need is Walmart and other big box businesses who can offer cheap…

    • 1896 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Karl Marx and Walmart

    • 2109 Words
    • 9 Pages

    ‘A specter is haunting the economy of the world-the specter of multinational conglomerates. All the powers of America have entered into a holy alliance to exercise this specter: the President, the Fed, Wall Street, CEO’s, lobbyists, government, and government regulators.’ This specter is something new that was not seen in days of mine. I did however, prophesize that events such as these could happen in the future. There is no company that earns as much revenue in the world. By giving some financial statements a mere cursory glance, Walmart is by far the largest company in the world. Is there another store that allows a customer to buy nearly everything they need or want, and have these items under one roof… for, on average, the lowest price possible? Food stuff, car audio systems, gift cards, electronics, welding caps, and furniture all sold at cut-rate prices. Today I am here to talk about how capitalist companies such as Walmart does this and the secret of their economic success. The key ingredients to this success include taking advantage of a workforce who is desperate to work due to an unhealthy division of labor caused by job specialization. Another ingredient added is the exploitation of these workers. Lastly, there needs to be some insight on how Walmart is able to keep such a wide variety of goods in one store and overload the senses of the customers and how customers see these items.…

    • 2109 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays