Wal-Mart Research Paper
A Change Initiative for Wal-Mart
Jennifer Ratcliff
Kaplan University
This paper will focus on a change initiative for Wal-Mart. Next, this paper will analyze how this change will impact the people, products, and processes. Then this paper will focus on the people portion, and provide recommendations to position this change initiative in a manner that results in high performance. Finally this paper will conclude with a summary of how the recommended approach to the change initiative will result in organizational excellence. A company’s image is very important. It shows how a company is viewed as a whole. Wal-Mart has gotten a bad reputation, and many consumers have stopped shopping there because of this image. The change initiative will be to change consumer’s image of Wal-Mart. The public perception can really affect a company’s profit. According to Margot and Rachel (2011), A 2006 marketing report by Walmart’s then-advertising agency described the public’s view of Walmart as that of a “bad corporate citizen who doesn’t treat employees well and isn’t acting as a good citizen of the planet” (p.62). To change Wal-Mart’s Image they will need to change employee’s wages, increase staffing or don’t cut hours, and change the atmosphere. The first change that needs to happen is employee wages. Wal-Mart needs to look at the cost of living in each community where they are located, and pay a competitive wage. Costco pays its employees a competitive wage, and their profits have increased. Ungar (2013) states the following:
In an identical economy, how do we explain Costco’s growth vis-à-vis the failures over at Walmart? Here’s a crazy thought—might it have something to do with the fact that Costco pays nearly all of its employees a decent living (well in excess of the minimum wage) while Wal-Mart continues to pay its workers as if their employees don’t actually need to eat more than once a week, live in an enclosed space and, on occasion,
Jennifer Ratcliff
Kaplan University
This paper will focus on a change initiative for Wal-Mart. Next, this paper will analyze how this change will impact the people, products, and processes. Then this paper will focus on the people portion, and provide recommendations to position this change initiative in a manner that results in high performance. Finally this paper will conclude with a summary of how the recommended approach to the change initiative will result in organizational excellence. A company’s image is very important. It shows how a company is viewed as a whole. Wal-Mart has gotten a bad reputation, and many consumers have stopped shopping there because of this image. The change initiative will be to change consumer’s image of Wal-Mart. The public perception can really affect a company’s profit. According to Margot and Rachel (2011), A 2006 marketing report by Walmart’s then-advertising agency described the public’s view of Walmart as that of a “bad corporate citizen who doesn’t treat employees well and isn’t acting as a good citizen of the planet” (p.62). To change Wal-Mart’s Image they will need to change employee’s wages, increase staffing or don’t cut hours, and change the atmosphere. The first change that needs to happen is employee wages. Wal-Mart needs to look at the cost of living in each community where they are located, and pay a competitive wage. Costco pays its employees a competitive wage, and their profits have increased. Ungar (2013) states the following:
In an identical economy, how do we explain Costco’s growth vis-à-vis the failures over at Walmart? Here’s a crazy thought—might it have something to do with the fact that Costco pays nearly all of its employees a decent living (well in excess of the minimum wage) while Wal-Mart continues to pay its workers as if their employees don’t actually need to eat more than once a week, live in an enclosed space and, on occasion,
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/ City Data.com. (2008, December 1). What can Wal-Mart do to repair its downtrodden image? Retrieved from City Data.com: http://www.city-data.com/forum/great-debates/503609-what-can-wal-mart-do-repair.html Corelli, C. (n.d.). How to create a high performance workplace. Retrieved from Christine Corelli and Associates: http://www.christinespeaks.com/leadership-high-performance.htm Harrison, M. (2004). Diagnosing Organizations : Methods, Models, and Processes (Applied Social Research Methods) (3rd ed.) Sage Publications Margot, M., & Rachel JC, C. (2011). Can Walmart integrate values with value?: From sustainability to sustainable business. Journal Of Sustainable Development, (5), Ungar, R. (2013, April 17). Walmart pays workers poorly and sinks while Costco pays workers well and sails: Proof that you get what you pay for. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/04/17/walmart-pays-workers-poorly-and-sinks-while-costco-pays-workers-well-and-sails-proof-that-you-get-what-you-pay-for/