Walmart CSR
interoffice memorandum to: Chief executive officer from: analyst, john sullivan subject: analysis on wal-mart’s csr initiaves date: 9/25/13
I. Introduction:
This memo is in response to your request to assess the impact of corporate social responsibility implement by our competitor, Wal-Mart. Three main objectives of this analysis are:
1. How does Wal-Mart perceive itself as a socially responsible company?
2. Which contradictions exist in their CSR initiatives?
3. Are there direct correlations between CSR and consumer’s intent to make a purchase?
II. Background:
Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, employing over 1.3 million U.S. workers. According to their website, Wal-Mart is now operating at 26 countries with 9,600 retail units total, serving a global population of 200 million consumers per week.
Much of Wal-Marts’ success can be attributed to founder Sam Walton’s core values. His unconditional desire is to offer the best quality merchandise at the lowest price, saving fellow Americans money, in order to have a better quality of life. Wal-Mart continues this tradition and work constantly with suppliers to bring energy efficient products to the market, saving customers money in the long run (Wal-Mart).
III. Research & analysis:
Wal-Mart established CSR by implementing key initiatives to battle environmental issues. They established a sustainability index that analyzes the manufacturing process of products that are sold at their store while also helping suppliers in developed markets produce “eco-friendly” products (Felted).
Suppliers from China have been scrutinized for unsafe products such as tainted milk, hazardous pet food and toys with high levels of lead. Wal-Mart is issuing strict environmental and safety mandates to Chinese suppliers to ensure products are safe. According to Lee Scott, former CEO of Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart will work with multiple inspectors to monitor compliance. Another reason for such
I. Introduction:
This memo is in response to your request to assess the impact of corporate social responsibility implement by our competitor, Wal-Mart. Three main objectives of this analysis are:
1. How does Wal-Mart perceive itself as a socially responsible company?
2. Which contradictions exist in their CSR initiatives?
3. Are there direct correlations between CSR and consumer’s intent to make a purchase?
II. Background:
Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, employing over 1.3 million U.S. workers. According to their website, Wal-Mart is now operating at 26 countries with 9,600 retail units total, serving a global population of 200 million consumers per week.
Much of Wal-Marts’ success can be attributed to founder Sam Walton’s core values. His unconditional desire is to offer the best quality merchandise at the lowest price, saving fellow Americans money, in order to have a better quality of life. Wal-Mart continues this tradition and work constantly with suppliers to bring energy efficient products to the market, saving customers money in the long run (Wal-Mart).
III. Research & analysis:
Wal-Mart established CSR by implementing key initiatives to battle environmental issues. They established a sustainability index that analyzes the manufacturing process of products that are sold at their store while also helping suppliers in developed markets produce “eco-friendly” products (Felted).
Suppliers from China have been scrutinized for unsafe products such as tainted milk, hazardous pet food and toys with high levels of lead. Wal-Mart is issuing strict environmental and safety mandates to Chinese suppliers to ensure products are safe. According to Lee Scott, former CEO of Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart will work with multiple inspectors to monitor compliance. Another reason for such