Introduction
Sam Walton, a small town merchant who rose to be the American tycoon, second richest after Bill Gates, founded the Walmart Corporation in the late 1950s, starting with a small store and expanding to present top stores worldwide (Walmart Corporation, 2015). He defined the norm of inclusiveness in the company and referred to all his employees as associates.
The firm operates under a slogan “Exceed the customers’ expectations.” It has four pillars of operation: the customer, anchor is the boss, get it done before sundown, and greet any customer who is within ten feet (Reinsch & Goltz, 2014). Walmart incorporates every employee in the determination and solving problems, as well as setting rules and regulations that guide its operations.
How Walmart effectively raises awareness regarding stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination
Walmart sets strategies to control the rising stereotypes in the business field. Unlike in many firms in the US that consider employing more Whites than Blacks, Yates (2013) notes that most of the employees in the Walmart stores are majorly Blacks.
This approach has helped to bridge the racial belief by Whites that Blacks are under qualified and unable to offer quality services. Moreover, Sam Walton interacted freely with the Corporation’s employees. At times, he even organized out of work parties where employees could intermingle freely without any line of separation.
Walmart tends to eliminate all manners of discrimination that arises due to financial, social, or cultural differences. Notable, the Corporation accords both its male and female employees equal mode of payment and solely depends on the rank of position in the store.
This is contrary to other employers who pay women less even though they are in comparable positions and even performs better. In addition, the firm ensures that workers receive relatively equal payments, and it has set mechanisms to boost the financial trend of the low earners.
Walmart has remained committed to fighting and creating awareness on prejudice. The company treats all its employees as associates and considers no one as a senior to the other. Moreover, the Corporation holds forums within and outside its locality to educate others on the effect of prejudice (Yates, 2013).
Effect of the disabled on stereotypes prejudice and discrimination
Most people especially employers believe that the disabled are both physically and mentally challenged – a stereotype that has propelled a few individuals with disability into the business field. Walmart, however, incorporates the disabled in its recruitment schemes.
Further, it holds seminars and forums to encourage other organizations to care for the handicapped. Walmart, in association with Disability Works Inc. founded by Jonathan Kaufman, has built a strategy that incorporates the disabled in the Corporation as a mechanism to eliminate the rising discrimination in some of the firms (Reinsch & Goltz, 2014).
According to Larkin’s (2008) article “Stereotypes and Decision making: Reconciling Discrimination Law With Science,” the norm that every physically healthy person considers himself/herself as an “elder” over the physically challenged is a notion that must cease. He further pleads to people to understand that disability is not inability. All stakeholders of the Walmart Corporation further promote this policy.
How Walmart strategies align with the recommendations in the readings
The strategies set by the Walmart Corporation of inclusive leadership, fight against discrimination, as well as prejudices and stereotypes build the economic, social, and cultural bridges in the business field operations.
From this dimension, it is highly recommendable that other organizations adopt such mechanisms to promote communal integration. This restores the negative perception of employers as practitioners of exclusive leadership skills (Nadeau, 2008).
Additionally, it enhances the relationship between an employer and employees, thus promoting teamwork.
References
Larkin, J. D. (2008). Stereotypes and Decision-making: Reconciling Discrimination Law with Science. CPER Journal, 192(8), 15-24. Web.
Nadeau, M. (2008). A Trip to Walmart Raises Awareness LGBT Senior Issues. Web.
Reinsch, R. W., & Goltz, S. (2014). You Can ’t Get There From Here: Implications of the Walmart v. Dukes Decision for Addressing Second-Generation Discrimination. Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy, 9(2), 265-301. Web.
Walmart Corporation. (2015). Walmart Corporate – Better living. Web.
Yates, C. (2013). A Culture of Corporate at Walmart. Web.