| Company Studied | |
| Name of the company studied | |
| Articles you read about each company (online or print) – you must list at least 5 citations (article title, author, publication, date, or if the article is online, the URL). If you read more, list more. |
|
| Headquarters location | The company’s headquarters is located in Bentonville, Arkansas (Wal-Mart, 2011). |
| Number of employees | As of 30thDecember 2010, the company had 2.1 million employees (Wal-Mart, 2011). |
| Gross Revenue in the most recent year available | The firm’s gross revenue in the last financial year, 2010, was 405 billion dollars (Wal-Mart, 2011). |
| Chairman of the Board and CEO | The board of directors is chaired by Mr. Robson S. Walton. Mr. Duke T. Michael is the company’s Chief Executive Office (Wal-Mart, 2011). |
| How is the company leadership described? Are they competent, admired, respected, etc.? | The leadership of the company is competent and this can be explained by the qualifications and skills of the management team. For example, all members of the board of directors are either CEOs or chairmen of other companies (Wal-Mart, 2011). They also have over ten years of experience at different levels of management. The members of the company’s management team are admired for their vast knowledge in various industries which include manufacturing, retail, banking, and technology (Soderquist, 2005). This enables them to formulate effective management policies that lead to success. The leadership is also respected for its ability to maintain a rapid growth rate in the company (Soderquist, 2005). Through their effort, the company has been able to establish over 8000 units in fifteen countries thus making it the largest by market share in the global retail industry (Wal-Mart, 2011). |
| Key Products/Services | As a retail chain, the company deals in a wide range of products which can be categorized as foodstuffs, home appliances, furniture, clothes, electronics, and medicinal drugs (Wal-Mart, 2011). |
| Three adjectives that describe the company in the marketplace | The words used to describe the company in the market include ‘leading’, ‘dominant’, and ‘admirable’. |
| Describe the company’s culture | The company’s corporate culture encourages open communication between the employees and the management. Teamwork is highly encouraged to give customers the best services possible (Kneer, 2009). The company also believes in servant leadership that listens to the employees and customers to develop the morale that leads to the achievement of the firm’s goals (Kneer, 2009). Finally, the company believes in consulting junior employees and considers their suggestions, concerns, and ideas regarding various decisions. |
| Describe the company’s values | The first value is respect for all (Wal-Mart, 2011). Every employee is treated with dignity and is encouraged to express their views without fear. Service to customers is the second value. The firm focuses on selling high-quality products at the lowest possible prices. Striving for excellence is the last value (Kneer, 2009). In this case, the firm acknowledges its achievements but continues to aim for greater achievements. |
| Biggest internal challenge | The biggest internal challenge is how to understand the business environment and culture in overseas markets (Troy, 2011). This has posed a high threat to the company’s expansion plan. |
| Biggest external challenge | The intense competition in the market is the biggest external challenge to the company (McWilliams, 2011). |
| Internet presence – is it effective? Please describe. | The company’s presence over the internet is very effective. This is because it uses its website to market and sells its products. Thus customers who are not willing to visit the stores can shop and make their inquiries online (Wal-Mart, 2011). The suppliers and investors are also able to make their inquiries online and this has improved the efficiency of the firm. |
| Advertising in other media – is it effective? Please describe. | The company also advertises its merchandise in both print and electronic media (Wal-Mart, 2011). This has been effective in reaching customers who are not able to visit the company’s website or its stores. |
| Target customer demographics | The company targets all segments of the market (Kneer, 2009). Consequently, its customers include the youth, low-income earners, high-income earners, the old, and the working class. |
| Describe their reputation | The company is known as the leader in “sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity” (Wal-Mart, 2011). It is for this reason that it was ranked at position one among the most admired businesses by Fortune Magazine in 2010. |
| Who are their major competitors? | Its main competitors include Kmart, Target, and Costco. |
| Would you like to work for this company? Why or why not? | I would like to work for this company. This is because it values the contributions of its employees regarding its success. Besides, it offers a competitive work environment and values the community that it operates in. |
References
Kneer, C. (2009). The Wal-Mart success story. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlay.
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McWilliams, G. (2011). The end of the Wal-Mart era. Web.
Soderquist, D. (2005). The Wal-Mart way. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc.
Troy, M. (2011). The secrets of success: the Wal-Mart way. Business Publication, vol. 41 (3), 10-21.
Wal-Mart. (2011). About us. Web.