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Wal-Mart corporation was founded by Mr. Sam Walton in 1962 has become the largest company of the world due to the astronomical growth in the past 10 years. Wal-Mart caught my attention because of the increasing presence of the company in Latin American markets. I am from Guatemala in Central America, country in which Wal -Mart started operations a few years ago. Its very interesting the business-level strategy they used to enter the Guatemalan Market. My family is very good friends of the family Paiz, owners of the super market chain “PAIZ” in Guatemala. When Wal-Mart was planning to start operations in our country, they basically offered a ridiculous amount of money to buy-out the Company “PAIZ” and they threaten to start a frontal Business war if they don’t sale the company. Our friends, the family Paiz didn’t had a choice to accept the cash for the company and sell completely the company to Wal-Mart Corporation. The entry strategy of Wal-Mart in Central America was clearly the acquisition of Central American retail holdings companies. Myself as a business owner love to study successful structures to try and apply them to my company, of course in this case, I cant really apply the divisional organization of Wal-Mart because of the magnitude and size of the company but I could get very healthy tips to the continuous growth of my company. Wal-Mart has a divisional organization structure at the top-level and in the Middle level management, however uses a matrix organization structure in the lower store level. This could be considered as a Hybrid design because it uses different types structural organizations to keep the efficiency in the Company. Wal-Mart divisional structure consists of completely separate and semi autono... ... middle of paper ... ...ly affect the other division and consequence the company. However, divisional structure has also negative points, companies like Wal-Mart have to work hard to avoid them. Wal-Mart follows a matrix organizational structure in the lower level management and front line employees. The matrix design creates a multiple command structure and the employees’ reports to both the department manger and the project manager. Wal-Mart decided to implement a matrix structure in their lower level because this system increase motivation and organizational commitment, provides the employees to learn new skills and it’s considered very efficient in using of human resources. The Matrix design allows employees to work in different kind of projects or tasks at the same time, it’s a good strategy to multi-task your lower level employees to increase their critical thinking skills.
Wal-Mart represents the sickness of capitalism at its almost fully evolved state. As Jim Hightower said, "Why single out Wal-Mart? Because it's a hog. Despite the homespun image it cultivates in its ads, it operates with an arrogance and avarice that would make Enron blush and John D. Rockefeller envious. It's the world's biggest retail corporation and America's largest private employer; Sam Robson Walton, a member of the ruling family, is one of the richest people on earth. Wal-Mart and the Waltons got to the top the old-fashioned way: by roughing people up. Their low, low prices are the product of two ruthless commandments: Extract the last penny possible from human toil and squeeze the last dime from its thousands of suppliers, who are left with no profit margin unless they adopt the Wal-Mart model of using nonunion labor and shipping production to low-wage hellholes abroad." (The Nation, March 4th 2002 www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020304&s=hightower).
Grant, Robert M. . "Wal-Mart Stores’ Operations and Activities." Contemporary Strategy - Inkling. Wiley. Web. 1 Jul 2014.
Wal-Mart follows a lower cost competitive strategy and cost leadership. For Wal-Mart, strategic thinking is the process of continuously redefining its objectives. Competitive advantage over its competitors both actual and potential and management of risk to levels regarded as acceptable by the corporation’s main stakeholders.
Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer, operating more than 5800 discount stores. Wal-Mart employs more than 1.5 million associates 885,000 in the United States and 225,000 internationally. Walton had a reputation for caring about his customers, his employees, and the community. In order to maintain its market position in the discount retail business, Wal-Mart executives continue to adhere to the management guidelines Sam developed. Walton was a man of simple tastes and took a keen interest in people. He believed in three guiding principles: 1.Customer value and service; 2.Partnership with its associates; 3.Community involvement.
Wal-Mart’s competitive environment is quite unique. Although Wal-Mart’s primary competition comes from general merchandise retailers, warehouse clubs and supermarket retailers also present competitive pressure. The discount retail industry is substantial in size and is constantly experiencing growth and change. The top competitors compete both nationally and internationally. There is extensive competition on pricing, location, store size, layout and environment, merchandise mix, technology and innovation, and overall image. The market is definitely characterized by economies of scale. Top retailers vertically integrate many functions, such as purchasing, manufacturing, advertising, and shipping. Large scale functions such as these give the top competitors a significant cost advantage over small-scale competition.
Since January 31, 2004, the investment banker for Wal-Mart has been Moody's investor services. Wal-Mart plans to refinance for their long term dept with Mood's Investor Services and also a few other investment banking for other corporate purposes that are not mentioned. Wal-Mart also plans to bowwow 3.3 billion dollars and an additional 1.1 billion for commercial paper By January 31, 2004 the, Wal-Mart had already established a 5.1 billion dollar lines of credits from 77 different banking industries and investment and used up approximately 145 million in the production of commercial paper. During the same time period Wal-Mart had 6 billion dollar debt of securities under a shelf registration regulation which derived from the SEC. Wal-Mart sold 1.25 billion in notes and maturity. The notes bear an interest of 4.1.25 % and mature by February 2011. The total quantity of notes allowed to be sold to is up to 4 billion.
Wal-Mart initially began its operations in 1945, when Sam Walton leased a ‘Ben Franklin’ franchise variety store in Newport, Arkansas. After relocating to Rogers, Arkansas in the early 1950s, Sam Walton’s ‘Ben Franklin’ became ‘Walton’s 5 & 10’. By 1962, Walton found himself the chain owner of 11 different Walton’s stores across Arkansas. He then decided to rename the chain ‘Wal-Mart’, after himself. On October 31, 1969, after further expansion across the state, the chain was incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Three years later, Wal-Mart was approved and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
WALMART store inclusive is the largest retailer and the largest company in terms of revenue.
How does managerial planning for Project Impact take place at different levels within the organization?
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in the discount, variety stores industry. It was founded in 1945, Bentonville in Arkansas which is also the headquarters of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart operates locally as well as worldwide. It operated 1209 discount stores, 1980 super centers, and 567 Sam’s Club by January 31, 2006. It has also extended its operations to many international countries. It runs its retail stores in two forms: Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart Stores. The Sam’s Club sells assorted product lines such as hardwares, electronics, jewelry, and to mention a few. The Wal-Mart stores also offer similar products in addition to the following: health and beauty products, apparel for women, men and children, household appliances etc (www.yahoo.finance.com). The Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Values and Code of Conduct, Corporate Governance: Directors, Executive Management, Committees and Stakeholder will be the key elements that will discussed in this report as it relates to Wal-Mart. In addition to that, the major trends in the general/macro environment and industry will be analyzed.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide a comparative analysis of business activities of two well-known representatives of the US retail industry, Target and Walmart. My research is focused on a business strategy of these largest and most experienced American merchandising companies; particularly, on their activities in Canada. Based on the data collected from the various sources, I would like to detect, analyze, and demonstrate the obvious causes that have lead to a catastrophic failure of Target in its unsuccessful attempt to win a Canadian market.
... and each division to have a different manger to work both for his store and for the company. They can increase there overseas branches by having a different strategic plans. They can even divide the products into different categories such as very high or low end products. Need to use new technologies with different approaches so that can ready to use new technologies with in a short span of time. The main generic strategy is to have over all cost leadership by which the Wal-Mart can control the cost. The supply and distribution system has to be more effective in present one so that they can save both time and money while doing distribution of there products from ware house to the stores.
The first Wal-Mart store opened in July of 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas by Sam Walton who believed that the future of retailing was in discounting and to avoid competing with established giants like Sears and Woolworth, Wal-Mart’s stated out of the large cities in the beginning and this strategy help avoid competition, while in rural areas Wal-Mart began growing their customer base by offering ways to save money and shorter travel distance, Sam Walton felt the best way to make customers happy was to provide the low prices every day (Farhoomand, 2006). The company needed to continually find ways to control the operating costs so the savings would then be passed on to Wal-Mart customers in the form of lower prices than the competitors. Walton was opposed to having any kind of employee unions for its company and saw them as a disruption and an inconvenience (Farhoomand, 2006). The continued search for lower prices made him aware of business related travel cost, Wal-Mart executives stayed in low cost hotels when they traveled and the cost related to the services provided by suppliers, Wal-Mart helped suppliers improve operations and efficiency to produce lower cost. Walton wanted the suppliers to correct any nonessential or insufficiencies existing in their business structures as a way of gaining lower prices and higher value products for its Wal-Mart stores. To further push savings Wal-Mart forced cost down by eliminating the middleman and buying directly from the manufacturers. This cost saving also applied to executive salaries Walton felt providing employees with stock options, training opportunities, and allow employees to grow and develop would be a better way to engage and involve them in his vision (Farhoomand, 2006).
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a renowned retail goods superstore that sits atop the Fortune list at number one. It would be very difficult to find an individual who is unaware of Walmart’s position as the largest brick-and-mortar retail chain in the world. The company has thrived over the past few years and continues to grow by effectively managing its store operations and distribution strategies. One of the major contributors to the business consistently meeting market expectations is directly attributable to their management approach. Walmart has revolutionized the way retail companies manage their supply chains in more ways than one.
Wal-mart has a reputation for caring for its customers, of course their employees, and for the prospective public. So Wal-Mart can be an industrial leader for the world of shoppers with an eye for lower affordable prices, company decision makers would continue it's systematic strategies that it's founder and president established years ago. Sam Walton believed in three guiding principles in his strategy planning they were to provide the customer with good value and service, to have a good relationship with its associates, and to be involved with the community.