Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Thousands of Wal-Mart stores are opened every day and there are no tramplings involved. But OSHA takes the view that workplace fatalities are unacceptable, even once, and this colors its application of the concept of workplace safety.
Wal-Mart's view of this incident illustrates a more utilitarian approach. Whatever safety procedures OSHA wants to see at the company's stores are likely to be costly. In addition, other retailers would thereby face the same conditions as Wal-Mart. The cost to business will run into the tens or even hundreds of millions, despite the absolute lack of risk faced by the tens of thousands of employees opening stores across America each morning. The utilitarian approach clearly sees that incident as isolated and unpredictable, and something that is not part of the daily risk to Wal-Mart workers. As such, expenditure on safety measures would be detrimental to the company and to the economy as a whole. The negative impacts are known and from Wal-Mart's perspective...
It is the interpretation of what constitutes a known risk and what constitutes reasonable protections that is the subject of debate between the deontological view of OSHA and the utilitarian view that Wal-Mart holds.
Works Cited:
Craig, E. (2010). Wal-Mart spends millions to fight OSHA fine. Fair Warning. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.fairwarning.org/2010/07/wal-mart-spends-millions-to-fight-7000-osha-fine/
OSH Act of 1970. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form-p_doc_type=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0
Wal-Mart. (2008). Searcy Wal-Mart distribution center recognized for safety practices. Wal-Mart. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/8326.aspx
Works Cited:
Craig, E. (2010). Wal-Mart spends millions to fight OSHA fine. Fair Warning. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.fairwarning.org/2010/07/wal-mart-spends-millions-to-fight-7000-osha-fine/
OSH Act of 1970. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form-p_doc_type=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0
Wal-Mart. (2008). Searcy Wal-Mart distribution center recognized for safety practices. Wal-Mart. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/8326.aspx
Wal-Mart's Strategic And Financial Planning: Since its inception about 50 years ago, Wal-Mart has continued to remarkable growth as a firm that focuses on providing customers with a wide range of merchandise at great prices. In its initial years, the company only operated in one store that has contributed to changes in the way retail works. Currently, the firm operates over 10,000 retail units within 69 distinct banners in 27 countries
At that point, the competitive advantages of the American retailers would shine through. U.S. companies that lack these competitive advantages would see no benefit from entering the Mexican market, regardless of NAFTA. 3. Comerci's main move to remain competitive was to try and match Wal-Mart's buying power. It tied with another competitor to form a buying group, in the hopes that it can lower its cost of goods sold to
However (on the plus side toward Wal-Mart's capacity for increased successful globalization) there remains Wal-Mart's sophisticated supply technology, the best in the retail world, a tool that makes it possible for the retailing giant to meet individual store and customer needs everywhere, almost instantaneously. Ernsberger (2002) points out that: one reason the company is so productive is that it knows how to use technology... Wal-Mart was the first major retailer to
Wal-Mart Threats There are a number of threats that Wal-Mart faces in the external environment. These include intellectual property rights, rising cost of production in China, and the threat that is posed by intense competition in its many spaces. As Wal-Mart expands its retail footprint in emerging markets, especially China, it must take into account that the intellectual property protections are different in other parts of the world. In China, for example, one
Com to drive customers into the store for the most competitive product areas, which during the holiday season, is toys. Should Wal-Mart have pursued e-commerce more aggressively sooner? No, it was wise to wait and see what lessons were being learned both from their store-based and online-based competitors. Most importantly however, Wal-mart took the time to understand why integration of their systems and the ability to break down larger shipments into smaller
Robson Walton - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Stephen P. Whaley - Senior Vice President and Controller Eric S. Zorn - Executive Vice President and President, Wal-Mart Realty III. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: STRENGHTS and WEAKNESSES A. CORPORATE STRUCTURE Wal-Mart's retail division is formed from four major subsidiaries: Wal-Mart Discount Stores, Wal-Mart Supercenters, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Clubs. (Wal-Mart Facts, 2007) Wal-Mart Discount Stores more than 1,000 in U.S. alone average