(Quick MBA, 2004) Q4. Choose any 3 leaders and discuss the actions that they took or their personal characteristic that you think influenced firm's strategy.

Sam Walton's desire to offer the best prices, all the time at his Wal-Mart, rather than high-low pricing like K-mart's Edward Lampert that requires printing costly circulars and newspaper ads to advertise special deals, indicate Walton's revolutionary de-emphasizing of marketing specific products as inexpensive in contrast to Lampert's stress on making consumers think they got a special deal as an incentive. (Haber, "It's a Lean Operation," 2003)

However, within the K-Mart empire, ironically, Martha Stewart has deployed an effective branding strategy of her Waspy image of good living, combined with quality products, that have resulted in continued product loyalty, despite her financial woes.

Q5. Discuss corporerate governance.

Reach, competitive contact, managing businesses and business advantages, management practices and activities are all under the realm of this form of governance. For instance, should K-Mart expand its reach to compete with Wal-Mart in the products it offers? Should it create a...

(May 7, 2003) "Kmart hopes pricing, brand names work: It's a lean operation leaving bankruptcy." Detroit Free Press. Retrieved on September 12, 2004. http://www.freep.com/money/business/kbox7_20030507.htm
Pavilion, Corwin. (April 12, 2004) "Wal-Mart: Template for 21st Century Capitalism?" Retrieved on September 13, 2004 http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/walmart/

Retail Forward. (2004) "Distribution Channels Strategy." Retail Forward Website. Retrieved on September 13, 2004 at http://www.retailforward.com/freecontent/distributionchannels.asp

Strategy." (2004) Quick MBA. Retrieved 12 Dec 2004 at http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/levels