Walgreens Pharmacy International Culture

WALGREENS

The International Culture of Walgreens

Walgreens is an American based pharmacy store that now operates in more than 25 countries. It provides medications, prescriptions, and other related health products. The pharmacy operations are both retail and wholesale all over the world (Bells, 2017). It came into being after a merger of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in 2014. The mergers opened ways to international market entry. The retail business is now in 11 countries, and the wholesale distribution network is seen in 19 countries. Within the US, there are over 8,100 stores and even more than 4,500 outside the region. The huge presence of Walgreens' stores can be seen in California, Florida, and Texas as 633, 831, and 713, respectively.

The US has turned out to be the most lucrative market for Walgreens that has provided more than 70 percent of its sales. The international retail sales were $13.3 billion during 2016, and the wholesale ones were $20.2 billion during the same year. As the company has been able to earn huge profits outside the United States, it means it encompasses employees from all over the world. There is an extremely diversified workforce that belongs to different cultures and backgrounds. The international culture outside the main region, which is the US, has its characteristics.

Walgreens has strived for a strong value system shared by various communities across foreign countries to maintain its market image. Each employee has worked hard to work together with each other by respecting cross-cultural attributes so that optimized work performance is achieved. Fairness and equality were the two criteria for this multinational company's foundations were based on its founders decades ago (Walgreens, 2013). Commitment and passion are evident qualities of its international culture so that they are passed onto the customers, patients, communities of various countries in the standard manner globally.

A diverse and inclusive work environment is observed within the company since it would be impossible to engage employees from various cultures for serving in numerous states without it. A work environment is maintained such that it fosters encouragement and dedication for the culturally diversified workers so that they provide the best of their performance. Research has deduced that employee engagement and inclusiveness are closely related since highly engaged workers would produce better outcomes with their diversified and distinct ideas following company values (Itam & Bagali, 2018). If they feel a connection with the company and its goals, they would only be able to provide innovation for an enhanced customer experience.

Operational performance holds a significant place in the flourishing of this international business, and for this, Walgreens aims to be known as a "Next Practices" corporation for diversity and inclusion. This would mean that the firm provides an international culture within its work premises, where employees feel culturally safe. The workplace practices promote their self-development, and their freedom of perspectives is not challenged. Superior business performance can only be delivered if the employees are satisfied, and the current and future customers are served well across the boundaries.

Walgreens has met its diversity and inclusion vision by following certain strategies such as fulfilling all duties and accountabilities for sustaining the federal contractor's position and receiving credit as partner, supplier, employer, and retailer of choice by several administrations and print pieces. Its strategic plan also involved gaining agreement for the new business in which diversity was based on function-specific tasks. International culture even did not exclude employees with disabilities, and the leadership formulated initiatives for disability inclusion programs within the distribution centers. One hundred twenty pharmacy schools were donated more than $1 million across the nation to promote greater diversity and cross-cultural expertise. These colleges majorly included Blacks and Hispanics. A new e-learning program was introduced to welcome diversity at all levels of hierarchy throughout the firm. Employee-driven strategies included utilization of business resource groups so that talent acquisition and development along with brand building and community awareness are achieved on superior terms.

Diversity and inclusion are the two major sources of extensive business profits for transnational companies that embrace employees from different cultures (Jayakrishnan, 2019). Surface-level diversity mentions the demographics of age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or disability. Deep-level diversity talks about individuals' perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes that might create conflicts. Walgreens has ensured that these two types of diversities are addressed appropriately by allowing them to communicate and interact daily. The proactive approach of diversity allows the firm to commit with its employees and international customers, so that cultural boundaries do not deeply hinder success.

Having equal access to opportunities and resources when a new workforce is hired from various cultures draws attention to inclusivity. Walgreens pledges to treat them fairly, and for that, it recruits, empowers, and retains diverse talent. Serving diverse markets poses a challenge for Walgreens; however, the firm has not stepped back from this fear. Rather, it has strived to create a leadership that would provide equal employment opportunities and talent outreach plans to guarantee future growth. It also includes strengthening suppliers and communities of different countries.

In 2012, the diversity and inclusion (D&I) team of Walgreens created plans for supply chain management, health systems, market access, customer reach, pharmaceutical development, e-commerce, innovative solution, daily health solution products, facilities development, and community management across different global regions (Walgreens, 2013). These plans emphasize employees' cultural communications and training, engagement, accountability tactics for future compliance, and partnership throughout the countries. E-newsletters and intranet connections are focused on so that open communication at all levels eliminates any cultural or diversity barriers within the organization, as that would certify the company's market success. Global workplaces demand better communications so that cultural issues within the firm could be solved, and human capital could be managed in a globalized economy (Okoro & Washington, 2012). If workplace diversity and its implications are ignored, it can create havoc for its overall business goal performance. Walgreens knows that inter-cultural needs should be tackled suitably so that a healthy working environment is created and sustained.

International markets mean the suppliers and customers are diversified too. One of the ways to achieve best practices management throughout countries was to gain supplier diversity. Walgreens approached small businesses and women-owned enterprises in 2012. The firm has focused on purchasing assorted products from these suppliers and serves as mentors and partners to promote entrepreneurial spirit and economic progress.