Walmart: Management Planning and Ethics

Wal-Mart: Management Planning and Ethics

Today, Wal-Mart management involves several entities that are not employee or customer related. Wal-Mart managers have to be just as knowledgeable with legal issues, ethics and corporate social responsibility of the company, as well as the financial responsibility to the company. In addition, if a company has legal, ethics, and social responsibility issues the financial part will no longer matter because the company could go bankrupt due to these issues. Therefore, in order to remain successful Wal-Mart Stores are now retraining their management staffs. This ensures the company that their management staff is well versed and capable of handling most issues.

One problem that is affecting Wal-Mart Stores today is legal issues. The biggest challenge facing Wal-Mart Stores, from a legal perspective, is diversity in upper management. Several Wal-Mart Stores have to restructure their hiring practices in order to satisfy diversity issues. Managers have to make sure that they are hiring the best candidates, while maintaining diversity. When a manager fails to maintain this balance it could result in the company possibly being sued for unfair work practices. This issue is very challenging to management, because they are to satisfy two needs, which are best candidates yet keeping a diverse balance.

Secondly, major legal issues facing Wal-Mart is compliance issues. Compliance issues involve several parts of the business depending on which division, person, or manager. Child labor violation is a compliance issue that affects the entire store. This law applies to anyone who is under the age of 18. The law simply states that a child in school can only work 16-20 hours during a school week and must clock out by 9 o'clock. Violating this could result in the company being fined by the government.

In addition, another company issue in the state of Florida is smoke free workplace, which does not permit smoking in the workplace or within fifty feet of the entrances. Again, Wal-Mart managers have to make sure that this regulation is being followed daily.

Finally, proper disposal of environmental hazardous waste is another compliance issue. Violators of this could result in very hefty fines, pollution and this could cause a Wal-Mart Store to be closed immediately if found in violation. Therefore, Wal-Mart managers have to make sure they are following the company programs in order to avoid any violators of these compliance laws.

Every company has its own code of ethics or beliefs. Wal-Mart Stores has three basic beliefs; respect for the individual, service to our customers, and strive for excellence. Each one of these beliefs is very important to the Wal-Mart Stores' culture. Mr. Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart Stores, took a very strong stand on these beliefs because he felt these things were very crucial in the success of the company. Respect for the individual teaches everyone, that it does not matter what title you hold in the company you will be treated with respect first