Numerous people have posted blog entries of Wal-Mart being the paragon of evil. I'd like to say that Wal-Mart will go down in history as one of the most innovative company for several reasons.
1. Wal-Mart helps the US economy
a.According to a McKinsey & Co study published in December of 2003, 12% of the economy's productivity gains could be traced to Wal-Mart alone. Furthermore, Wal-Mart is partly responsible for the low rate of US inflation It is quite obvious that without Wal-Mart, the US economy would not be fairing as well. You might think 12% is not a lot, but think about it for a second.
2. Wal-Mart and its workers
a. Wal-Mart increasing access to benefits
According to the Dube Arindrajit study from August 2004, Wal-Mart provides all new employees with a 1-800 number to call to determine benefits eligibility. This is important because for many programs, fewer people actually participate in the programs than are eligible for them.
b. In his book "The Bully of Bentonville" Anthony Bianco explains that Wal-Mart launched a new program called the "Associate in Critical Need Trust." The Critical Need Trust raised almost $3 million, and helped more than 28,000 families. It is evident that Wal-Mart is a unique company because it helps associates when they are in desperate need.
c. Now, all you paleo-liberals out there are probably thinking, "WAL-MART WORKERS CAN't UNIONIZE!!!!!" My response? In Bianco's book previously cited, when the union movement peaked a half-century ago, one in three workers carried union cards in their wallets; today, barely one in ten does! Since the mid-1980's union membership also has steadily eroded in many service industries as employers have bowed to intensifying economic pressure to cut payrolls and improve productivity.
d. Since I've already established the fact that Wal-Mart treats its employees well, I'd like to add that Wal-Mart adds a huge number of jobs to the retailing industry. As Charles Fishman briefly explains in "The Wal-Mart Effect," while the entire country was adding 670,000 new retail jobs, Wal-Mart was adding 480,000 jobs in the United States. More than 70 percent of all new retailing jobs in the United States in the last seven years came just from growth of Wal-Mart.
3. Wal-Mart and the international community
a. As Bianco explains, Wal-Mart follows ethical sourcing. Ever since 1992, the company has imposed a code of conduct on foreign suppliers that is intended to improve working conditions in factories making good for its stores. Wal-Mart claims to have the world'slargest overseas monitoring program, employing some 200 full-time inspectors who visit 30 factories a day, or about 5,000 a year.
I hope this post helps the people who bash Wal-Mart take a moment to think of the positive aspects of this great company.
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Please post your sources when posting information from outside sources to avoid plagiarism and/or copyright infringement issues and Terms of Service violations.
"It is never too late to give up your prejudices." Henry David Thoreau
"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side." Euripides
Fallon, can you explain, or link to a page that explains, how to cite sources. It seems that wakg did show where his quotes were coming from... so I'm sort of confused about your comments.
Here's the URL to the FAQ page about quote material from news sources. It applies here as well.
http://progressiveu.org/2007/blogging-for-progress-faq/can-i-re-post-som...
Basically, if you're quoting information from an outside source, you need to provide links to that information somewhere You can do this by coding it into the blog itself (hyperlinks) or by posting the links at the bottom of the blog entry.
"It is never too late to give up your prejudices." Henry David Thoreau
"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side." Euripides
That link is broken - or at least I don't have access to that page. What about books: how do we cite books?
Hrmm.. not sure why you're getting an access problem there. It might just need you to re-login (it does that to me a lot when I click on links). But, you can access it through the FAQs (Can i repost...?)
If the information isn't yours, you should always provide a reference for your own safety. Putting the authors name and the title of the book at the end of the post is one quick way to do it. If you're using a direct quote in the post, put the last name of the author or source if no author is available in parenthesis beside the quote at the very least. It's good form to include the year of publication as well.
Unless I'm being lazy, I try to cite in APA format to stay in the habit since in my college, you can be failed (or expelled) for not citing properly even if it is the first time. We don't expect you to do that unless you want to, but citing and providing references is vital.
"It is never too late to give up your prejudices." Henry David Thoreau
"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side." Euripides
So what if I object to a consumer culture that doesn't sell products, but need? What if I object to a single company accounting for 12% of productivity gains and 70% of new retail jobs? What if I think unions should be allowed to decline on their own instead of being pushed out of a company that accounts for 70% of new retail jobs? What if I am smart enough to see that providing a 1-800 number is a lot different from actually providing benefits?
Wal-Mart is a disgusting consumerism monster that drives an economy based on selling us low quality shit that we don't need. Now, obviously somebody has to fill the low cost niche, but does it need to be Wal-Mart syle?
Most of those jobs are low paying, part time retail jobs. Working people one hour below full-time is pretty common and there have been plenty of complaints about unpaid overtime and other draconian, illegal practices. Wal-Mart is the monster it is because of a reputation for low prices and the fact that you can get pretty much anything you want there, not because they treat their employees well.
Wal-Mart doesn't really need to be defended anyway. They make a whole lot of money because there are plenty of people who don't care or complain and most people who do don't actually care enough to not shop there. They are succesful and profitable, that's all the defense that they need.
Thank you for a new perspective though.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memento mori, mahalo.
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principals."
Last time I checked the stuff Wal-Mart is selling is what we DO NEED, and many people claim that they couldn't survive without Wal-Mart.
I know the invisible hand can be nasty, especially for third world countries, but we also need to recognize that many of these people who are working in China and the like are actually appreciative of the jobs the Wal-Mart provides.
Oh, and please give us some citation of these 'working people one hour below full-time is pretty common and there have been plenty of complaints about unpaid overtime and other draconian, illegal practices.' Some kind of statistic proving X% of Wal-Mart employees are suffering because of these practices.
One of our local Wal-Marts was sued by a dozen or so employees for forcing them to work late nights without clocking in. They had other complaints, but didn't sue over them.
Working employees for 35-39 hours a week so that they don't qualify for full time benefits is pretty common throughout retail or low income type jobs. It isn't illegal or anything, just a shitty thing to do. That's just personal experience from friends.
Those are examples, not statistics, I know, but there are about a trillion things I care more about than Wal-Mart.
Benefits are an important part of full time employment. You didn't address the fact that providing an 800 number is not providing benefits.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memento mori, mahalo.
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principals."
you mostly cite just one book, but you haven't addressed any specific counter-arguments (for instance, if you watched the documentary 'the high cost of low prices' and argued against it using multiple sources, i'd be more inclined to take your argument seriously).
maybe you should try working for wal-mart, or talking to someone that works there--for a living, to support their family, not just a part-time high school kid--and then tell me whether or not they treat their employees well.
i'm not arguing one side or the other right now; i simply think your argument is flawed.
--stacie
Just asking.