Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an important part of business for many of today’s companies. Many times, however, its CSR efforts are overshadowed by publicized ethical dilemmas. Wal-Mart is a great example of this. They have a webpage devoted to their CSR efforts: Global Responsibility. (Links to an external site.) Wal-Mart also has a page devoted to Ethics & Integrity. (Links to an external site.) The other side of the Wal-Mart coin, however, contains a slew of ethical issues including claims about labor law, discrimination, etc.

Visit and evaluate both Wal-Mart webpages provided and summarize its efforts for CSR and ethics.

Do you feel the CSR/ethics strategies Wal-Mart employs benefit the community, or do you feel it is more of a ploy to make itself look better? Explain and support your conclusion.
How does Wal-Mart ensure equitably of CSR globally? Does Wal-Mart’s CSR violate foreign companies’ laws or ethics? Justify and support your response.
Write an essay of at least 250 words, double-spaced, with proper reference citation per current APA guidelines. Ensure you have a cover page, introduction, body, and conclusion for your essay.

ANSWER

Walmart CSR and Ethics

After looking at the Corporate social responsibility of Walmart, my opinion is that the CSR and ethic starts employed by the company benefit the community and make the company look better. The company CSR is leverages to strengthening and collaborating with others to advance and transform its commitment and goals through areas of sustainability, opportunity and community. The company has believed that their strategies and approaches in these areas are beneficial to the business bottom line and have established shared values for the society and customer as a whole. The CSR has outlined the significance of integration of its core business through collective action which collaborates partners, suppliers and stakeholders. The company has focused on strengthening the local communities through sourcing responsibly, selling sustainable products, reducing emissions and waste as well as selling sustainable items. The company on the other hand has benefited through increasing sales, lowering operating costs, increased productivity, customer loyalty, obtaining more capital from willing investors as well as gaining ability to keep and attract skilled employees. Being socially responsible and ethical company can boost the company’s image through building the brand. Social responsibility has empowered employees through boosting their moral and building greater productivity.

Walmart has ensured global and equitable CSR through previously mentioned global statement of ethics and global responsibility reports. The global CSR has developed and upheld policies for ethical behavior for all stakeholders globally. Walmart has enhanced sustainability of operations as well as the product supply chains. Walmart has been violating the foreign companies’ ethics and laws. For instance, the Mexico unit has paid $24 million in bribes to permit establishment of new stores and speed up licensing in United States. The Walmart suppliers have remains stuck since they are dependent on the business and Walmart has taken advantage of the helpless suppliers pressuring them to sell their goods below the standard prices and prices they would get it in other places. Walmart has been known for manipulating other countries’ laws where they do business with their market control and power to get away. Walmart is highly concern with the economic responsibility more than the ethical responsibility.