Verified Document

Wal-Mart Can Attain Competitive Edge Term Paper

(Charles, 2006) The HR practices of Wal-Mart are aligned with the trends of the HR practices of the top companies of the world who have responded to the dynamic changes in the field of Human Resource Management. One of the upcoming trends in HR is to respect employees and appreciate their worth through incentives other than wage bonuses. Wal-Mart treats its employees as partners. Employees are allowed a lot of autonomy and decision making power which enables them to flourish and reach their full potential. The compensation system is also performance-based which is the best compensation practice in the current economic situation of America.

The future of the industry will be heavily influenced by the global economic environment. Wal-Mart is planning a number of foreign expansions which will need a complete change in the current HR Structure. Companies such as Google have responded to the integration of Information Technology in its HR infrastructure. Wal-Mart also require a lot of changes in the HR structure because they need more staff that have the relevant knowledge of the Internet and possess great amount of computer skills.

An integral part of the future HR Strategy of Wal-Mart needs to improve on the current training programs of the organization. The seven day orientation program at Wal-Mart only caters to the cultural intelligence of the employees. The technical and non-technical skills are developed by the help of the managers who serve as servants as well as leaders to coach the employees. The managers of the organization are held responsible for developing a work culture which is backed by the professional competencies that are required for the development of the organization.

The managers will need to be a given broader role in the future to train the employees because on-the-job training is the only HR technique that has been used by the company to develop the talent. Many of their competitors have been using extensive training programs which have proved to be highly successful for them but the most dangerous sign for Wal-Mart is that this strategy of their competitors is going to result in even more problems for them because the competitors will be available to attain a competitive advantage over Wal-Mart. Therefore Wal-Mart needs to adjust their training...

Kmart is considered as one of the major threats to the dominance of Wal-Mart and a successful HR structure is largely responsible for their success. (Ann, 2010)
The global marketplace offers new challenges for Wal-Mart and other companies because the globalization of businesses has opened up new challenges and opportunities for Human Resource Management. Wal-Mart needs to work on a centralized HR System which sets rules and guidelines for all the foreign subsidiaries. Training and development of foreign managers is the key to success in foreign expansions because they will be the one responsible in creating the same value proposition and organizational culture that has given Wal-Mart a competitive edge over the years.

The role of Human Resource Management has evolved over the years. Human Resource Management is now not just a mere organizational function that deals with the culture and productivity of the employees. The role of HRM has expanded to great heights. Wal-Mart has a very unique and successful HR structure that has helped them in attaining a competitive edge over their competitors. However they need to make constant changes to that structure if they want to sustain it because Wal-Mart is competing in a very competitive market and if they do not respond to the dynamic changes in the market then there competitors are sure to take advantage of them.

Sources used in this document:
References:

Anderson. C, Flynn. F. And Spataro. S. (2008). Personality and Organizational Culture as Determinants of Influence. Journal of Applied Psychology, 53 (3)

Ann, Z. (2010). "Rival Chains Secretly Fund Opposition to Wal-Mart." The Wall Street Journal.

Charles, F. (2006). The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works -- and How It's Transforming the American Economy.

Nelson, L. (2009). The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Wal Martit the Company Chosen
Words: 4429 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

According to one recent study there is little for the employees to fear concerning outsourcing. The results show that although service outsourcing has been steadily increasing it is still very low, and that in the United States and many other industrial countries 'insourcing' of services is greater than outsourcing" (Amiti, 2005, p. 308). The core team concept helps to emphasize the fact that many companies are outsourcing by insourcing, and

Wal-Mart Is the Name That Is Well-Known
Words: 2391 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

Wal-Mart is the name that is well-known to all the households these days because it has established itself as the largest retailer the world over. The sales of Wal-Mart are growing with every passing day as the sales totaled up to more than $280 billion, according to the reports published in 2004. However, it should be noted Wal-Mart did not appear on the international with more than 4500 stores in

Wal Mart, Inc.: Under Attack
Words: 2563 Length: 8 Document Type: Case Study

Wal-Mart may find that it is not able to "rollback prices" to compete with discount underwriters. One key opportunity for Wal-Mart is to focus on social welfare to improve their stature within the various communities Wal-Mart is located. Problem Definition As was stated at the outset Wal-Mart is one of the most reviled corporations within the United States. For the various reasons previously stated, Wal-Mart has attained a vastly negative reputation

Organizational Components at Kraft
Words: 1753 Length: 5 Document Type: Case Study

Business The Alignment of Organizational Components, Mission and Strategy at Kraft Foods Organizational Components Organizational Design Key Strategic Controls Primary Human Resource Concerns Cultural Factors Alignment of Organizational Components, Mission, and Strategy Kraft Foods are a major North American Food manufacturer. The firm has a duel mission, to be the best food and beverage firm in North America selling products that people love and becoming the best investment in the industry. To achieve these goals and overcome, the

Strategic Management Approaches for a Company
Words: 6436 Length: 19 Document Type: Essay

furnishes a literature review of five strategic management viewpoints, that include Porter's (1980) Generic Strategies, Porter's (1980) Five Forces, Porter's (1985) Value Chain Analysis and Bowman and Faulkner's (1997) Bowman's Strategy Clock. This paper has made use of UK's Tesco supermarket retailer for case study. The analysis of Tesco using Porter's Generic strategies revealed that Tesco's generic strategy needs to be cost leadership given that they can successfully differentiate

Strategic Analysis of the Southwest Airlines. By
Words: 1899 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

strategic analysis of the Southwest Airlines. By examining the SWOT analysis of the Southwest Airline it is concluded that the best strategy for the company is the low cost leadership strategy because the competitive advantage that Southwest Airlines enjoys is its low operating cost. The company has to plan its future tactics keeping in mind the cost-cutting phenomenon; this will help the company to sustain its position. The recommendation

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now