Employment Practices at Wal-Mart Corporation - Case Study Example

Employment Practices at Wal-Mart Corporation Name Course Tutor Date Wal-Mart employment practices The dignity principle, the fairness principle, and the responsive principle have been fully maintained by the corporation in line to the way they treats or handle their employees. Introduction All organizations are on a daily basis described by the tradition and manner of how they treat their employees. Most of the time, employees are exploited and no one addresses their needs. Employees are paid peanuts and yet they are expected to put all their efforts in the company they are working. These behaviors have been going on for long and economist has come up with different theories to explain on the trends and patterns of business processes, and employee treatments. On a daily basis, disputes occur in all organizations where some are solved internally, while some needs the intervention of the courts. However, some organizations have developed strategies of evading employee complaints, while continuing to exploit them without strict actions being taken on them. With various principles and code of conduct, companies can achieve their core values and objectives without going against the interest of their employees. The employees are also expected to follow some regulations, which guide them in the organization. Applying official codes of ethics in an organization as its extend of focus, we can develop basic conceptualization of ethics in firms, a trend of hypotheses about the methods codes work, and a general outline of the research plan that results from the regulations. Body Wal-Mart is an international company that has set its base in the United States with employees from various parts of the world. The organization has embraced the aspect of workers’ variety as part of spreading their social responsibility. Major corporations usually have the vision of venturing into different countries in a bid to expand their practices and increase profits. To accomplish most of their objectives, they have to keep all the regulation and principles that exist in the country they want to invest. It is the responsibility of any organization, therefore, to ensure that it provides employment to all people regardless of their races, sex, status, and place of origin. From Wal-Mart statistics, there are enough evidences that the company employs people who come from the diverse society (Fishman, 2006). Many people claiming that the company has some biases when it comes to employment, but there are strong evidences that support the company on its employment practices have criticized Wal-Mart harshly. Most of the complainants claim that Wal-Mart discriminate employees based on gender. Wal-Mart being one of the biggest companies in America faces this challenge, and most of the time it is accused of favoring male, and being biased on the side of female workers and those, not from the mother country. This is not true as studies illustrate that out of the 1.3 million company’s employees; more than 70% come from other regions other than the United States. It implies that the company observes the fairness principle when it comes to selecting and recruiting its employees. Fishman (2006), states that the company has employees from the diverse society such as Asia, Africa, Spain, and Southern America. It is clear that Wal-Mart Company observes and maintains a fair treatment principle as required in the Global Corporation Standard Codex. By recruiting employees from various parts of the world, and rewarding equal gains and allowances, the company is showing some constructive image that needs to be imitated by the other companies, as well. Wal-Mart has its internal code of conduct, and it measures employee performance based on efforts put in the company. Apart from the internal measures that keep the organization moving, it also has a strong believe that all employees must be treated the same way and fairly certainly on issues of salaries, allowances, and other benefits (Fishman, 2006). All companies have laws and ethics that are used to govern the operation. However, ethics and economic practices appear to be edgy associates. In most situations, companies want to increase their profits without realizing the need to develop its employees. If economic practices focus on maximization of efficiency in production, utilization, multiplication, and movement of assets, the company has to retain and respect its employee’s needs and demands. Focused companies offer their employees with various incentives to motivate and reduce stress among them (Hemphill 26). Dignity is another ethical rule, which the company has been tirelessly maintaining. Wal-Mart has realized the need and importance of respect its employees thus being considerate and ensuring their safety at all times. This creates an environment of privacy and confidentiality, employment security, and association. The responsibilities of the employees are valued so much by Wal-Mart. They keep this by ensuring the safety especially when they are within the company’s premises (Fishman, 2006). The company has a strong structure whereby all employees are responsible for their actions. The organization does not tolerate cases of sex discrimination, racism, cultural biases, and other forms of isolation within the company premises. Any employees found carrying out the vice faces the consequences that are set out by the company. The organization has been focusing to ensure that the Wal-Mart environment is conducive and free from risks. Furthermore, the company does not stand disputes arising from members negligence, carelessness, or even lack of team building. All employees are expected to conduct themselves professionally and avoid case of jealousy and laziness. Respect of all employees’ dignity is the benchmark for achievement to the organization. It assists support elite performance and growth of workers in the working field. Biasness and discrimination restricts the degree of production amongst workers hence putting the organization on the edge of destruction. To avoid all the cases that may arise from members, the organization maintains the dignity and fairness principles by caring for all its workers and other shareholders uniformly (Fishman, 2006). In fact, in recent years the organization have not had any serious disputes arising form its employees, and the company have ever since saved a lot of resources that in the past were used in court cases. The Wal-Mart structure has enabled it deal with its employees and ensure all their interest, concern, and welfare are satisfied at all time. This has also stimulated the workers efforts giving them the priority of working extra hard towards the development of both the organization and themselves. The fairness principle dictates that each organization should serve all their employees as well as their clients equally. Discriminating employees based of sex or race is unethical as per the Global Corporation Standard Codex. Some investigations mainly focus on the effects, defined as unequal pay, promotions, and prospects for both men and women as a way of discriminatory character. Various studies illustrate that gender inequality is an outcome, which needs to be revoked and eliminated in the entire system of Wal-Mart employment practices. Wal-Mart CEO, usually advise its employees care and treat each other like a brother. They regularly comment on ethics and business. Various scholars have, however; learn through various subjects that the company is committed to achieving its goals and objectives. Wal-Mart Company has inculcated the responsiveness principle throughout its business activities. Researchers, on the other hand, have more broken views of the company’s activities, and the common reality presented by some retired employees and other individuals who have hard direct or indirect contact with the organization. The way economic actors deal with situations, and what influences those who deal with it have on economic presentation. Through its practical management, the organization claims to react quickly to the needs and demands of the workers especially those involved directly in production activities. This advancement has been enhanced by the value of dignity principle. When the living cost is high, the organization concentrates on raising the wage scale of its workers. There are managers who analyses the economic situation at all times, and can detect when the economy is in recession or has been hit by negative economic factors. At this point, it can balance the working condition to ensure that at least each of its employee get something at the end of the day regardless of the hardships expected. Positive ethics should always prevail as a way of making a constructive organizational framework and a place where it emphases on equality. In the economic arena, ethics implies the appropriate methods of carrying out production, and the well-being of everyone (Toth 343). Consequently, the organization takes quick actions when the workers raise complains on elements, which makes them vulnerable to risks at the work place. The company works to make sure the workers’ requirements and demands are fulfilled throughout their employment period. To improve on this part, the company has identified Office of Diversity that provides training, and education to all stages of the employees and other stakeholder (Hemphill, 2008). Wal-Mart has been successful in its operations, and it boosts of its efficiency in the general functioning of the company due to the responsiveness principle. The company has had an advantage against its competitors, and this is linked to the effective administration that is governed by proactive rules. Wal-Mart instills the most widespread ethical regulations within the vending industry in the United States. The vender has been regularly and relentless reviewing its ethical laws particularly after facing legal disasters. Considerably, Wal-Mart ethical laws extend to workers employment practices as expected by the Global Standards Codex (Hemphill, 2008). References: Bernstein, A. (2005). Declaring War On Wal-Mart. Aaron. Business Week. (3919) p.31-33. Besen, Y., and Kimmel, M. (2006). At Sam’s Club, no girls allowed the lived experience of sex discrimination. Equal Opportunities International. 25 (3) pp. 172-187. Boyle, M. (2006): Walmart desperately seeking ethics. Retrieved on May 18, 2011, from . Carpenter, N. (2010). Comparison Of Walmart And Target Policies And Practices. Retrieved on May 18, 2011, From Fishman, C. (2005): The Walmart you do not know, Fast Times. Retrieved on May 18, 2011, from Hemphill, T. (2008). Demonising Wal-Mart: What do the facts tell us? Journal of corporate citizenship. 31 pp. 26-31. Lichtenstein, N. (2004). Transforming: is Wal-Mart a bargain for its workers? Retrieved on May 18, 2011, from < http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/transform/employment.html> Marc, B. (2007). Wal-Mart approval hangs on crime worries: Clovis officials will resume debate on a proposed 24-hour supercenter at Herndon and Hwy. 168 on Oct. 15. Fresno Bee, The (CA). Sherwyn, G. (2009). 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