The Wal-Mart Effect: A Literary Review and Analysis - Book Report/Review Example

Download file to see previous pages... This review talks about the concept of the ‘Wal-Mart effect’. It is a term which is used universally, and in specific terms, it is considered to define “the economic effects attributable to the Wal-Mart retail chain, including local effects such as forcing smaller competitors out of business and driving down wages, and broader effects such as helping to keep inflation low and productivity high”. The impact that Wal-Mart has on countries around the world is incredibly large, as it is considered as being the most powerful company in the world, and not just in North America as most retail companies such as this are. This impact has been considered as being both positive and negative in separate ways, and in particular when it comes to the criticism surrounding Wal-Mart and its impact, several labor unions have specific concerns regarding the company’s anti-union stance, as well as several employee relations issues. There are many other issues such as this which are brought to our attention by Fishman in this book, and we see that Wal-Mart reacts to this: “According to Wal-Mart and many self-described advocates of free trade, comparisons of wage levels between vastly different countries is not a useful way to assess the fairness of a trade policy. The company also points out that the wages paid to overseas workers are comparable to or exceed local prevailing wages. In that case, the company claims that the overseas manufacturing jobs it creates are often an improvement in the quality of life for its employees”.." (267).
The economic impact of Wal-Mart is discussed thoroughly here, and after all, as one of the largest ...Download file to see next pagesRead More