Free Organizational Culture And Leadership At Wal-Mart Essay Example

Analysis

Wal-Mart’s organizational purpose
Wal-Mart’s organizational purpose is to ensure that customers are sufficiently provided with what they want (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010). A customer walking into a Wal-Mart store should be capable of finding whatever they are looking for from everyday household utilities to specialized merchandise such as tools and equipment. These items should be accessible at any time when the customer wishes to procure them. Finally, Wal-Mart seeks to ensure that customers get all that they need at competitive prices that allow the achievement of value for money spent (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010).

Mission

Wal-Mart’s mission is to provide value for money for the consumer. When people save money, they can live better. Living better entails the ability to access high quality goods in high quantities for provision sake (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010).

Vision

Values
Wal-Mart stands by three values- respect for the individual, service to customers and striving for excellence (Yang, 2011). Respect for individuals entails embracing the diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs represented by employees and customers. Service to customers recognizes that it is because of the customers that the organization is in business. For that reason, they seek to meet and exceed customer expectations. Excellence is refusing to be settle in terms of accomplishments, but seeking to be better every day in product and service delivery.

Strategy

Walmart provides a wide range of products and services. These products and services are at a similar or superior quality and inexpensive prices compared to what competitors offer (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010).
The organization focuses in the strategy of one business only. Concentration on one business is the reason behind Walmart’s success. Majority of Wal-Mart’s earnings comes from their grocery business. A single business strategy has been used for more than thirty years (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010).
Successful penetration into the international market is attributed to the adoption of a multinational business strategy (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010). Customers and employees form various countries are treated uniquely according to the cultural and social backgrounds. It enables international business to thrive.

Public identity and cultural beliefs

Fortunately, the public identity and the cultural beliefs that it portrays are similar. If the company did not have respect for individuals, provide service to customers and strive for excellence, they would not be as successful as they are. Their cultural beliefs are especially evident in their global business.

Leadership and personnel

Wal-Mart’s management and leadership consists of a combination of regulations and principles with a certain level of independence for employees to innovate and create strategies for improvement on how things can be done (Yang, 2011). Allowing for freedom and putting in checks and balances is excellent for organizational growth (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009). Management policy is found on teams. The leaders go through the process of working with their respective team members at each departmental and hierarchical level. It is the leaders at every level that communicate the organization’s identity and culture. The overall culture is that of respect for individuals and excellent service delivery which is perpetuated by organizational leaders.
Leaders have adopted the habit of having sit-downs with their team members from time to time in order to analyze strengths and weaknesses. It provides an opportunity for team members to contribute their innovative ideas for better practice or to air out their grievances. Wal-Mart encourages their employees to be open in communication and trains its leaders to be receptive of this communication (Yang, 2011).

Evaluation

Wal-Mart has adequately defined its organizational culture and identity. The company has now been in business for a solid fifty three years. The ability of an organization to continue to be a going concern amidst a volatile business environment is an indication that it has a strong organizational culture.
Even if an organization were to adopt the best leadership and management practices, these ideas would not be applicable if its organizational culture does not support the practice (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009).
Consistency is crucial to an organization if it is to remain relevant to its customers. Wal-Mart has a clear and simple mission and purpose that has been dictating organizational operations for the time that it has been in existence. Its mission and purpose is clear both within and outside of the organization. Within the organization, new employees are inducted by being made to understand what the company stands for.
Current communication theories suggest that the audience has a significant role in shaping the communication methods and that formal and informal channels should be used concurrently (Craig, 1999). At Wal-Mart, these standards have been sufficiently covered.
There are no questions as to the culture and identity of Wal-Mart. The cultural system is transformational as it encourages future prospects consideration and allows its members to be innovative and openly communicative.

Recommendations

Sam Walton, the founder and Wal-Mart adopts a leadership initiative where any employee at any level of the organization is appointed a leader (Wei, Wang, Zhang, & Yongheng, 2010). The leader strives to fulfill organizational needs as well as those of the team. While it is a noble idea that fosters a sense of inclusivity and ownership, it is better to have leaders that are competent. Leadership roles are critical in determining the direction that a company will take and should be reserved for those that are capable.

References

Craig, R. T. (1999). Communication theory as a field. University of Cagliari. Retrieved from http://econoca.unica.it/public/downloaddocenti/ARTICOLO_communication_theory_as_a_field.pdf on January 23rd 2015.
Griffin, R. & Moorhead G. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Managing people and Organizations. Cengage Learning.
Wei, L., Wang, S., Zhang, J., & Yongheng, A. (2010). Strategic Analysis for Wal-Mart. Retrieved from http://www.sfu.ca/~sheppard/478/syn/1137/G_6_1137.pdf on January 23rd 2015.
Yang, F. (2011). Strategic analysis of Walmart. Retrieved from http://aladinrc.wrlc.org/bitstream/handle/1961/9446/Yang,%20Fan%20%202009S.pdf?sequence=1 on January 23rd 2015.