Wal-Mart Company Inc
Wal-Mart is one of the leading retailers not just in the United States but also in the world. Cain (2018) asserts that the multinational retailer has over 2.3 million employees and many of them have unique perspectives about the giant store. As one of the largest employers in the world, the organization faces numerous challenges related to its operations and activities. Further, Peterson (2015) highlighted the problems that the giant retailer deals with in its daily operations in 2015 after interviewing its CEO. Among the issues that the CEO mentioned include lack of cleanliness and tidiness in the stores and this may be attributed to the employees that the organization loves to refer to as associates (Cain, 2018). While Wal-Mart may face more challenges as highlighted by Peterson (2015), this assignment will focus on the store’s challenges in its parking lot.
Organizational Issue at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart has an open corporate policy that allows anyone to use their parking lots overnight based on local circumstances. Further, shoppers coming into any of their stores can park as they buy goods and access certain services. However, employees in many of these stores have been complaining about a host of issues that take place in the parking lots. One of such issues is dangerous driving by shoppers and customers in the parking lot (Peters, 2014). According to Cain (2018), shoppers fight in these parking lots. Many people have raised concerns about the driving habits of shoppers and even fights that ensue while they are using the retailer’s premises. In addition, parking lots at Wal-Mart are used as temporary homes for homeless vehicle owners who park their cars to spend the night in these areas. Again, recent reports indicate that several petty crimes are committed on Wal-Mart premises across the nation. Davis (2018) asserts that police reports show that many criminal activities occur on the store’s premises, particularly the parking lot and it is an issue that must be solved immediately. While managers at different stores across the country attempt to address these issues in the parking, police now believe that different types of crimes could be taking place at Wal-Mart and its parking lot.
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As a result of many people using Wal-Mart parking lots as homes, some deaths have occurred and many bodies discovered in these areas. The parking lots may be the safest places for the homeless who are attracted by Wal-Mart’s corporate policy of welcoming people based on local news (Peters, 2014). However, deaths in these parking lots as well as dangerous driving and fights have an impact on the brand’s reputation and require effective measures in addressing it (Gallop, 2018). The implication is that some shoppers may be discouraged from coming at these stores because they fear that they could be harmed by criminal elements that use the parking lots as homes at night. Imperatively, the issue has the potential to affect the organization’s efficiency and employee’s morale and attitude to work.
Organizational Efficiency
The above issue affects how the organization handles its customers and daily operations. For instance, customers will shy away from the stores because of the increased reports in the media about dangerous and criminal occurrences at these parking lots. As such, the issue can be resolved immediately at each store through the change of policy requirements that bar people from using these lots as homes. Secondly, dangerous driving by shoppers affects the ability of the employees to work effectively since they fear that they could be victims. Therefore, the store should establish speed limits, seek ways to minimize the number of vehicles that can access the parking and collaborate with security personnel to stamp out criminal suspects using the parking lots to commit crime.
References
Cain, A. (2018). Wal-mart employees dish on what it's actually like to work at the retail giant.
Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-store-employees-describe-working-retail-giant-2018-7?IR=T
Davis, T. (2016). Wal-Mart’s growing problem: Violent crimes at retailer nearing one a day.
Retrieved from https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2016/08/17/walmarts-growing-problem-violent-crimes-retailer-nearing-one-day
Gallop, J. D. (2018). Dead bodies found in parking lots at Wal-Mart stores a phenomenon.
Retrieved from https://www.theledger.com/news/20180623/dead-bodies-found-in-parking-lots-at-walmart-stores-phenomenon
Lombardo, J. (2018). Wal-Mart: Organizational Structure & Organizational Culture. Retrieved
from http://panmore.com/walmart-organizational-structure-organizational-culture
Peterson, H. (2015). Wal-Mart CEO reveals the company's 8 biggest problems. Retrieved from
https://www.businessinsider.com/wal-marts-ceo-reveals-8-main-problems-2015-4?IR=T
Peters, A. (2014). The Hidden Ecosystem of the Wal-Mart Parking lot. Retrieved from
https://www.fastcompany.com/3021967/the-hidden-ecosystem-of-the-walmart-parking-lot
