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Prepare a 27-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation for the senior management team based on the business problem or opportunity you described in Weeks 3 and 4.
Include on the slides what you would want the audience to see (include appropriate visual aids/layout). In the speaker notes section, include what you would say as you present each slide. If any source material is quoted or paraphrased in the presentation, use APA citations and references.
Include the following in your presentation:
- Title slide.
- Agenda slide.
- Describe the organization, with a brief description.
- Explain the business problem or opportunity.
- Analyze why the business problem is important.
- Identify what variable would be best to measure for this problem and explain why. Is this variable quantitative or qualitative?
- Apply data analysis techniques to this problem (tell which techniques should be used: descriptive stats, inferential stats, probability) and explain why.
- Apply a possible solution to the problem/opportunity, with rationale.
- Evaluate how data could be used to measure the implementation of such a solution.
- Conclusion.
- References slide (if any source material is quoted or paraphrased throughout the presentation).
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Running head: WALMART 1
WALMART 2
Negative Publicity as a Business Problem in Walmart
Name
Institutional Affiliations
Walmart Inc., which is doing business as Walmart, is an American multinational retail corporation that operates as a chain of grocery stores, discounted department stores, and hypermarkets. The corporation is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded in1962 by Sam Walton. It was formerly known as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. As at January 31, 2017 Walmart had 11,695 stores operating in 23 countries (Gereffi & Michelle, 2009). In 2016, it was ranked by Fortune 500 as the world largest company by revenue and also as largest private employer in the world. The company was traded for the first time in New York Stock Exchange in 1972 and by 1988, Walmart was the most profitable retailer in United States.
Walmart has very many problems that it faces currently. Negative publicity is one of the main problems that the company has been facing in the recent past. The company has been criticized by a number of groups because of some of its policies and business practices (Peterson, 2015). For example, the company has been faced with issues of racial and gender discrimination. The company is said to employ people of particular races and gender to work in their various stores and departments. This has brought about negative publicity for the company.
The negative publicity has also been experienced as results of practices of the company in relation to treatment of product suppliers, foreign product sourcing, the company’s security policies, use of public subsidies, and environmental practices. This negative publicity has made the company to come out denying the allegations. It is alleged that the low prices of the products sold by the retailer is a as a result of bad business practices. However, the effects of the problem of negative publicity has been felt in the sales. The company has been lagging since the many allegations were started against the company. The company in 2005, as a result of negative publicity was forced to launch Working Families of Walmart t as a counter for the allegations.
The business problem of negative publicity by the company is so important. One is because Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been a very important issue as part of the marketing strategy of business organizations. Companies and other forms of business are engaging in CSR to help market their business. The society want to see that the business they promote in terms of purchasing their products and services are as result of the betterment they bring to the society. Therefore, no company would want to be portrayed as a company that is against helping the society.
Negative publicity brings about poor sales there are customers and they are many who would not want to be associated with companies that are said to engaging in practices that are not benefiting the larger society in which the operated in. In fact, as stated earlier, the revenues of Walmart have been lagging as result of negative publicity. To show why the problem is important, Walmart has contracted another business through outsourcing to help it in management of public relations issues. Edelman is the company that has been contracted to help respond to the negative media reports. Bloggers have also been hired by the company to help in promoting activities of Walmart that shows the company cares so much about the society that it serves.
From the problem of negative publicity one research variable that can be identified is that negative publicity has affected the sales and revenues of the Walmart as a company. The company since it was founded by Sam Walton many years ago, it has been on the rise. However, since negative publicity and poor public relations management started, the company has recorded low sales and revenues as compared to what they have been making. In fact, the company has been countering the low sales and revenues with Tv advertisements that are to portray the company in a positive way. This is what brings about the conclusion that in itself is a variable, a conclusion that negative publicity has brought about lower sales and revenues.
There are two methods that can be used for collected data for research. However, for each research either qualitative or quantitative, there are suitable methods. The research variable is one that needs a quantitative data for analysis after collection of data. Some of the methods of collection that are suitable include polls, questionnaires, and surveys. This is because these methods have the ability to come up with data that can lead to numerical analysis which is the basic foundation of the quantitative research. Polls as a method will involved conducting polls on how the different negative publicity has been reacted to by the company in terms of sales and revenues. For questionnaires, data will be provided to enable the interviewee to provide numerical data which can bring about quantitative research study for this particular variable.
These methods are suitable as they are the best in collection of numerical data that brings about quantitative research. For example, in polls it will be shown how many times, incidences of negative publicity have been coincidental with reduction in sales and revenues. This is why in quantitative research, it has been concluded that correlation is very necessary as it is how inference can be made from the data collected to bring about information, which is the useful product of research.
The data collection method that have been mentioned above will generate valid and reliable data because they bring about quantitative research, which is the best for the variable that have been identified. Valid results can be generated because the data collection methods are just interested in finding out pre-existing statistical data, which is then manipulated by computational techniques to help bring about information. The variable has nothing to do with qualitative analysis such as analysis of opinions, but mainly needs collection of numerical data that has been existing to help make a conclusion.
The data collection methods can also generate valid and reliable data as it seeks to get what is already existing. Therefore, it should be noted that data should not be varied so much as it will things that already exists. This means that it can be easily be detected whether the data that have been given should be relied on or not. For example, if the data varies so much, which should not be the case for quantitative methods of data collection, then it should be known that such data is not reliable. This ability to be able to prior judge data even before analysis in itself bring about reliability.
In conclusion, Walmart has the one of the biggest retailers in United States and other countries have problems. One and the main problem currently is one that deals with negative publicity as a result of the many scandals that the company have been involved in as a result of some of its policies and business practices. This bring about a research variable that uses quantitative methods of data collection. Some of the data collection methods identified include: polls, questionnaires and surveys. These data collection methods would generate valid and reliable data as it brings about data that can be easily known to be reliable without much analysis. This is something that is very unique with quantitative research methods.
References
Gereffi, G., & Michelle, C. (2009). The Impacts of Wal-Mart: The Rise and Consequences of the World’s Dominant Retailer”. Annual Review of Sociology, (35)573–591.
Peterson, H. (2015, April 2). Wal-Mart CEO reveals the company’s 8 biggest problems. Retrieved from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/wal-marts-ceo-reveals-8-main-problems-2015-4?IR=T
Running head: WALMART 1
WALMART 2
Negative Publicity as a Business Problem in Walmart
Walmart Inc., which is doing business as Walmart, is an American multinational retail corporation that operates as a chain of grocery stores, discounted department stores, and hypermarkets. The corporation is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded in1962 by Sam Walton. It was formerly known as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. As at January 31, 2017 Walmart had 11,695 stores operating in 23 countries (Gereffi & Michelle, 2009). In 2016, it was ranked by Fortune 500 as the world largest company by revenue and also as largest private employer in the world. The company was traded for the first time in New York Stock Exchange in 1972 and by 1988, Walmart was the most profitable retailer in United States.
Walmart has very many problems that it faces currently. Negative publicity is one of the main problems that the company has been facing in the recent past. The company has been criticized by a number of groups because of some of its policies and business practices (Peterson, 2015). For example, the company has been faced with issues of racial and gender discrimination. The company is said to employ people of particular races and gender to work in their various stores and departments. This has brought about negative publicity for the company.
The negative publicity has also been experienced as results of practices of the company in relation to treatment of product suppliers, foreign product sourcing, the company’s security policies, use of public subsidies, and environmental practices. This negative publicity has made the company to come out denying the allegations. It is alleged that the low prices of the products sold by the retailer is a as a result of bad business practices. However, the effects of the problem of negative publicity has been felt in the sales. The company has been lagging since the many allegations were started against the company. The company in 2005, as a result of negative publicity was forced to launch Working Families of Walmart t as a counter for the allegations.
The business problem of negative publicity by the company is so important. One is because Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been a very important issue as part of the marketing strategy of business organizations. Companies and other forms of business are engaging in CSR to help market their business. The society want to see that the business they promote in terms of purchasing their products and services are as result of the betterment they bring to the society. Therefore, no company would want to be portrayed as a company that is against helping the society.
Negative publicity brings about poor sales there are customers and they are many who would not want to be associated with companies that are said to engaging in practices that are not benefiting the larger society in which the operated in. In fact, as stated earlier, the revenues of Walmart have been lagging as result of negative publicity. To show why the problem is important, Walmart has contracted another business through outsourcing to help it in management of public relations issues. Edelman is the company that has been contracted to help respond to the negative media reports. Bloggers have also been hired by the company to help in promoting activities of Walmart that shows the company cares so much about the society that it serves.
From the problem of negative publicity one research variable that can be identified is that negative publicity has affected the sales and revenues of the Walmart as a company. The company since it was founded by Sam Walton many years ago, it has been on the rise. However, since negative publicity and poor public relations management started, the company has recorded low sales and revenues as compared to what they have been making. In fact, the company has been countering the low sales and revenues with Tv advertisements that are to portray the company in a positive way. This is what brings about the conclusion that in itself is a variable, a conclusion that negative publicity has brought about lower sales and revenues.
There are two methods that can be used for collected data for research. However, for each research either qualitative or quantitative, there are suitable methods. The research variable is one that needs a quantitative data for analysis after collection of data. Some of the methods of collection that are suitable include polls, questionnaires, and surveys. This is because these methods have the ability to come up with data that can lead to numerical analysis which is the basic foundation of the quantitative research. Polls as a method will involve conducting polls on how the different negative publicity has been reacted to by the company in terms of sales and revenues. For questionnaires, data will be provided to enable the interviewee to provide numerical data which can bring about quantitative research study for this particular variable.
These methods are suitable as they are the best in collection of numerical data that brings about quantitative research. For example, in polls it will be shown how many times, incidences of negative publicity have been coincidental with reduction in sales and revenues. This is why in quantitative research, it has been concluded that correlation is very necessary as it is how inference can be made from the data collected to bring about information, which is the useful product of research.
The data collection method that have been mentioned above will generate valid and reliable data because they bring about quantitative research, which is the best for the variable that have been identified. Valid results can be generated because the data collection methods are just interested in finding out pre-existing statistical data, which is then manipulated by computational techniques to help bring about information. The variable has nothing to do with qualitative analysis such as analysis of opinions, but mainly needs collection of numerical data that has been existing to help make a conclusion.
The data collection methods can also generate valid and reliable data as it seeks to get what is already existing. Therefore, it should be noted that data should not be varied so much as it will things that already exists. This means that it can be easily be detected whether the data that have been given should be relied on or not. For example, if the data varies so much, which should not be the case for quantitative methods of data collection, then it should be known that such data is not reliable. This ability to be able to prior judge data even before analysis in itself bring about reliability.
In conclusion, Walmart has the one of the biggest retailers in United States and other countries have problems. One and the main problem currently is one that deals with negative publicity as a result of the many scandals that the company have been involved in as a result of some of its policies and business practices. This bring about a research variable that uses quantitative methods of data collection. Some of the data collection methods identified include: polls, questionnaires and surveys. These data collection methods would generate valid and reliable data as it brings about data that can be easily known to be reliable without much analysis. This is something that is very unique with quantitative research methods.
References
Gereffi, G., & Michelle, C. (2009). The Impacts of Wal-Mart: The Rise and Consequences of the World’s Dominant Retailer”. Annual Review of Sociology, (35)573–591.
Peterson, H. (2015, April 2). Wal-Mart CEO reveals the company’s 8 biggest problems. Retrieved from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/wal-marts-ceo-reveals-8-main-problems-2015-4?IR=T
