Feckless Consumers Are We ..... Book Blog

“Consumed” by Benjamin R. Barber was clearly written to open the eyes of the reader. Our society has become consumed in everything materialistic. Barber wrote this book to expose what has become of our nation. Large companies are growing and our society is becoming more and more childish. Adult ways are an evanescent characteristic.

“ Hence the new consumer penchant for age without dignity, dress without formality, sex without reproduction, work without discipline, play without spontaneity, acquisition without purpose, certainty without doubt, life without responsibility, and narcissism into old age and unto death without a hint of wisdom or humility.”( Barber, p.7).

“Consumed” revels how the companies and advertisement have targeted this new attribute and have caused it to become increasingly worse. The ultimate goal, of the book, is not only to open the readers eyes about these materialistic truths, but also be able to slowly start changing this trend for the better of our world. Though it is hard to achieve this goal with one book, Barbers words are enough to change the ways of some. Barbers book is powerful and has strong points, the problem is people who read “Consumed” already are opened minded and trying to change their dependency on consumer produces, making his initial purpose hard to truly achieve.

Barber’s book has three different sections, all of which explain out childish ways and how we are naive to being targets of advertisement. Part one is The Birth of Consumers. This sections explains how people are tempted with desire of never having to go up, creating a consumer monster. Part two is The Eclipse of Citizens. This section explains how chicanery is used to convince the consumers they are not targets, that is if they even notice they are targets of corporations. Last but not least is The Fate of Citizens. This section explains what will become of out consumer nation if we do not change our ways. This set up is effective because it keeps the readers attention and is anything but jejune.

Benjamin R. Barber clearly spent a large sum of time researching this subject and has appeared to dedicate his time and writing to matters that need to be addressed for the better of our nation, and more importantly world. Barber has produced other works such as Jihad Vs. Mc World. He appears to be an expert on these kind of matters, making his work creditable. Though Barbers work is creditable it is also bias, showing how consumerism is hurtful, but not ways it is helpful.

“Consumed” makes points that we are becoming more childish, we are naive to being targets and what we need to do to change this enervating qualities. Mainly each point is summed up in our childish ways. Barber uses a business man as an example. Instead of coming by train, car or simply walking the man comes on a scooter and a stylish bag on his way to an important meeting, keeping himself young spiritually. The author also uses how young adults continue living with their parents to avoid paying rent or being a boring adult life. “as many as four million not-so-young adults between twenty-five and thirty-four still live with their parents in the United States, many of them middle-class.”(Barber, p.8) Point being our consumer problem comes for our feckless ways.

The book is not written for an outsiders point of view, yet the author is anything but an outside, merely and informed observer on right in the middle of the consumer situation. Barber gives facts and figures, showing what really goes on with the black whole of consumerism. He uses strong but common words to reach his readers. Barber’s sentences were either short and to the point of long and amplified to make sure the reader truly understands the severity of consumerism.

After reading this book I feel a deeper meaning of my topic. Corporations, do break human rights violations and care more about many then people, but really the problem is the dependency we have on these corporations. Not because they provide with what we need but because of out feckless, childish ways. “Consumed” helped me finally decide on how I truly feel towards Wal-Mart and I do believe that it is a deleterious company. One of the books attributes I enjoyed the most was that is was not only accusing corporations of harming people, but peoples unnecessary needs harming other people. We are to blame as much as the companies for being naïve. Though we have been brain washed to be consumers, we still need to educate ourselves on subjects such as consumerism. Though this is true and I would recommend this book to young adults mainly, I did not like how this book made me feel about myself. “Consumed” made me feel churlish towards myself. I am very much a childish naïve person, and “never want to go up” and the book pointed out that this is the main problem with our situation. Barber’s words and statistics made me feel 100% responsible for having young kids working in factories for my silly toys. However, I believe the blunt information is key to changing what needs to be changed. Having said that I do believe that anyone will to educate themselves should be educated on subjects like consumerism, not just Math, English and Science. I would recommend it to high school seniors with ambitions to change the world, like we all think we and we alone can. I would recommend “Consumed” to college kids who have finally stepped out into the real world and are suppose have responsibilities. I would recommend it to parents with young children so they can help stop the viscous consumer cycle. Also I would recommend it to older citizens to remind them that their lives where not always revolving around what they bought that day. Anyone and everyone could take something important away from Benjamin R. Barber’s book “Consumed”. All they need is an open mind and ability to read. I enjoyed this book and it concluded my research on corporations, such as Wal-Mart, perfectly.

Reflection Blog

Though at time researching Wal-Mart could be jejune and repetitive I learned a lot in my quest for information. I learned the history of Wal-Mart. I also saw the good and bad the corporation contains.

The history of Wal-Mart was fairly interesting. I learned about Sam Walton and what he had to go through to open the company. Walton started out as a manager for other retail stores and took what he learned to form his own idea of what a auspicious store should be contain. He opened the first store in the sixties, but Walton was not the only discount store that began in the sixties. K-Mart and Target also had the idea of having what the people of America wanted with low prices, and one stop shopping. This makes one think, they all started at the same time, so why is Wal-Mart controversial and K-Mart and Target are not?

The Wal-Mart corporation has been accused of human rights violations in and out of the country. At first this information was harder to find, but once I was looking in the right places the information was hard to avoid. After reading the articles that address this subject I am very convinced that the accusations are correct. I feel that the larger the corporation the less people with in the corporations care about the customer. It seems the important thing to them is how quick and cheap they can produce their products. Though I believe Wal-Mart is a belie and somewhat evil corporation I also believe that originally the intent of making things more adorable was for good not evil.

Also in my research I found articles trying to restore faith that Wal-Mart is kind hearted. Though the good things they do are kind heart and can be beneficial, I believe the attempt of these good deeds is simply to make sure the Wal-Mart name is not tainted.

All the information I have found has informed of what I had set out to learn. Though I do not believe Wal-Mart should be shut down, I now feel that it is important for people to educate themselves on the subject. I also intend on not shopping at the store until I feel they are trying to mend their ways. This research blog was very informative and I am glad I choose this subject because it kept me interested from day one.

Choice Blog .....Letter to Employee

I decided to write another letter for this weeks blog. I did this because I would like to get the point of view of an employee. The information the employee can provide me with will hopefully be the most honest and straight forward out of all the information I have research. On the other hand it may not be helpful because chances are they wont reply, but it never hurts to try.

　

　

　

Dear Wal-Mart Employee,

I have been researching Wal-Mart and have learned of the human rights violations, such as not giving workers benefits and not allowing them to from unions. I was wondering if you feel these accusations against Wal-Mart are out of line. If so in what ways do you suggest the company could and or should change the work environment for the good of the workers.

I recently wrote a letter to Mike Duke, Wal-Mart CEO, suggesting that he should allow unions and give proper benefits. I would like to know if that is something that would actually improve your job or if it even concerns or affects you? Another question I have for you is if Wal-Mart is just a temporary job? I ask this because a view of the articles I came across during research explained that Wal-Mart’s lack of unions and benefits is because the company is creating temporary jobs not careers. Also I find when an employee is only working for a place for a small period of time they do not worry or concern themselves with the problems, because it is simply not a worth will battle.

I would like to hear back from you clearing up the questions I have not been able to answer through other research. I would also like to inform you that these questions are just to give me full understanding of what really goes on with the Wal-Mart corporation and will not be relayed to others if you feel that is not anyone else’s business. Thank you for you time.

Sincerely,

　

Brook Reynolds

Annotated Bibliograph

Mercer, Chris. "Coca-Cola facing storm on human rights." Food Ingredients - Yeast, Sweeteners, Food fibers, Flavors. 16 Jan. 2006. 24 Oct. 2009 http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Coca-Cola-facing-storm-on-human-rights.

This article is from a website and is about the charges against the Coca-Cola company. They have been charged with abusing human rights in third world countries. Other concerns about Coca-cola's factories in other countries is the pollution it is causing, putting those outside of them at risk as well. Coca-cola denies these accusations, but some universities and schools across the nation have stopped selling Coca-cola products because of the charges against the company.

This source was useful because it shows other controversial corporations. This source also has similar violations that Wal-Mart has against them. The information is well researched but is also biased trying to get people to boycott or at the very least see the flaws of the Coca-cola company. This is not the only source in the bibliography that tries to revel the evils of a large corporation.

Though this source is not about Wal-Mart it does fit under the umbrella of my topic, which is corporations. Though this was the only research I have done on the Coca-cola company it helps me understand why large corporations are controversial. This source is also helpful because it teaches you to read the information with an open mind, so you are able to get the true story and not just what you want the website to say. After reading the article it shows me the trend of the larger the company the more it cares about money and making the product quick and easy rather then the people they are selling to.

Plawiuk, Eugene W.. "JUST DO IT! BOYCOTT NIKE." Yahoo! GeoCities: Get a web site with easy-to-use site building tools.. 24 Oct. 2009 http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/5232/edmonton.htm.

This website is about the Nike companies human rights violations. Similar to Wal-Mart and Coca-cola they abuse the lack of human rights laws in other countries. The article explains the accusations and how Nike has also admitted to the evils they have committed. Yet the article still tries to get reader to boycott the company because they continue to violate natural human rights.

Again this source was helpful, like the Coca-cola website, because it shows why the company has so many people against the product. It was also useful because it shows people what is important to larger companies. Like many of the other sources it is biased trying to make the reader feel one way or another about companies such as Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and Nike. Though it is bias the information seems reliable and well researched.

This website fits into the subject of corporations because it is reveling the inner workings of how several of the corporations in this generation. It is still useful because it is other source displaying one side of the situation, which helps me present everything possible about corporations so people can form their own educated opinions. This source has helped me form my opinion as well.

Scarton, Bennie Jr. Manassas Journal Messenger (VA); 10/06/2009 Article 2W63669439326

This website article is about how Wal-Mart benefits people. The article explains how opening new Wal-Marts gives the local community more money because it supplies people with jobs they need and has all supplies needed. The article was short because it was just explaining why the community would benefit from the new Wal-Mart being built in Manassas, VA.

This article was useful because it shows the beneficial side of Wal-Mart. Other sources also show the go side of Wal-Mart but so far I have only explained the bellicose views of corporations. The information is reliable because it is just explaining why people should be happy for the new Wal-Mart but is also bias because it is only showing what good could come.

This was helpful to me because it gives people more information, with a different view, so they can decide for themselves their view on Wal-Mart. Also giving me another source to read with an open mind getting both sides of the story.

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/lif_wal_sto_num_of_sup-lifestyle-walmart-stores-number-supercenters

This website is of a graph showing the number of Wal-Marts in each state. Texas with the most and Vermont with none.

It was useful because it displayed which areas have higher supply and demand and also which areas like or dislike the corporation. This source however, is different from any of my other sources because it is the only one that is statistics and is not bias towards or against Wal-Mart. The information is also one of the most reliable because it is simply data of how many stores are around the nation.

This did not really help form an opinion or change my view. Yet it still fits the subject because it is a representation of Wal-Mart. Even though it was not necessarily helpful, it was still an interesting graph to see.

"US: Wal-Mart Denies Workers Basic Rights Human Rights Watch." Home Human Rights Watch. 30 Apr. 2007. 26 Oct. 2009 .

This website article is about the human rights violations happening in our own country in the Wal-Mart stores. It explains how works get no benefits and are unable to form unions. Throughout the article it explains how unfair this is an workers are scared by the company so they will not stand up for themselves for fear of law suits of loss of job.

This source is not entirely reliable because the store seems to have found away of not actually breaking any human rights laws but gives the employees the least amount possible, meaning that some of the statements in the article may be a little stretched from the truth. The source like almost all others is bias, yet still useful in my goal of trying to show both sides of the corporation. Overall the goal of the source it to be able to speak up for the employees that are unable to, getting them the rights they deserve.

It fits my subject because it is about how the corporation operates, and shows the flaws of Wal-Mart. It also can be used for people to understand the company and why one may boycott it. This article has made me think more about my feelings towards the corporation because it is a situation I can easily put myself in and relate to.

" Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.." Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.. 10 Oct. 2009 .

This is the official Wal-Mart website. It was used to give the history of Wal-Mart. The article explains how and why Sam Walton began Wal-Mart. It explains the growth and initial ideals of the company, and what Sam Walton went through to get the company started.

This website is entirely bias because it will only show the good side of Wal-Mart. It is also one of the most reliable because they history is going to be the most accurate. It is different from my other sources because it is not flat out trying to persuade you against or for Wal-Mart it is simply giving you information on how the store began, at least the article I read.

It was one of the most useful websites because it gave readers and myself an infrastructure we needed to understand all the other information given in the overall research. The history also helps form the readers opinion because it gives Wal-Mart a feeling of good intentions. I would say no one article has truly formed my opinion on Wal-Mart but all the sources gives me a pretty good idea of how I feel about the company.

Recent Article About Wal-Mart

The process of finding an article was jejune, until I found one restoring some faith in Wal-Mart. Was can be portrayed as an evil corporation and in many cases is. However these article "'Shop with a Cop' for kids returning this December" shows how Wal-Mart is capable of good. In Oroville, California Wal-Mart asks local schools to nominate six auspicious students who tent to be economically deprived. The students then are paired up with local police and recieve a $50 dollar shopping spree. The students can spend the money on anything and anyone they choose. The day also includes pictures with santa, gift wrapping services, and lunch all provided by Wal-Mart. This event is possible because of donations. This year the students will be shopping on December 9th. It is nice to see Wal-Mart is capable of good deads.

Bibilography
'Shop with a Cop' for kids returning in December." Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2009.

Letter to Wal-Mart

Dear Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke,

I am aware you receive many letters addressing your human rights violations. I would like you to take a moment to truly feel the emotions one might have about these violations. Picture a hot crowded factory, similar to one you would see in the progressive era. While looking around this factory you see your mother slaving away. Though she is elder she looks withered beyond her years. She may not look miserable but she does not look fulfilled or happy. The work she is doing is only for survival, yet it is the main aspect that drives her to her grave. No one wants that for a loved one.
So a simple solution to these accusations would be to give workers what they deserve. Let them form unions and give proper benefits. I am sure you get a holiday bonus, and you deserve it, just as employees deserve more. For the over seas human rights violations, simply make a safer environment and a reasonable wage. This will not only improve employee happiness and better workers, it will improve Wal-Marts name. These actions will create even more customers, overall being beneficial for everyone involved. Any business man likes the sound of that. I do believe that these changes are as simple as I have put them.Along with that, recently I watch a movie showing Wal-Mart switch to organic products, so I know the company is capable of change for the better. Plus from what I have learned Wal-Marts initial intents and ideals are for the better, restore what Sam Walton had intended. Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,



Brook Reynolds

Wal-Marts Great Debate

These articles have bias for and against Wal-Mart, but reading both gives readers a chance to form their own opinions on the corporations ways. " Wal-Mart Benefits Americans" supports why the company may have been accused of several things. Where as " Wal-Mart Harms American" amplifies the common accusations against the large corporation.



The article "Wal-Mart Benefits Americans" starts out stating all the accusations that have been made against the company. Such as, low benefits for employees, over seas labor, not giving back to the community, and being over sized. Then the article proceeds to defend why these are false or misconstrued accusations. One argument the article uses against the corporation being to big is that most Americans are attracted to big things. This excuses the over size aspect. Another point "Wal-Mart Benefits Americans" has is how Wal-Marts size helps give the community members more work. Which also shows how Wal-Mart has the community in mind. As for the employee benefits the article defends Wal-Mart management by pointing out "Wal-Mart is not unlike any other retailer in the respect that, for the most part, provides jobs not careers." (De Coster) This statement show that Wal-Mart benefits are not the highest quality because they are just trying to supply jobs for people to get on the right track, not supply a life long career with the proper benefits. " Wal-Mart Benefits Americans" defends the corporation and why people should not be so quick to boycott the company.


"Wal-Mart Harms Americans" revels the flaws or common accusations of Wal-Mart. One example being human rights violations. The article explains how workers are not able or discourage workers unions. "Wal-Mart's labor law violations range from illegally firing workers who attempt to organize a union to unlawful surveillance, threats, and intimidation of employees who dare to speak out..." (Miller). Also in the article Miller explains the low wages and how the low prices actually hurt the community. The corporations low prices cause taxpayers to have to pay more " because Wal-Marts wages are generally non-living wages, the company uses taxpayer to subsidize its labor costs." (Miller) Both of these examples show how Wal-Mart is harmful and violates human rights.

Both articles show the views of why Wal-Mart is beneficial or not to the American people. Although both articles have a churlish essences among the writing, hopeful after getting a brief idea of what the articles are trying to prove it is easier for one to determine their own point of view on the controversial corporation.

Wal-Mart Super Stores Graph

Stores such as Wal-Mart have been around for several decades, but recently they have morphed into super stores. With going green and human rights violations that store commit some may think these up scale super stores are poppycock. The graph in a way shows this. Vermont which is one of the green friendly states has zero Wal-Mart super centers. Also California, another green friendly states has seventeen, one of the smaller numbers. Where as in Texas, where everything is better when bigger, has 259 Wal-Mart super centers. These extremes on the graph are not surprising. Other states with a large amount of super centers are: Florida and Georgia with over a hundred, Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Indiana Virgina, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Illinois, and South Carolina with over fifty. These statistics are not very surprising and quite jejune. Although the nice thing about a graph such as this the information is not bias.

Movie Review of Employee of the Month

"Your going to try being employee of the month?" This was the reaction of character Zack Bradley when he tells them he is going to be employee of the month. He decides to compete for the title against Vince who has been emloyee of the month for seventeen months before. The reasoning behind this is to get the attention of the a new beautiful co-worker.
The movie Employee of the Month is an entertaining comedy about what it is like to work for a large corporation. The movie makes working for a big company fun and benefical. Instead of showing how coprorations violate human right,it shows the day to day job someone working for companies would encounter. Employee of the Month displays working for corporations in a churlish way, with the humor involved. Employee of the Month is a comedy. Personally I would agree. The movie has several funny moments. The overall concept of two employees competing to be employee of the month to win over the attention of a beautiful girl, is entertaining itself. The writers used this plot to their advantage adding several humors jokes, and situations. However like other comedies there is a part in the film that slitly loses the interest of the view.
Employee of the Month shows the life of a company worker in a humorous way. The movie does not try to display the evils of a corportaion, or try to make corporations look appling. The purpose is merly entertaining. I would suggest the movie to others for plesurable movie view but not informative viewing.

Recap

At the beginning of the year we where all told to choose a subject that we would not get bored of by semester. When then started a blog on the subject and have had a weekly assignment relating to our subject. I decided to blog about corporations. Which then turned more specifically into Wal-Mart. I choose Wal-Mart because in several different conversations when Wal-Mart comes up, I have notice the churlish disposition people have towards the company. This made me wonder why is Wal-Mart the evil corporation, why not Disney which is also a very large company? So I began my search for Wal-Marts evils.
First I research Wal-Mart in general. I found the man behind the madness, Sam Walton. Sam Walton created Wal-Mart in the sixties after already managing other shop and save type stores. I also learned that the company had a slow start but in one decade spread like wild fire. After learning about Wal-Mart through their belie websites I was ready to find the dark side that caused people to boycott the company. I found that Wal-Mart does not give their workers in any country the rights they deserve. Other corporations also lack human rights but tend to do it in third world countries, such as Coca-Cola and Nike. Since they violate human rights in other countries people are not as aware of the wrongs and that is why Wal-Mart is the first to roll of the tongues of those discussing evil corporations.
Overall I have found the information I have looking for. I discovered Wal-Marts feckless ethics. Along with the history of the corporation. After learning about both sides I do not feel much different towards Wal-mart, I never really liked the store. Now knowing how they treat their workers all over the world, I avoid the corporation knowing I can get what I need else where.

Controvesial Corporations

Throughout the blog I have mentioned that Wal-Mart is a controversial corporation, but have not had information to back it up. This week I researched other controversial companies. Nike, Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola are controversial companies because of their human rights violations.
One company that is controversial is Nike. Nike it taking advantage of workers the third world countries. First, Nike moved their factories to cheap labor countries.“While Nike workers in the U.S. were paid between $8 to $11 an hour, Nike found it more profitable to go where the pay was $2.60 for a ten hour day such as in Indonesia. Of course the price for their shoes did not decline correspondingly.”(Plawiuk) . The corporations’ product did not go down in expenses, yet they pay women in Vietnam less than minimum wage, children in Pakistan six cents an hour and any workers who try to form unions are arrested, explains Plawiuk.
Nike is not the only big name company we know of that violates human rights. Coca-Cola is yet another controversial company. Coke denies the accusations of violation human rights. However, it has been pointed out by author Chris Mercer that the pollution from the factory is contamination the ground water in India. On a more intense level Coke has been accused of murders in Columbia Coke companies. “the alleged intimidation and murder of union workers from its bottling plants in Colombia” (Mercer). These accusations have caused schools, one of which being New York University, to ban Coca-Cola products. It has also brought up website and groups trying to revel the evil behind the company, such as killercok.org. Yet Coke is still a large successful corporation, similar to Wal-Mart and Nike.
Wal-Mart has a similar human violation, but the corporations violations do not only occur in other countries. Wal-Mart opposes workers unions. The corporation holds meetings to scare the workers out of forming unions, as the article US: Wal-Mart Denies Workers Basic Rights explains. Wal-Mart threatens workers they will lose other benefits if they are to create a union. However, Wal-Mart uses witty circumlocution to deny all the accusations by Human Rights Watch.

These three companies are denying workers all over the world of basic human rights. After researching it is understandable why people have a churlish disposition towards the corporations. Unfortunately not enough people know of the violations Nike, Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola are committing so they are still large corporations. Still, people are trying to inform others causing Wal-Mart, Nike and Coca-Cola to be controversial.


Bibliography
Mercer, Chris. "Coca-Cola facing storm on human rights." Food Ingredients - Yeast, Sweeteners, Food fibers, Flavors. 16 Jan. 2006. 24 Oct. 2009 http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Coca-Cola-facing-storm-on-human-rights.

Plawiuk, Eugene W.. "JUST DO IT! BOYCOTT NIKE." Yahoo! GeoCities: Get a web site with easy-to-use site building tools.. 24 Oct. 2009 http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/5232/edmonton.htm.

"US: Wal-Mart Denies Workers Basic Rights Human Rights Watch." Home Human Rights Watch. 30 Apr. 2007. 26 Oct. 2009 .

Wal-Mart Survey

My survey was to know how students at our school view Wal-Mart. On the survey the questions were when was the last time you went to Wal-Mart? I asked this because it gives a somewhat of an idea on how often students go to Wal-Mart. Another question was, what are your feelings towards Wal-Mart? The options being, it’s great, whatever and it’s an evil corporation. The reason this question was asked was to see how high school students view Wal-Mart. The next question was also to get an idea of how high school students feel about the company. The question was, do you prefer Wal-Mart or target?
The results came out as I had anticipated. Nine out of ten students say the go to Wal-Mart sometimes and one male student said they knew the store well. Three out of ten said they preferred Wal-Mart instead of target. The students who preferred Wal-Mart were all male. Five of the seven who said they preferred were female. Seven of ten students feel indifferent about Wal-Mart , four of which were male. Two female students feel that Wal-Mart is an evil corporation, and one male student loves Wal-Mart. Eight out of ten students have not gone to Wal-Mart in the last couple of months, and two said they had been there recently. Four of the eight were female.
Now that we have covered the lovely data from the survey it is time to interpret the numbers. The data came out just as I had expected. Students feel indifferent about Wal-Mart having heard that it is not an honest corporation. Also Wal-Mart is in Glenwood, so students who do go to Glenwood for shopping tend to go for higher quality merchandise. The students who seem to be in favor of Wal-Mart I believe were being belie. However only a few students are supportive and a few feel that other corporations are ethically better than Wal-Mart.
This survey did not give me any new ideas of what to write about. As I have said in earlier blogs I would like to show both sides of Wal-Mart. I am not trying to enervate Wal-Mart, I would personally like to learn more about the company so I can form an educated opinion. I would also like to teach other students about the corporation so they can form their own opinions as well.

How reliable is my source?

The website I used is undoubtedly reliable. Since Wal-Mart is an auspicious company their website is nicely laid out to present themselves well. The page has Wal-Mart friendly colors and their logo left justified, making it look extremely professional. The inviting layout intrigues customers to learn more about Wal-Mart's product and employees. As a matter of fact this website is where I found my background information. It was easy to find information about history, employees and what someone may be looking for. I trust the that the website is accurate, because when doing my research I found it was the most detailed. I also have notice that it is updated daily with needed information. Plus, Wal-Mart itself is clearly the creator of the site. This causes it to be reliable but bias. The site is bias because it is created by the company, so they are only going to update it with information making them look anything but churlish. Wal-Marts website has ten tabs in which you can find information all about the corporation. The ten subjects are: home, about us, facts and news, health and wellness, careers, community and giving, diversity, sustainability, Investors, suppliers. When looking through the site these tabs and there content present Wal-Mart as a wonderful company, but some may say the website is full of belie information.
Although the website is a bias source, the information is bowdlerized but reliable, the site is professionally designed, accurate and credible. Wal-Marts website will also be useful for compare and contrast later in the blog when readers will learn of the other side of the corporation.
　
Bibliography
" Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.." Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.. 10 Oct. 2009 .

Whats Going On Currently With Wal-Mart

Fun Fact: Wal-Mart changed there logo design in 2008. Wal-Mart like many others have been effected by the recession, however this does not stop them. Though the recession but a delay in the project, currently in Manassas VA Wal-Mart is adding a bigger store. Manassas already has a Wal-Mart, but as you know our society seems to always go for bigger and better. Though it almost seems ridiculous,the opening of the new Wal-Mart will offer more jobs for locals. "The store plans to employ about 500 workers." ( Scarton). Of course all the new opening is helpful because of the jobs it offers, but is it necessary? Wal-Mart at the moment has plenty of stores and plenty of money. "Walmart Stores Inc. has 8,100 retail locations under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2009 sales of $401 billion, the firm employs more than 2.1 million worldwide." (Scarton). My question is how much is to much?


Personally was hoping to find a source that shows the good bad and ugly of Wal-Mart. It is commonly stated that Wal-Mart is somewhat of an evil corporation, but I have yet to find any information on this. So my goal before the end of the semester is to be able to show both sides of Wal-Mart. That way others and myself are able to form our own opinion on the store and other large corporations.

Bibliography

Scarton, Bennie Jr. Manassas Journal Messenger (VA); 10/06/2009 Article 2W63669439326 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W63669439326&site=src-live Newspaper Source

History Of Wal-Mart

The first Wal-Mart opened 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas, but the story starts before that. Sam Walton started out as a normal retail man. In the mid forties he ran a Ben Franklin store in Newport Arkansas, but was later moved to Benton Ville Arkansas. Walton then renamed the store to Walton's Five and Dime under the Ben Franklin "umbrella", during the fifties. During this time there where many competitive discount retailers, despite what people believe. Most people see Kmart, Target and Wal-Mart as the founders of discount retail. As most discount retailers wanted, Sam wanted to give the customs merchandise for cheaper, so before he opened Wal-Mart Walton traveled the country absorbing everything about competitive retail he had not already acquired from experience. Seeing as Target and Kmart opened in 62 also, Walton’s research was the perfect antebellum in the retail world. His preparation paid off in the end.The company started out slow. Wal-Mart had fifteen stores by 1972, but by the end of the seventies expanded to 276 stories in eleven states. This lead to the opening of Sam's Club in 83 and the first super center in 88. The super center contained thirty-six general merchandise departments, including a full grocery section. Sales sky rocketed from 1 million in 1980 to 32 billion dollars.
The acumen Sam had for the corporation world truly paid off, giving him the largest corporation, and constant income. Walton wanted his business to revolve around the customers.
"… if you think about it from the point of view of the customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; and a pleasant shopping experience. You love it when a store exceeds your expectations, and you hate it when a store inconveniences you, gives you a hard time, or pretends you're invisible." Said by Sam himself in his autobiography.
Because of this Sam Walton has had major success. Wal-Mart has survived for over forty years and seems to continue growing.

Intro

Corporation-- any group of persons united or regarded as united in one body.
The top ten corporations in America are Wal-Mart Stores ,Exxon Mobil , Chevron , General Motors , ConocoPhillips , General Electric ,Ford Motor , Citigroup, Bank of America Corp., AT&T.
Our lives seem to be run by corporations. We get our cloths, our food and to an extend our thoughts from corporations around us. One being Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, is the most talked about and boycotted corporation. My goal is to find out why some corporations pose moral problems for people while others do not., such as Target or Disney. Also what good and bad thing come out of corporations