Wal Mart China Sustainable Operations Strategy - Asian...

Asian Journal of Management Cases
DOI: 10.1177/097282010900600204
2009; 6; 119 Asian Journal of Management Cases
R. Nandagopal and Ajith Sankar R.N.
Wal-Mart’s Environmental Strategy
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W
AL
-M
ART
’
S
E
NVIRONMENTAL
S
TRATEGY
R. Nandagopal
Ajith Sankar R.N.
The case looks into the evolution of environmental strategy at Wal-Mart. From being
an organization that was the target of extensive public criticism due to a number of
its corporate policies, Wal-Mart emerged as one of the most talked about green organ-
izations of the world. The case tries to explain the green initiatives undertaken by the
company that resulted in the company gaining acclaim. The case explains the impact
of Wal-Mart’s green strategy and also factors like leadership and strategy alignment
that contributed to its success.
Keywords: Green strategy, environmental strategy, corporate strategy, business
strategy, cost strategy, environment, green washing, waste, supply chain management,
value networks, sustainable development, sustainability.
I firmly believe that a company that cheats on overtime and on the age of its labour, that
dumps its scraps and chemicals in our rivers, that does not pay its taxes or honour its
contracts—will ultimately cheat on the quality of its products. And cheating on the quality
of products is the same as cheating on customers. We will not tolerate that at Wal-Mart .
1
Lee Scott, Former President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the leading company in the Fortune 500 list for 2008
2
operated 4,253 retail units in the United States and 3,355 retails units internationally.
3
The company, known for its low cost retailing strategies, operated in fourteen countries
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DOI: 10.1177/097282010900600204
This case was written by Dr Nandagopal, Director, PSG Institute of Management, India and Ajith
Sankar R.N., Lecturer, PSG Institute of Management, India.
1
Announced at the Global Responsible Sourcing Initiative Summit at Beijing, China, 22 October 2008.
2
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500
U.S. public corporations as measured by their gross revenue.