Targeted Work Class: Walmart
Targeted Work Class: Walmart
Current trends in business and technology illustrate how workers and work processes will change entirely over the near future and bear pintsized similitude to the work environment as it stands today. How employees work includes where, when, why, and with whom they work. On the other hand, Mujtaba (2020) affirms that work processes describe the means through which human resources create value for their organizations. In this respect, what are Walmart’s key work processes and employees? Walmart’s essential work process and employees are retailing and software engineers, inventory management specialists, and store managers, respectively. The components are part of the parties that will see Walmart meet its current strategic challenges, including limited inventory and market.
Work process refers to how employees make value for an organization. Employees’ value in business transpires through profits. In other words, workers’ value to an organization is helping it make profits. Walmart’s leading source of revenue; hence, profits is in-Store Merchandise Sales. The online retailer makes the lion’s share of its earnings through retail sales. For a case in point, in 2020, Walmart accrued a whopping $370 billion in retail sales, leading to a 9.26% revenue share of the total retail sales worldwide, which was $25.04 trillion in 2020 (Mujtaba, 2020). As such, Walmart’s primary work process is online retailing, also known as electronic commerce or e-commencing.
Because it is an online retailer, Walmart depends heavily on technology components to generate income. For this reason, technology personnel are some of the key workers at this organization, and the value of their salaries vindicates this point. For instance, Walmart’s software engineers earn a whopping $123,821, more than co-managers, who pocket about 58,417 (Muñoz, 2021). Other than software engineers, inventory management specialists and store managers are other essential workers behind Walmart’s profitability and sustainability. Both employees facilitate efficient retailing. For example, inventory management specialists record daily deliveries, analyze different suppliers, and evaluate new shipments. On the other hand, Muñoz (2021) demonstrates that store managers are responsible for superintending daily operations of stores, ensuring smooth and effective operation. They also motivate sales teams, create business strategies, train new staff, and develop promotional materials. Thus, these employees form the pillar of Walmart’s work processes.
Although it is a sustainable company with massive flexibility, Walmart faces tremendous strategic challenges. Foremost, while it is the biggest global online retailer with sales of about $135 billion, the business’ services are limited to only about 26 countries outside the U.S, despite sourcing merchandise from more than 100 nations (Bedford et al., 2021). The company has no stores in some of the world’s largest markets, including Germany, South Korea, India, and Russia. Secondly, Walmart retails only a limited inventory. The organization offers some but not many other merchandises, even those with high ready demands. For instance, Bedford et al. (2021) illustrate that the organization does not stock handgun ammunition, Zantac, men’s magazines, Odwalla, hot and spicy cheez-it grooves, snack subscription boxes, and recently stopped offering E-cigarettes. More so, Mujtaba (2020) argues that Walmart faces stiff competition, for example, in Canada, North America, and Mexico from brands such as Kmart, ShopKo, Soriana, Mejjer, Giant tiger, Costco, and Commercial Mexicana, among others. Walmart also suffers a poor reputation stemming from its low prices, low wages, and sexual exploitation (Philippou, 2018). One of the change priorities going into the future would be to solve these strategic challenges. Essentially, the business will need to expand into other markets globally, starting with Germany, South Korea, India, and Russia. Walmart should also expand its inventory to stock the products it does not offer today to serve all customer needs, tastes, and preferences. The business will also have to improve its prices and wages and address the sexual exploitation at its stores appropriately to enhance its reputation. Otherwise, a collapse, though gradual, will be inevitable.
Walmart will need the hands and brains of different human resources to change and meet these strategic challenges. Leadership, headed by the CEO, will obviously be critical. Outside this framework, expanding into other markets would necessitate the input of all the personnel mentioned above: software engineers, inventory management specialists and store managers. Without them, there would be no efficient website to facilitate the organization’s trademark online retailing. The company would also not have anyone to record daily deliveries, analyze different suppliers, and evaluate new shipments on the one hand and oversee daily operations of stores, and smooth and effective operation, respectively, on the other hand. Software engineers need knowledge, skills, and abilities, including brilliance in computer programming and Coding, problem-solving and logistical thinking, object-oriented design, software testing and debugging, and Software Development (Muñoz, 2021). On the other hand, inventory management specialists should boast excellent communication attributes, proficient keyboarding skills, and a good understanding of inventory control procedures. Muñoz (2021) posits that they should also be capable of working in an organized manner under minimum supervision. Lastly, store managers should be effective in communication, adaptability, sales experience, sales leadership, customer service, and people management.
Because workers need pay, compensation is another factor that dictates work processes. Walmart currently adopts a compensation strategy that uses base pay that follows the market rate. In this system, the company pays employees by their work hours. Nonetheless, the pay rates differ according to job position and working department relative to the organizational structure. The rates reflect the market because they fall within the market’s average compensation rates.
Walmart has become productive through retailing. Software engineers, inventory personnel, and store managers are some of its key workers. While it is one of the most valuable global e-commerce companies, Walmart needs constant reviews and improvements to remain profitable and sustainable.
References
Bedford, M., Cable, J., Oulicky, W., & Sanchez, C. (2021). Wal-Mart Strategic Management: An in depth analysis of Wal-Mart and its global strategic management and electronic distribution. Academia. https://www.academia.edu/28713324/Wal_Mart_Strategic_Management_
Mujtaba, B. G. (2020). Wal-Mart in The Global Retail Market: Its Growth And Challenges. Journal of Business Case Studies , 3(2). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228477402_Wal-Mart_In_The_Global_Retail_Market_Its_Growth_And_Challenges
Muñoz, B. C. (2021). 5 The Flexible Militancy of Walmart Retail Workers. In Building Power from Below: Chilean Workers Take On Walmart (pp. 108-133). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501714771-007
Philippou, M. (2018). Contemporary Issues in Management: Walmart. Birmingham Business School. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344496340_Contemporary_Iss