Wal-Mart ( 2007 )

wal-mart, one of the largest retailers and employers in the world, has surged to the top of the business world through its various control mechanisms. Its market power, 2nd mechanism, third mechanism, and fourth mechanism, are essential to its success, but there are also some negatives to deal with. The very things that have made wal-mart successful have also made the store a target of immense criticism and attacks from activists and even politicians. wal-mart may be as hated by others as it is loved by its customers, but nobody can deny its success. That success, however, is dependent on the goodwill of consumers, so wal-mart has begun to make some moves to shore up its public image. Despite these efforts, many of which smack of PR initiatives rather than pro-social change, wal-mart continues to be harshly criticized. As far as the development of a "balanced scorecard", (see Kaplan and Norton, 1992) wal-mart has a long way to go.