Strategic Analysis and Recommendations for Walmart Corporation

This report presents a comprehensive strategic analysis of Walmart, a major global retailer. It begins by evaluating the key elements that contribute to the success or failure of a business strategy, including the importance of vision, mission, and value statements, leadership buy-in, and the use of analytical tools like SWOT and PESTEL. The report then conducts a detailed SWOT analysis of Walmart, identifying its strengths (e.g., IT infrastructure, global supply chain), weaknesses (e.g., employee treatment, product quality), opportunities (e.g., expansion in developing countries, online presence), and threats (e.g., competition, political issues). Finally, the report discusses the implications of the SWOT analysis on Walmart's strategic decisions, emphasizing the need to leverage strengths, mitigate weaknesses and threats, and capitalize on opportunities to achieve long-term growth in the global retail market. The report concludes by highlighting how the SWOT analysis informs strategic decision-making.

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Management
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Table of Contents
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................3
A. Evaluation of Making Strategy Successful and Unsuccessful..........................................3
1. Importance of Vision, Mission and Value Statements in Formation of Overall Strategy
............................................................................................................................................3
2. Importance of leadership team buy-in of the strategy....................................................3
3. Use of Analytical Tools in Performing Situational Analysis.........................................4
4. Importance of having Appropriate Alignment between Strategy, People and Corporate
Culture................................................................................................................................4
a. Role of Alignment in Determining Success or Failure of Business Strategy................5
B. SWOT Analysis of Walmart.............................................................................................5
C. Implications of SWOT Analysis on Strategic Decisions of Company..............................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Task 1
A. Evaluation of Making Strategy Successful and Unsuccessful
1. Importance of Vision, Mission and Value Statements in the Formation of Overall
Strategy
The mission, vision as well as value statements play a vital role in the strategy
procedure of organization. There are major aspects in the values which is inclusive of
integrity, honesty along with proficient behavior is developed and combined in the mission
statement of what the company is regarding and the identification of mission helps in
identifying where the organization is lying in the present scenario along with conducting of
the business in the current situation (Donate & de Pablo, 2015). The values help in providing
proper direction of how the company will influence and make up to the ultimate vision.
Without the defined values, mission or vision cannot be achieved.
2. Importance of leadership team buy-in of the strategy
The leadership team buy-in aspect is moderately helpful as in this aspect the main
concern is relating to identifying to the thoughts of leaders which is not easy always as there
can be differences in preferences of the employees and the company. However, in this
process, there can be different questions which can be asked as to negotiate and listen to the
response which can be beneficial for the overall success of the firm consisting of
management and employees (Gürel & Tat, 2017). Having a proper plan and convert the
leadership is one of the essential techniques which can use marketing techniques which will
be improving the training prospects.

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3. Use of Analytical Tools in Performing Situational Analysis
The SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis are the two primary analytical tools which
can be utilized as to perform the situational analysis. The SWOT analysis is considered as the
study which is commenced by the organization as to analyze the internal strengths as well as
the weaknesses and external opportunities along with the different threats. Additionally, it is
helpful information of the strategy which will help prepare for the possible risks from the
different competitors. The SWOT analysis helps in evaluating the business environment in a
detailed manner which will help make strategic decisions for the future aspects in the
competitive market (Hallinger & Chen, 2015).
On the other hand, PESTEL analysis will help be cost-effective, along with it helps in
providing proper understanding of the business, attentiveness of the threats along with the
study of the method which will be exploiting the different opportunities. It helps the
organizations in performing the strategic kind of planning which will be essential in
expanding the business and it will be beneficial for the different business owners to make the
significant type of changes as per the different requirements that are important.
4. Importance of having Appropriate Alignment between Strategy, People and
Corporate Culture
While there is suitable alignment between strategy, people and corporate culture, it
can be identified that there will be the inclusion of flexibility and adaptability which will
allow the organization to embrace the changes and create the environment which will remain
open to production and communication (Hitt & Duane Ireland, 2017). There will be cultural
alignment in the business wherein the organization will be able to function in the
comprehensive marketplace more efficiently. The corporate culture will allow the
organization and leaders to work both individually along with teams to develop the different

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kinds of strategic initiatives within and for the company. These will be inclusive of building
new partnerships along with reestablishing the previous ones to continue in delivering the
different products and services in the competitive business environment.
a. Role of Alignment in Determining Success or Failure of Business Strategy
The alignment of strategy, people and corporate culture is helpful in analyzing both
the success along with the failure of the business strategy as organizational culture and
strategy helps in supporting and fostering the culture of partnership, unity and teamwork
which will play a significant role in serving various types of purposes which is inclusive of
the unifying the different members in the company and some rules which will be followed by
the employees who are working in the organization which are as follows:
B. SWOT Analysis of Walmart
Strengths- The company has core competence which is involvement of the use of
information technology as it will be supporting the international logistics system. The global
organizational size of Walmart has provided the business with deep pockets to fund growth
and expansion. Additionally, the global supply chain provides business resilience from the
market specific risks inclusive of disruption in local supply chains (Lasserre, 2017).
Weaknesses- Walmart has experienced numerous lawsuits which are concerning the
treatment of the employees inclusive of discrimination, unequal wages and unpaid overtime.
There is an enormous turnover among the employees at Walmart as there is lack of
motivation. Lastly, some of the products sold by them are of an inferior quality which has
reflected the brand in a poor manner (Walmart.com, 2019).
Opportunities- It has the chance to offer more western goods to the developing
countries which have disposable income, and it will be providing value for money (Singh et

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al., 2018). Walmart has the overall opportunity to expand the online store and presence which
is inclusive of emerging economies which are considered in how to perform online shopping.
Threats- As Walmart is number one due to which it is the target of many other
competitors in the market locally as well as globally. As is the number one retailer, there are
various political problems in the countries wherein the company is operating (Northouse,
2018).
C. Implications of SWOT Analysis on Strategic Decisions of Company
From the SWOT analysis, it can be analyzed that Walmart requires to prioritize using
the different strengths which will be exploiting the opportunities in the global retail market.
The weaknesses and threats of the company should be secondary priorities, and Walmart can
improve the HR management standards along with product quality standards which will
enhance the performance of the firm (Phadermrod, Crowder & Wills, 2019). The company
can continue expanding the business which will be exploiting the economic opportunities n
the developing markets. The SWOT analysis of the company helps in managing the different
strategic decisions of the organization through proper long term developments of the
globalized and increasingly online retail market.

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References
Donate, M. J., & de Pablo, J. D. S. (2015). The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in
knowledge management practices and innovation. Journal of Business
Research, 68(2), 360-370.
Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT ANALYSIS: A THEORETICAL REVIEW. Journal of
International Social Research, 10(51).
Hallinger, P., & Chen, J. (2015). Review of research on educational leadership and
management in Asia: A comparative analysis of research topics and methods, 1995–
2012. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(1), 5-27.
Hitt, M., & Duane Ireland, R. (2017). The intersection of entrepreneurship and strategic
management research. The Blackwell handbook of entrepreneurship, 45-63.
Lasserre, P. (2017). Global strategic management. Macmillan International Higher
Education.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Phadermrod, B., Crowder, R. M., & Wills, G. B. (2019). Importance-performance analysis
based SWOT analysis. International Journal of Information Management, 44, 194-
203.
Singh, M. K., Kumar, H., Gupta, M. P., & Madaan, J. (2018). A glimpse of sustainable
electronics manufacturing for India: A study using PEST-SWOT analysis. In Global
Value Chains, Flexibility and Sustainability (pp. 271-281). Springer, Singapore.
Walmart.com (2019) Walmart.com | Save Money. Live Better (online) Retrieved from
https://www.walmart.com/ [Accessed on 1 Mar 2019]