Wal-Mart's Reputation, and the Actions Term Paper

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Furthermore labor laws in terms of the international workforce have been entirely ignored, as workers are paid less than half of minimum wage in China, for example. This is earned for shifts of 16-20 hours per day (Hightower, 2002).

Public knowledge of such practices has become so prominent that citizens are opposing Wal-Mart's expansion even in the face of its promise to cut prices lower than any of its competitors. Apparently the ethics of the average American citizen are higher than that of Wal-Mart (McKay, 2004).

The proposed superstore in Los Angeles would cover about 25 acres and employ 600 workers. Of course the surface benefit of this is both job creation and lower prices for goods. Yet the deeper truths have become too prominent to be ignored.

Wal-Mart's success on the other hand is indicative of the state of the American workforce, which is impoverished to a state where they are forced to look for the lowest prices, regardless of ethics and morals. Wal-Mart itself perpetuates this, as even their American full-time workers are paid little over minimum wage, and their foreign workers receive below minimum wage, in addition to no health protection or benefits (McKay, 2004).

The cycle is perpetuated by Wal-Mart's practice of buying offshore for the cheapest possible prices, thus at the same time encouraging foreign sweatshops and undermining American jobs and wages.

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American workers are thus forced to lower their standard of living and of working as a result, accepting lower wages with fewer benefits in order to benefit large corporations such as Wal-Mart (McKay, 2004).

The fact that corporations such as Wal-Mart are fed by impoverished labor forces results in an increasing gap between rich and poor, and even rich and the middle classes (McKay, 2004). The diversity of the economy in terms of small businesses and people-focused retailing is thus undermined. The unfair labor practices of Wal-Mart thus affects not only its own profit margins, but the income level of an entire nation, while also spreading its toxic influence abroad. The corporation thus remains in business as a result of those who have little choice but to take the offer of lowered prices, regardless of non-existent ethics.

The inability of Wal-Mart to keep its unfair labor practices under wraps has resulted in a general public disdain for its practices and philosophy. The increasing knowledge that the public has gained about Wal-Mart's labor practices Indeed, many consumers have made the decision to avoid Wal-Mart after learning of the company's practices (Hightower, 2002). One manifestation of this feeling is the public resistance of the company's.....

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