Ethical Ethics In Walmart

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Walmart is a global corporation that registered over $400 billion in sales in the fiscal year 2012, which means if Walmart were a country, it would be the 26th largest economy in the world. Walmart is bigger than Home Depot, Kroger, Target, Sears, Costco, and K-Mart combined. One of every four grocery dollars spent in the U.S. is spent at Walmart. Despite these staggering facts, it seems as though, for Walmart management, it is not enough. In an ongoing investigation, Walmart’s International Division stands accused of many ethics violations including bribery and lying in order to continue the growth of this mega-corporation. This paper will discuss this investigation and the ethical violations committed by these acts. The New York Times reported in 2013 accusations of widespread bribery in Walmart’s International Division, specifically about Walmart’s Mexico division. Walmart is accused of paying bribes to: build a store in a densely populated area of Mexico City without a construction license, an environmental permit, or an…show more content…
There are situations in business when decisions must be made based on the ethics of business. Examples may be a company having to close a factory, or lay-off employees in order to remain profitable. Many people in their daily lives would never think of taking away a fellow human beings livelihood, but in business, there are times when these tough decisions must be made for the greater good of the company. In Walmart’s case, failing to report these actions was not only unethical, it was unlawful. Decisions made to withhold this information served only to continue the growth of this already enormous company. If these accusations turn out to be true, Walmart has violated many rules of ethical behavior. Fairness, integrity, misuse of company resources, lying, conflicts of interest, bribery, environmental issues, fraud, and financial misconduct come to mind when thinking about this
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