Walmart... Good or Bad?

As a professional development and networking opportunity, I attended a workshop titled Corporate Citizenship presented by Boston College’s Center for Corporate Citizenship. Corporate Social Responsibility has always been a career option for me. I believe that I can do a lot of good building mutually beneficial partnerships between the private sector and social sector. 

But, I must honestly say that today I did not necessarily fit in with this crowd. Many of the topics discussed and presented countered what I have learned in my Master’s program. Now, with any form of education there may be an element of indoctrination as each educator attempts to encourage a certain curriculum and agenda, but I think I have developed an ideology that doesn’t quite fit with the corporate world. 

For example, we when requested to write a good company and a bad company on a post it to share with others, I immediately thought of Walmart as a bad company.  Their monopoly over any small businesses, their foreign product sourcing, the discrimination suits by their employees, and the ill-responsibly made products that hamper our environment. But, from a corporate stand point, they are a successful, money making company who gives charitable donations and sustains social programs while employing thousands. Well this is true. And like most arguments, neither side is incorrect. 

Secondly, a recurring theme of the work shop revolved around people’s lack of trust in Corporate America and what a disgrace it is. Well, healthy skepticism is good right! You would never blindly trust your government. In fact it is a required duty of citizenship to question to policies and practices, why shouldn’t we do the same for Corporations? I know why we shouldn’t do the same… it wastes resources and funds, and that wouldn’t be in best practice now would it. But if companies provided more transparency and welcomed critics, companies could grow bigger clientele because good practice for humankind is a good PR for Corporate America.  Buy-cotting versus boycotting is trending right now. 

I recognize that my analysis is limited and potentially uninformed at points. I am not a market researcher and I don’t know how much money a buy-cotting product would bring in compared to an efficiently, cheap product. And even though people want to be green and protect human rights, I also recognize that people are more likely to buy out of convenience and price than for social reasons.

I have just ranted and raided because I think it is important to question information that is handed to you. But with that being said, I think corporations do have a wonderful impact on society. Their highest contribution to us is creating employment and higher standards of living. Once they accomplish those necessaries and pay their investors, many corporations feel a moral (or capitol) obligation to help their community. And does motive matter? If they do good for good, or do good for branding, aren’t they still doing good? I am readjusting a portion of my earlier stated biases; just because organizations make money, does not make them the world’s evil. Give me a chance to hang out with the corporate world, I may succeed in doing the most good with the resources a corporation can provide, or I may be disgusted by those who are only driven my money.