Wal-Mart World: World's Biggest Corporation In The Global Eco

Description:
Now that Wal-Mart has conquered the US, can it conquer the world? As 'Wal-Mart World' shows, the corporation is certainly trying. For a number of years, Wal-Mart has been the largest company in the United States. Now, though, it is the largest company in the world, its global labor practices and outsourcing strategies represent for many what contemporary economic globalization is all about. But Wal-Mart is not standing still, and is opening up stores everywhere. From Germany to Beijing to Mexico City to Tokyo, more than a billion shoppers can now hunt for bargains at a Wal-Mart superstore. 'Wal-Mart World' is the first book to look at this incredibly important phenomenon in global perspective, with chapters that range from its growth in the US and impact on labor relations here to its fortunes overseas. How Wal-Mart manages this transition in the near future will play a significant role in the determining the character of the global economy. 'Wal-Mart World's' impressively broad scope makes it necessary reading for anyone interested in the global impact of this economic colossus.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part I: Corporation History and the American Experience 1. Northwest Arkansas: The Home of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 'Tom Graff '2. 'Reading' Wal-Mart's Success Through the American Experience: Mixes of Frontierism, Consumerism, Grassroots Entrepreneurialism, Rural Renaissance and Globalization, 'Fred Shelley, Jerry Webster' and 'J. Clark Archer Part' 'II: The Corporation' 3. Global Production Networks and Local Distributors: Wal-Mart and the Logistics of Production, 'Edna Bonacich '4. The Wal-Mart Nexus: Corporate Elites and Networks, 'Jeffrey Kentor '5. Wall Street and Wal-Mart: Overcoming Headquarters Isolation To Finance the Creation of the World's Largest Retailer, 'William Graves '6. The Wal-Martization of the U.S. Food Industry, 'Neil Wrigley '7. Wal-Mart Supercenter Market Share in Grocery Retailing the U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 'J. Dennis Lord '8. Women Workers at Wal-Mart, 'Ellen' 'Rosen Part III: Globalization '9. Wal-Mart's World, 'Steve Burt' and 'Leigh Sparks '10. The Geopolitics of Global Business: Wal-Mart and the Wider World, 'Peter' 'Hugill '11. Retailers of the World Unite: What Happens When Retailers Rule the World?, 'Rich Applebaum '12. Wal-Mart, Inc., gov.: Far Eastern Tales of Consumer-Led Democracy, 'Chris Webster' and 'Shin Lee '13. Penetrating the Emerging Markets: The Entry and Expansion of Wal-Mart in China, 'Shunguang Wang, Yongchang Zhang' and 'Wei' 'Li '14. Consuming Wal-Mart: A Case Study in Shenzhen, 'Lucia Lo' and 'Lu Wang '15. Challenges Facing Wal-Mart in the German Market, 'Susan Christopherson '16. The Myth of Wal-Martization: Retail Globalization and Local Competition in Germany and Japan, 'Yuko Aoyama' and 'Guido' 'Schwarz '17. Wal-Mart in Mexico: A Retail Sector in Transition, 'Chris Tilly Part IV: Controversies and' 'Conflicts '18. Is Wal-Mart the New Standard Bearer of Industrial Relations in America?, 'Jennifer Bair' and 'Sam' 'Bernstein '19. Wal-Mart as a Legal Strategy, 'Lea' 'Vandervelde '20. Is Design Review an Effective Tool in Shaping Wal-Mart To Fit the Inner City Setting?, 'Jane S.' 'Brooks '21. The Resistance of Rural African-American Communities to Wal-Mart Developments, 'James H. Johnson,' 'Jr. Part V: Consumerism and Popular Culture '22. The Institutional Semiotics of Wal-Mart's Retail Internationalization, 'Stephen Arnold '23. Cathedrals of Consumption: Commodity Signs and the Walmartization of Consumer Consciousness, 'Barney Warf '24. Marketing, Advertising, and Local Community Relationships in Wal-Mart's Expansion, 'Alecia Brettschneider '25. Wal-Mart as a Country Store: A Case Study in Folk Culture and Globalization, 'Don Zeigler '26. Wal-Mart and the Rural Landscape, 'Holly Barcus '27. Finding the Heart of America in the Aisles of Wal-Mart: Where the Heart Is as a Popular Culture Discourse, 'Deborah Dixon '28. Photoessay on Wal-Mart, 'Emily Corbato'