Case Discussion Q&A, Business & Society, Carroll 10e
GUIDELINES FOR CASE ANALYSIS
The following guidelines are designed to assist in the case analysis process. The Guidelines are
not intended to be a rigid format, however. Each question is intended to surface information that
will be helpful in analyzing and resolving the case. Each case is different, and some parts of
these guidelines may not apply in every case.
Following each case are discussion questions that should be answered as part of any complete
case analysis. The heart of any case analysis is the recommendations made based upon a solid
logical foundation. The questions dealing with Problem and Issue Identification and Analysis
and Evaluation should be used to define and then defend recommendations made in the final
Recommendations step.
Guidelines for Analyzing Cases
Problem and Issue Identification
1. What are the central facts of the case? What assumptions are you making about these facts?
2. What is the major overriding issue in the case? What major question or issues does this case
address that merits study at this point in the course?
3. What sub-issues or related issues are present in the case that merit consideration now?
Analysis and Evaluation
1. Who are the stakeholders in the case and what are their stakes? What challenges, threats or
opportunities are posed by these stakeholders?
2. What economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities does the company have,
and what is the nature and extent of these responsibilities?
3. If the case involves company actions, evaluate what the company did or did not do in
handling the issue affecting it.
Recommendations
1. What recommendations do you have for this case? If a company’s strategies or actions are
involved, should the company have acted as it did? What action should the company take
now? Why? Be as specific as possible. List several options as well as the pros and cons of
Case 1: Walmart: The Main Street Merchant of Doom
1. ou about the
business and society relationship?
the communities to which Walmart moves, from both an environmental and economic
perspective. Walmart has been criticized for the aggressive and even predatory tactics that it
takes with respect to local merchants. Competition is what drives Walmart, and a merchant who
2. -part CSR model. Is Walmart
socially responsible even though it has had a devastating impact on many small merchants?
cial responsibility using the four-part
CSR model:
Economic:
2010, Walmart was the largest retailer in the world with over $408 billion in sales. Its goal of
providing quality
for the company.
3. rawl, traffic congestion, and
impact on the appearance of the environment? What responsibility, if any, does the company
have to the communities in it enters?
Walmart has been condemned for its impact on communities in terms of sprawl, traffic
4. Sam Walton has been called a motivational genius. After reading this case, and with what you
have observed at your local Walmart store, do you think his motivational genius is still felt by
associates?
that Sam is no longer around to visit the stores?
Sam motivated the associat
success. He gave them ownership in the company through stock options. He posted the stock
5.
detrimental impact on merchants offset by the benefits of its recent corporate citizenship and
sustainability initiatives?
Case Discussion Q&A, Business & Society, Carroll 10e
Both the Buy America and Environment Awareness campaigns are examples of how Walmart
continues to promote corporate sustainability initiatives. The Buy American program not only
promotes the purchasing of goods made in America, but the advertising of such a program raises
awareness of this issue in the minds of the hundreds of thousands of Walmart shoppers. The use
6. Walmart continues to find resistance to its expansion into New England and some parts of the
United States. What are the true goals of the opponents of Walmart? Include a consideration of
(b) preserving the status quo (e.g., downtown
community and social fabric), (c) developing a cause that will pay their bills, (d) fighting for an
ideology, or (e) something else. What should Walmart do when it encounters resistance?
other stakeholders, specifically the government, local and global communities, its employees,
and the environment that impact its ability to expand into new areas. Opponents of Walmart fear
that while the company provides low-price alternatives to consumers, it also has the ability to
Case Discussion Q&A, Business & Society, Carroll 10e
7. With Walmart now having to close stores due to the economy and/or competition, does it have
any social responsibilities to the communities it is leaving? If so, what would those
responsibilities be?
Looking again at the model of CSR, the economic and legal responsibilities would give minimal
responsibility to Walmart in regards to its associates, customers and community. The ethical
8. When you are the largest company in the world, how do you protect yourself against the kind
of criticism Walmart has received? Does it seem that no matte
make things better?