The Corruption of Corporations

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The Corruption of Corporations
By Brooke Miller, Carrie Ruda,Jenny Suckow
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Division of Work
Research - Brooke, Jenny, Carrie Writing
Brooke, Jenny Power Point - Carrie
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Research
The data we used in our analysis was secondary
data. We used the critical approach to analyze
our data. This would include mainly the
social-conflict paradigm, but we also used
structural functionalism and symbolic interaction.
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References

• Books - Why Corporations Rule the World In Sam
  We Trust
• Internet sites
• http//www.opensewer.com/articles/retail1.htm
• http//www.theroc.org/boycott/walmart.htm
• http//www.walmartwatch.com
• http//www.walmartstores.com http//www.sprawl-b
  usters.com
• http//www.pbs.org/storewars/story.htm
  http//www.samford.edu/bllimeri/walmart

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Speaker Dr. Reardon
History of the Corporation Discussion of
Corporations Today
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Terms to Know
Corporation -a company recognized by law as a
single body with its own powers and liabilities,
separate from those of the individual members.
 Corporations perform many of the functions of
private business, governments, educational
bodies, and the professions.  Corruption- Misuse
of power for private benefit of advantage.
Capitalism- an economic system characterized by
freedom of the market with increasing
concentration of private and corporate ownership
of production and distribution means,
proportionate to increasing accumulation and
reinvestment of profits Sprawl- the urbanized
areas on the edge of a town or city that have
developed as a result of unplanned and unchecked
expansion Mom pop business- local stores
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• We recognize that many corporations follow
  certain practices, for our paper though, we chose
  Wal-Mart to concentrate on because it is an
  actual business that we deal with locally and
  there is a huge argument against the corporation
  today.

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Wal-Mart

• Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in theAmendmenth
  220 billion revenues, overtaking Exxon Mobil
  Corporation (Fortune 500). Wal-Mart, starting in
  1962 as a small discount store in Bentonville, AK
  grew to a global plague. Currently there are
  2971 open stores in the U.S. and 366 abandoned
  ones. Wal-Marts goal is to provide the consumer
  with the ultimate one stop convenience store. So
  far their available merchandise includes
  everything from health and beauty products, photo
  centers, pharmacies, travel agencies, the biggest
  music retailer, and the largest clothing seller.
  Not only this but they have more Super Centers
  that carry grocery stores than they do regular
  Wal-Marts. Now they are setting their sights on
  the auto industry. They are becoming involved in
  every aspect of our lives.

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Environment

• Many stores are built in open swamps, wetlands,
  and fertile farmland
• Corporations fail to take their environmental
  shortcomings seriously and they continue to
  create conditions that adversely impact the
  states natural resources
• Air pollution from vehicles, such as consumers
  having to drive across town, or fleets of trucks
  needfor transportation. (Wal-Mart happensto
  have the larges fleet of truck inthe World.)
• Philippines president To attract companies
  like yoursWe havefelled mountains, raised
  jungles, filled swamps, moved rivers,
  relocatedtownsall to make it easier for you
  and your business to do business here.

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Products

• Made in the USA or Buy American are often
  falsely advertised.
• Wal-Mart has been well known for this, when in
  only 20 of their clothing sold is made in the
  USA.
• Wal-Mart is also a leader in the Censorship of
  Music, which violates the everyones First
  Amendment.

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Employees

• Wal-Mart Employees- 900,000 of them- have an
  average 28 hour week- make 2-3 below the
  average retail trades- nearly 60 are considered
  at poverty level and cant afford health
  insurance- unions are always discouraged ( or
  not allowed)
• In the US the ratio of the lowest employees
  yearly wage to the CEO of a company is on average
  1309. In European countries, such as Germany
  this ratio is only 130 or so.

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Community

• The majority of Wal-Mart stores operate in towns
  of less than 12,000, drawing from other small
  local communities.
• Mainly the new stores are located on the
  outskirts of town, due to space and/or the price
  of land, and the lower taxes paid.
• Causes Urban Sprawl.
• After move in one of the biggest problems is the
  competition between big and local businesses.
  Big businesses have a pricing and advertising
  advantage.
• They often lower prices just enough to hurtthe
  local competitors, even taking a profit cut .

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• For every 2 low paying jobs Wal-Mart creates,
  the local town loses 3 well-paid jobs with good
  benefits
• Example In Iowa over a ten year period after
  Wal-Mart came to Iowa, it lost these stores555
  Grocery, 298 Hardware, 293 Building Supply, 161
  Variety, 158 Womens Apparel, 153 Shoe, 116 Drug,
  and 111 Mens

• www.pbs.org/storewars/stores2.html

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Questions to think about

• Do you believe the globalization of big
  corporation, such as Wal-Mart, is a negative
  influence on our society today?
• Do you think its right for big corporations to
  have the right to use certain practices (such as
  cheap foreign labor), and why?
• What changes do you think have happened to
  Menomonie with the expansion of Wal-Mart and the
  Distribution Center.
• Do you feel that you would change your shopping
  habits based upon the information you learned
  today?
• A consumer is benefited by a corporation. Yet
  employees and communities can be hurt by the
  corporation. When do you, as a consumer, stop
  relying on the corporation?

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Comments on solutions

• Look at past, when family and community worked
  directly for one another..the value of goods and
  services produced was shared and
  exchangedwithin communities..the result was an
  extraordinary efficient use of resources to
  meet real needs.

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Finale
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