2009/04/06 by Gary Gereffi, Michelle Christian · 1 citation
Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · #Management and Organizational Studies #Social and Cultural Dynamics #Political Economy and Marxism
paper · doi:10.1146/annurev-soc-070308-115947
openalex publication_date 2009/04/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
Wal-Mart has been both praised and pilloried as a template for twenty-first century capitalism. Therein lies the challenge in analyzing the world's largest retailer. We examine the sociological impact of Wal-Mart in terms of four themes: its business model and organizational structure, the dual impact of Wal-Mart's labor relations in terms of its own stores and working conditions in its global supply chain, the genesis and effectiveness of community mobilizations against Wal-Mart, and how Wal-Mart's growth is linked to the emergence of buyer-driven commodity chains in the global economy. Wal-Mart underscores the value of a public sociology agenda that embraces three research criteria: the incorporation of new media and audiences, the need to go global with our research, and the ability to work for change from within.