BATTLE OF THE DISCOUNT RETAILER: The Visionary's Secret Weapon
A Comparative Case Analysis
A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements of
Abstract
The recognized giants in today's discount retail market are Wal-Mart, Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Target, and this paper compares Wal-Mart and Target. As the competition stiffens to capture market niches, these two organizations are heading for a showdown. This work demonstrates distinctive differences in company culture, promotion within the organization, lofty goal setting, and leadership styles between these two organizations. Although this paper shows a definite competitive advantage for the Wal-Mart organization, it will also demonstrate that Target Corporation has taken some innovative steps to secure itself in the discount retail market.
Battle of the Discount Retailer: The Visionary's Secret Weapon
What makes a company great? This is one of those pithy questions--like "What is great art?" or "What is great leadership?" that defy a simple response. Are companies deemed great because they have made buckets of money, or because they have made their employees happy? Are companies great when they make an impact on Wall Street or when they make an impact on the world? As a general rule all-visionary companies jealously preserve strong, and sometimes fanatical, corporate cultures even as companies adapt to rapidly changing times. Visionary companies heavily promote ...