Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

Chapter 11. Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents

Sam Walton started his merchant career in 1945 as proprietor of the second-best variety store in a small rural Arkansas town. From that humble beginning, he built the world's largest retail chain. With close to 2 million "associates," Wal-Mart is by far the largest employer and, for both better and worse, one of the most powerful companies on the globe. More than 90 percent of American households shop at Wal-Mart every year, expecting the company to keep its promise of "always low prices" (Fishman, 2006).

Wal-Mart's impact is both subtle and pervasive, as is illustrated in a story about deodorant packaging. Deodorant containers used to come packed in cardboard boxes until Wal-Mart ...