1. Identify and describe the major ethical issues facing Wal-Mart and the stakeholders likely to be affected.
2. Wal-Mart has been said to have excessive power in its relationship with communities. How is its manifestation of power with employees similar to or different than with communities? Which is the most serious issue? Why?
3. Are many of the allegations by employees at Wal-Mart just reflections of the changing social contract between companies and their workers? Are many of the so-called problems just the free-enterprise system at work? Discuss.
4. Regarding the various labor practices discussed in this case, do they reflect immoral or just amoral management actions?
5. Is the practice of being required to “work off the clock” an unethical practice or just “to be expected” in the modern world of work? After all, many salaried employees are expected to work “until the job is done,” no matter how many hours it takes.
6. Is it wrong for Wal-Mart to fight unionization? Sam Walton always felt the company should function as one big happy family and that unions were to be resisted. What is your evaluation of the union opposition?
7. Regarding the allegations of sex discrimination, does it sound like the company has been guilty of systemic discrimination? Do you think it is right that Dukes v. Wal-Mart will proceed as a class-action suit, or should Wal-Mart be permitted to defend itself against each charge at the store level?
8. If Wal-Mart can effectively argue that women are contributors to their plight by not applying for promotions or for seeking fewer responsibilities to accommodate family priorities, should the company be held to be in violation of sex discrimination laws because the statistics reveal differences between women and men?
9. Do you think the changes in labor practices and “charm offensive” at Wal-Mart will effectively address the issues that have been raised concerning the company?

In the past decade, the primary criticism of Wal-Mart, one of the world’s largest companies, has been its impact on communities and small merchants. Antisprawl activists and small town merchants in particular have taken issue with the company moving into their communities. In Case 1—Wal-Mart: The Main Street Merchant of Doom, these issues, along with Wal-Mart’s international growth and impact, were presented in some detail.