What Did Sam Walton Mean?
By George Anderson
In his autobiography, Sam Walton wrote, “The folks who come after me are eventually
going to have to face up to this question. Even by thinking small, can a $100
billion retailer really function as efficiently and productively as it should?
Or would maybe five $20 billion companies work better?”
A report by Reuters questions whether size is the Achilles heel of Wal-Mart.
Is the retailer beginning to show the signs of strain with increasing contentious
relationships with associates and community activists?
Moderator’s Comment: Is Wal-Mart becoming too big for
its own good? What is the answer to Sam Walton’s question of whether five $20
billion companies might work better than a single $100 billion business?
[George
Anderson – Moderator]
