Research topic

One topic that has been vital to globalization in the United States and globally in the twenty first century is Wal-Mart. To disagree that Wal-mart does not impact our global economy is crazy. Walmart serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week. Wal-Mart's international operations currently comprise 4,081 stores and 664,000 workers in 14 countries outside the United States.In 2010 the sales delivered outside the U.S. reached one hundred billion. Walmart had a fiscal year of $405 billion in sales, and Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. This number made Wal-mart number one on the Fortune 500 businesses.

My research topic or question is how does the mass globalization of Wal-mart impact the economy. For this I could look at both pros and cons of Wal-mart, both in the United States and in other courties. There is many things I can look at while also looking at the economic impact of the globalization of Wal-mart. For example, how it effects factory workers, food production, global factories, and global outsourcing. Another is the impact of shifting production to cheap labor markets overseas.

The reason I am so interested in this topic is I like how this effects the people of today and not something that has happened. The globalization of Walmart is happening, the company is growing and continues to grow every year. Another thing that interest me is how big Wal-mart actually is, and the impact it has on the global economy. Walmart that was created in 1962 grew to the number one business in fifty years.

Some smaller question I could bring up in my paper is:

· How does making production overseas effect the United States?

· What is the positives of Walmart globalizing?

· What are the negatives of Walmart globalizing?

· Why is China such important factor for Walmart?

· What countries did Walmart move to first and why?

· What does the future look like for walmart in the global perspective?

References

Fishman, Charles. 2006. The Wal-Mart effect: how the world's most powerful company really works-- and how it's transforming the American economy. New York: Penguin Press.

Smith, Hedrick, and Rick Young. 2005. Is Wal-Mart good for America? [Alexandria, Va.]: PBS Video.

Kammen, Glenn D., Robert B. Reich, Ruth Milkman, Edna Bonacich, Michael Mann, David A. Smith, Denise H. Froning, et al. 2005. Working world. Way we live : Introduction to sociology, 14. Pasadena, Calif: Intelecom.

"The Movement of Labor." New York Times 03 Aug. 2003: 7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.

Gereffi, Gary, and Michelle Christian. "The Impacts of Wal-Mart: The Rise and Consequences of the World's Dominant Retailer." Annual Review of Sociology 35.1 (2009): 573-591. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.