Strategic Plan: Evaluation and Presentation

Clark (2004) defines evaluation as the process of examining a process or a program to determine what is working, what is not working and the reason why it is not working. It determines the value of training programs and learning, and acts as blueprints for improvement or judgment. Normally, evaluation is categorized in to two; summative and formative. In this assignment, formative evaluation is the ideal method of evaluation.

According to Clark (2004), formative evaluation (also called internal) is the method that judges the program’s worth during the formation of program activities or their progress. The reason for using this type of evaluation is because it permits managers, instructors, learners and designers to monitor how well the instructional objectives and goals are being met. The main purpose of this method is that it will catch deficiencies immediately to assist in taking proper interventions.

Step 1- Purpose and Scope of Evaluation

The purpose of evaluation is to establish the value and outcome of the program and finding ways to improve on the program. The evaluation scope of Wal-Mart is to dominate the retail market wherever it is present while “Saving people money so they can live better.”

Step 2 – Evaluation Questions

• How will Wal-Mart expand in the US and internationally?
• How will the company create a name recognition and customer satisfaction with its brand and associate its retailers with the reputation to offer the best prices.
• How will the company branch in to new retailing sectors like automotive repair, pharmacies, and grocery sales?
• How will Wal-Mart dominate the retail market where it is set?
• How will it maintain its mission statement “Saving people money so they can live better.”?

Question	Possible Evidence
How will Wal-Mart expand in the US and internationally?	To increase the international unit stores from 1200 while increasing the world stores from 4000 store units which are in operation. It will also increase the number of customers it serves per week.The number of employees working in Wal-Mart will also increase.
How will the company create a name recognition and customer satisfaction with its brand and associate its retailers with the reputation to offer the best prices.	It will create a positive customer satisfaction impression with Wal-Mart brand. It will assist the customer to associate it with the reputation of offering the best prices. This will be accomplished through newspaper adverts, advertising campaigns and television.Its key features in advertising will include low prices
How will the company branch in to new retailing sectors like automotive repair, pharmacies, and grocery sales?	Wal-Mart will branch in to new retailing sectors like automotive repair shop, pharmacy and grocery sales.The stores will not only expand geographically and physically but also on what it sells. Expansion will not be limited to the United States but globally.
How will Wal-Mart dominate the retail market where it is set?	Wal-Mart will dominate the retail market by its lowest price strategy It will also have a competitive advantage of every unit where every store will ferociously compete against all other stores in its customer base until the stores of the company gains dominance over all its competitors.
How will it maintain its mission statement “Saving people money so they can live better.”?	Consumers will save money through the company’s low selling prices.

Step 3 Evaluation Design

The evaluation design to use will be change design. This will determine what is currently happening by observation of the current time. This will be through a survey in one of its stores by interviewing the customers who will be shopping at the moment. Employees will also be interviewed.

Step 4- Creating the Data Collection and Action Plan

The source of data will be from customers who will be shopping in one Wal-Mart store. The other source will be from the company’s records, its employees and management. The data collection method will be activity logs and document reviews, observations, interviewing customers with open ended questionnaires. Majority of the Wal-Mart goals information will be attained from activity logs and document reviews.

Privacy and Ethical Issues

The people who will participate will be told the purpose and the use of data they will give together with privacy limits.

Step 5- Data Collection

            The type of sampling for customers and employees will be convenience sampling. This will be by selecting people who will volunteer, passing by or who are generally available. The collected data will be documented and safely stored.

Step 6 -Analysis of Data

Simple frequency counts will be used in analyzing data. This will examine the percentage of each goal’s achievement.

Step 7 -Documentation of Findings

This step will develop conclusions based on the collected data. The results will be carefully and objectively observed. The results of the findings and conclusions should be fairly and objectively documented. Documentation will be through an evaluation report.

Step 8-Disseminnation of Findings

The scope of the evaluation and the evaluation questions will assist in determining the audience of the report.

Step 9- Feedback to Program Improvement

The results, findings and conclusions should be reviewed. This will determine the gap in Wal-Mart business with improvement suggestions.

Presentation

            Hello class, we all know about Wal-Mart and I believe majority of us have shopped in at least one of its store. What makes you and any other individual shop from these stores? What captures every person’s mind is their advertisements on Television, newspaper or billboards is their mission statement, “Saving people money so they can live better” and its vision statement is “To be the best retailer in the hearts and minds of consumers and employees,”. This is one of the unique stores not just in America but in many countries that provide quality goods at affordable price. Its price friendly strategy is what’s keeps everyone to flock to their store. In this presentation I will discuss Wal-Mart’s strategic plan from inception through to evaluation.

According to Fethearstone (2015), Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was founded in 1945 and operates hypermarkets, supermarkets, supercenters, discount stores, drugstores and others. As per 20th June 2016, Wal-Mart operated e-commerce in eleven countries and 11,527 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and its headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company operates through shared values including equality, dedication to input from employees, commitment to deliver low prices goods and quick decision making. The company operates under a unique culture that was established by Walton which has turned it into an unyielding sustainable competitive advantage.

The concept and the ideas used by the company, “The Wal-Mart Way” are easily understood by competitors but hard for them to replicate and copy into their businesses. The company’s strategic direction is influenced by its stakeholders. The goals of the company include expanding its retail business to nationally and internationally, be the dominant in the retail market it is set, maintain its mission statement, “Saving people money so they can live better”, branch in to new retailing sectors and create a name recognition and customer satisfaction with its retailers.

The suppliers are the stakeholders group with lowest Wal-Mart priority while the investors have the highest priority, and the investors are the one who control the company’s strategy. Customers are the second priority group who are given the least cost possible in all products. The pricing strategy of Wal-Mart is what defines the company. Suppliers are not given priority and they sell their products to the company at the lowest possible price. The least stakeholders are the employees who are paid low wages and less or no incentives and motivation.

I believe that Wal-Mart’s unique culture has facilitated its rapid growth from one store 48 years ago to 8300 stores today. According to Featherstone (2015), Wal-Mart accomplished this by communicating its clear company values and cultural standards. This company is working on three core leadership values; serve your customers, strive for excellence and respect for the individual which are embraced and communicated to all its stores and distribution center across the world. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has a big opportunity of making itself a global force. After it realizes that each country is unique with different beliefs and customs, it will tailor the shopping experience to fit a variety of consumers. As a resultant, this will expand its accessibility and in turn increase its profits.

In the evaluation process, the goals of the company are evaluated and the achievements. The company is continuing to thrive and expand not only nationally but internationally. However the old criticism is still alive as they continue to ill-treat their suppliers and employees. The business should work on this drawback. Nevertheless, as a customer I will continue to shop from the retail due to the availability of many products under one roof and more importantly due to their pocket friendly strategy.

Thank you very much for your time

Reference

RClark, D. (2004). Types of Evaluations in Instructional Design. Retrieved from http://nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.htmleference

Featherstone, L. (2015). Wal-Mart Values. The Nation. Retrieved 15 October 2016, from https://www.thenation.com/article/wal-mart-values/