Week 6 Discussion 1 - Wal-Mart's Sustainability Strategy Case Question #6: Should Wal-Mart’s environmental efforts be evaluated by how much they have accomplished, or by how much they have...

Running Head: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

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Evaluation of Wal-Mart’s Environmental Efforts
Evaluation of Wal-Mart’s Environmental Efforts
Wal-Mart, a US based retail MNC engages to conduct several environmental efforts such as waste recycling, solar and energy projects along with other sustainable products. The effectiveness of such efforts either may determine by comparing it with the objectives or with other large companies' environmental efforts (Denend & Plambeck, 2010, pp. 1-21). This company should use its own objectives to measure the effectiveness of its environmental efforts. Each organization is operating in different environment setting and due to this it creates different objectives for environmental efforts. Due to such difference, a comparison between two organizations’ environmental efforts may not provide adequate outcomes in concern of their effectiveness (Lodge & Wilson, 2006, pp. 28-54). Hence, Wal-Mart should use its own objectives for determining the effectiveness of environmental efforts.
On the other hand, environment efforts are ethical activities rather than a legal obligation. Each organization is engaged to put their efforts for conducting environmental activities on the basis of their capabilities and financial performance (Denend & Plambeck, 2007, pp. 1-35). Such difference in operational and financial performance is responsible to create significant variation in the efforts of one company to another. The comparative analysis of environmental efforts may provide an appropriate measure for determining their effectiveness (Baietti, et al, 2012, pp. 46-54)....