Environmental Factors

Environmental Factors Paper
      Marketing professionals today are not only concerned about the marketing mix, marketing plans or targeting the right consumers, but also changes in this fast-paced global society.   This paper will discuss Wal-Mart and describe the high the high-level domestic and global environmental factors that may impact the organization's marketing decisions.   The author will also explain how technology affects Wal-Mart’s marketing decisions, too.   Finally, the paper will concluded with an analysis of the Wal-Mart’s social responsibility and ethics as it relates to the organizational marketing programs.
      Wal-Mart started out in 1962 as a humble discount store in Rogers, Arkansas founded by Sam Walton. Now, Wal-Mart is worlds largest retail company.
      The company operates retail stores in various formats. At the end of January 2008, the company operated 971 discount stores, 2,447 supercenters, 591 Sam’s Clubs and 132 Neighborhood Markets in the US.Wal-Mart also operates various international markets as well, these include the UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and China.
      (Datamonitor, 2008, p. 5).
Since the company operates all over the world, it must deal with high-level environmental factors but domestically and internationally.   A few of these factors are rapid changes and innovations, globalization as well as diversity (UOP, n. d.).
      The world is constantly evolving and these rapid changes lead to innovations that were not heard of ten years ago.   At one time, Wal-Mart received goods by freight train or boat, now with the advent of super jets and mass distribution companies, Wal-Mart customers can receive goods within days after ordering them.   In today’s society, marketers use these types of changes and innovations to their advantage. Customer needs are better accommodated because the product mix is more adaptable to suit the specific needs of different customers around the world (UOP, n. d.).
      As a global...