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General Discussion => The Speakeasy: OOG/Off-topic Discussion => Topic started by: Zuzanna Alondra on 26 May 2010, 15:10

Title: Employee Discounts
Post by: Zuzanna Alondra on 26 May 2010, 15:10
I love my marketing class - we find all sorts of treasures.

The discussion of Wal-mart came up today and we found this 45 second video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JEEuU0luvM

Thought it was a fun food for thought -
Post your 2 isk folks.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Benjamin Shepherd on 26 May 2010, 18:54
Hah, saw that film.

Walmart is one of those corporations that just doesn't care. Morally and ethically, they aren't on par with what should be the standard (IMO), and to those who only care about profit, their salaries for employees are horrible. Essentially, you get paid for working, then you spend it all on Walmart products because you're too poor to get anything else.

Makes \perfect\ sense.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Havohej on 26 May 2010, 21:46
Or you spend it all on.. I dunno, schooling, like I am.

Thank you for shopping Wal-Mart (I'm an employee).  Like any megacorporation, there's the aspect of corporate greed but the store I work at is run pretty well and our introduction to corporate policy stuff in the 2-day orientation painted a picture of a place I wouldn't mind working at for quite some time.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Zuzanna Alondra on 26 May 2010, 22:30
I personally shop at Wal*mart on purpose to visit my aunt who has a very healthy good job there.

But also I know a marketing things they do that are sheer brilliance, but questionable in the ethics of them.  One example is claiming they are going green - but only doing so in ways that save them money - if it doesn't save them money... are they really going green?

It was an amusing debate in class today.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Myrhial Arkenath on 27 May 2010, 01:30
But also I know a marketing things they do that are sheer brilliance, but questionable in the ethics of them.  One example is claiming they are going green - but only doing so in ways that save them money - if it doesn't save them money... are they really going green?

Makes sense to me if you are going green you start with what won't hurt you as a company. Question is however if later on you will use the profits made there to cover for the areas where it would cause a loss.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Lillith Blackheart on 27 May 2010, 07:25
But also I know a marketing things they do that are sheer brilliance, but questionable in the ethics of them.  One example is claiming they are going green - but only doing so in ways that save them money - if it doesn't save them money... are they really going green?

Makes sense to me if you are going green you start with what won't hurt you as a company. Question is however if later on you will use the profits made there to cover for the areas where it would cause a loss.

I would just like to point out that mentality is bullshit (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ray_anderson_on_the_business_logic_of_sustainability.html), as nearly everything "going green" recommends for companies save huge amounts of money long term, and are only expensive on the short term.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Zuzanna Alondra on 27 May 2010, 13:01
Hey - I have a garden where I'm growing my own chow, compost bin, recycle and carpool - so I understand the concepts considering the only reason I do the above (my garden would just be flowers otherwise) is because I'm cheap and garbage and gas is spendy.

Hell also doing cloth diapers for the same reason.
And have Eve instead of cable TV.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Myrhial Arkenath on 27 May 2010, 17:29
But also I know a marketing things they do that are sheer brilliance, but questionable in the ethics of them.  One example is claiming they are going green - but only doing so in ways that save them money - if it doesn't save them money... are they really going green?

Makes sense to me if you are going green you start with what won't hurt you as a company. Question is however if later on you will use the profits made there to cover for the areas where it would cause a loss.

I would just like to point out that mentality is bullshit (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ray_anderson_on_the_business_logic_of_sustainability.html), as nearly everything "going green" recommends for companies save huge amounts of money long term, and are only expensive on the short term.

Interesting video, very inspirational, thanks for linking that. If that indeed is true this time of recession could become a good thing if companies opt to try this and succeed. However the expensiveness on the short term has to be survivable, and that is what my remark was about, start with something easy and take it from there.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Z.Sinraali on 27 May 2010, 20:10
It'd be easier if certain legislative bodies would just put a price on carbon already.
Title: Re: Employee Discounts
Post by: Ashar Kor-Azor on 05 Jun 2010, 02:19
Certain asian employees of Wal-Mart are provided housing in shipping containers and crates, basically. They're under sufficient surveillance there that they often spurn it just to get some privacy.

The trouble is that Wal-Mart ain't the only bunch in the orient that behave that way. But yeah, you thought company towns were dead? Think again, roundeye.