A brief synopsis/summary of Wal-Mart Stores Inc Wal-Mart was established in 1945 in New Port, Arkansas and grew exponentially to become the biggest retail outlet in America by 1990. Today, Wal-Mart is one of the companies listed at New York Stock Exchange. Wal-Mart is best known its efficient operations and its cost leadership. It has a vast distribution channel as well as an automated and central purchase system. Wal-Mart prides itself as the promoter of local small and medium enterprises (SME’s) through the umbrella campaign dubbed ‘Buy American’. The company continuously seeks to build and protect its powerful ‘The Wal-Mart Effect’ brand. Wal-Mart operates through various segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sam’s Clubs, and International. The likely problems/issues/challenges faced, using the case as illustrations of the theories/concepts Managing change, culture, and diversity An analysis of Wal-Mart using human resource (HR) theories and concepts reveals that even though the company has enjoyed considerable success over the years, it is still faced with several issues. First, Wal-Mart still grapples with the challenge of the best way of managing change, culture, and diversity. The challenge of culture and diversity has been heightened by the fact that Wal-Mart now operates internationally. International business is usually characterized by several changes and an array of cultural issues. Therefore, the company must be prepared to recruit and retain employees from diverse cultures if it is going to succeed in its international engagements. Communication and public relations Wal-Mart strives to ensure that there is timely, regular, and accurate information for decision making by holding regular meetings. Two sets of meeting are conducted at Wal-Mart: store meetings and Saturday morning meetings held at headquarters. In these meetings, policy changes are communicated to associates. Managers also get to hear relevant and fast hand information about the challenges faced by the associates. Wal-Mart seeks to maintain a positive image through ‘The Wal-Mart Way’ brand. This slogan seeks to communicate the company’s unwavering commitment to quality improvement. Social responsibility Wal-Mart has not been left behind in the area of community involvement. The company supports Welfare-to-Work and educational programs. Wal-Mart reimburses associates and their partners for the expenditure they incur in getting GED. During the year 1999 alone, Wal-Mart gave about 3000 sponsorships to high school students on merit. This amounted to over $8 million. Wal-Mart supports youths with disabilities, fund raises for schools, and educates the public about recycling. Staffing and succession planning Wal-Mart is faced with the challenge of recruiting, retaining, and developing the best employees. The company’s people division recruits two categories of employees: managers and associates. Managers are salaried employees while associates are paid hourly. Wal-Mart struggles to maintain adequate staff levels for its head offices and departmental stores by recruiting over 1500 employees annually. This number is definitely high even for a big institution like Wal-Mart. Training, development, and career progression Continuous employee training and development is another issu