International Student

My name is Brooke and I am from China. I have been in the United States for over four years. I obtained my bachelor degree in May and now I am enrolling in MBA program in Michigan. Hopefully I will finish it within 2 years.

The central problem that Wal-Mart has is that it can no longer satisfy the middle-class consumers’ increasing demands in high qualities beside the low-priced merchandise. Its signature “Everyday low prices” becomes unproductive, which results in the diminished market sizes and the reduction of its loyal shoppers. Mid-life crisis, in psychological term, is defined as a time where adults come to realize their own mortality and how much time is left in their life. In business, it is like the company is not at the peak time any more. Instead, its once-proud-of strategies become unproductive and it begins to lose customers and market shares. In this case, Wal-Mart’s reduction of its loyal shoppers and shrinking share values lead to losing its dominant role in the field. The main reasons are that low price is no longer the drive that encourages customers to shop at Wal-Mart, worsen internal relationship with its employees and notorious customer service department.

Global strategy is defined as strategy of firms around the globe---essentially various firms’ theories about how to compete successfully. Since more and more companies are going global, top management people expect their employees to be well aware of this concept to fulfill their responsibilities. The ultimately goal of most companies, I believe, is that to compete successfully worldwide. Therefore, this classmate should learn the concept of global strategy very well and utilize appropriately to facilitate her work.