Now that Sam is no longer the motivational leader, all of those ideas are thrown right out the window. I believe the reasons are pretty clear why the Walmart Way is simply no longer in effect.
Walmart was basically the first retailer to initiate programs in the area of corporate social responsibility. By launching the "Buy American"" program, Sam felt it was necessary to keep jobs in American and encouraged manufacturers to purchase domestic goods. I think if your business model is offering customers the absolute lowest price possible, as is Walmart's, then you have to purchase goods cheaper from overseas "even if it contributes to job losses in America." Walmart obviously realizes this because, as the case states, they abandoned the "Buy America" program. .
Without question, I believe these programs were gimmicks to entice customers into the stores. Sam wanted to perceive Walmart to be this great company that's doing all these good things for America and communities. When in reality, it was all just a bunch of propaganda to get consumers to shop at Walmart. The Buy American plan did restore some jobs in America, but the number restored is still probably less than the number of jobs destroyed. Walmart really hammered the Buy American program home by tagging certain products with a "Made in the USA"" label that really caught the customers' attention. .
Of course, the people who shop at Walmart would rather buy something made domestically, rather than made overseas. Those products with the "Made in the USA"" labels were probably selling like hotcakes. As if the "Buy America" program wasn't enough to entice people to shop at Walmart, Sam set forth the "Environmental Awareness" Campaign." There are some people in this country that see that, think it's great, and will shop at Walmart because of it. I, on the other hand, view it as a marketing ploy to get consumers into the stores and drive up revenues.