ase Analysis Sample (BA 385) – ONE PAGE LIMIT

(Text guidelines are on page 632)

Brenda Eichelberger – 3/21/06 (name, date)

Case 1 - “The Main Street Merchant of Doom” (case, title)

Problem/Issue Analysis: (one point)

This case details the history and social responsibility issues of Wal-Mart. It discusses
Sam Walton and his responses to criticisms as well as his determination to be a successful.
The central issue is this case is why is there such conflicting data? Some people see Wal-
Mart as an example of “social responsibility” and one of the most admired corporations in
America, while others see it as an unattractive homogenizing factor and a “Merchant of
Doom” that should not be allowed to set up shop in small towns.

Analysis/Evaluation: (two points)

The “stakeholders” in this case are: Consumers – everyone that shop at Wal-Mart and
enjoys their “low prices”. Specifically in this case it is the consumers that have selected
Wal-Mart over the local businesses they have shopped at for years and the 100 million
consumers that shop at Wal-Mart each week. Owners- Everyone that owns shares of Wal-
Mart and have a vested interest in profits. Sam Walton as founder was discussed in this
case in addition to employee shareholders. Community – the areas surrounding Wal-Mart
stores and the local environment. This case lists several; Iowa City, Pawhuska, Kinder and
Boulder Colorado. Some were very unhappy to have a Wal-Mart coming to town. Wal-Mart
instituted a program in “Environmental Awareness” and offered to “build green”.
Government – International, US, and local municipalities all interact with Wal-Mart. With
over $191 Billion in sales, and being the “world’s largest retailer”, Wal-Mart can and does
impact governmental planning. This case discusses Wal-Mart’s “buy America” plan and
international expansion. Employees – Everyone that works for Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart
employees over 1 million “associates” worldwide. They teach employees the “Wal-Mart”
way, offer them participation in stock programs, and encourage customer service.

Recommendations (applying a model or concept presented in this week’s assigned

reading): (two points)

Society’s Expectations Versus Business’s Actual Social Performance (Figure 1-4

pg. 14, concept on pg. 13,14 and 15) is a helpful diagram and concept to consider the
conflicting perceptions of Wal-Mart. Stakeholders (society’s expectations) have varying
needs and increasing expectations of what a company should provide (business actual social
performance). Over time (per this diagram) business has been increasingly responsive to
the demands of society, but the expectations of society (due to increasing affluence,
education, entitlement mentality, rights, and media: discussed in the text) have been
increasing at an even greater rate.

In my opinion, I think Wal-Mart is doing great things, but they should be doing more.
They should seek to minimize the damage they do to the local business areas and be better
promoters (use the media) to let others know the good things they are doing (Buy America,
Environmental Awareness) as well as showcasing the positive employee opportunities. By
neglecting to be more proactive in these areas Wal-Mart is jeopardizing the success they
have built over Sam Walton’s lifetime.

Hiring Practices - Hiring Non-U.S. and

Uncertified Teachers

Can I work in the U.S.?

I receive two or three emails per week from non-U.S. teachers asking about employment at
American private schools. My response is always the same: take care of the employment visa
and then, and only then, you can begin your job search.

Immigration Visas

Without permission to work in the United States, very few schools will go to the tremendous
trouble of petitioning the Immigration and Naturalization Service to obtain working papers for
you. The reason for this is simply that teachers generally fall into a category of workers seeking
employment-based visas, called "Employment Third Preference (E3)." This includes "Skilled
Workers, Professionals Holding Baccalaureate Degrees and Other Workers." This category is
below the First Preference (E1) generally reserved for "Persons of extraordinary ability in the
sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics." Put another way, the chances of a school going
through all that effort and expense for a teacher who may or may not stay with the school for a
long period of time are usually pretty slim. It is simply not a good investment.

Now one promising intiative is the NAIS's China Connection Program. NAIS recruits Chinese
nationals to teach Mandarin in member schools. This offers economies of scale and sets clear
expectations in the hiring process.

Another avenue to explore is the Amity Institute's Exchange Teacher Program. The program has
certain minimum requirements which must be met before you can be considered. The
appointments are temporary, typically lasting 1-3 years.

Hiring Non-certified Teachers

Twenty or thirty years ago it was fairly common to find faculty at private schools who were not
certified and licensed. Indeed many had never even taken an education course. Times have
changed. Increasingly state education departments require teachers in all schools to meet state
standards for teacher certification. Parents too are demanding maximum value for their tuition
dollar and expect their children's teachers not only to be knowledgeable in their subject, but also
skilled in education techniques. In other words, it is no longer simply enough to know your
subject; you must be able to teach it effectively. Furthermore, many aspects of K-12 education
have become incredibly specialized. Special education, the International Baccalaureate and the
Advanced Placement programs all demand highly qualified, highly trained professionals capable
of doing the job to the highest standards.

Certification and licensing standards vary nationwide.

Each state has its own requirements for teacher licensing. In addition there is a national
certification which is gradually gaining acceptance. From the private school perspective it is
important to be able to maintain and improve standards. A school's reputation generally rises or
falls according to its students' academic success. For junior schools that success is most often
defined by the upper schools at which its graduates are accepted. Private high schools are in turn
judged by where their graduates go after grade 12.

Hire the best people available.

A highly trained, certified and licensed teaching staff is a critical component in achieving the
kind of success which will keep an institution moving forward. Remember: if the customers do
not like the product, they will look elsewhere. Without guaranteed funding in the form of tax
dollars, a private school needs tuition income to survive. Its product must be the best value it can
possibly be. Satisfied parents and graduates do indeed ensure the future of a school.

Letters to the Editor...

hiring non-certified people to fill vacant teaching position

In my school district, non-certs have been

tried as substitutes, due to the teacher
shortage, but not very effectively.
I think that hiring non-certified people
may look like a good alternative, but
instead the focus should be on making the
profession more appealing to college age
students. Salaries need to be made more on
line with other similiar professions, for
example, as to yearly raises. States need
to appreciate and value talented teachers.
This needs to be clear in state budgets.

I personally know of 3 students in college

who said they really would have enjoyed
teaching, but changed because they knew
they couldn't support themselves on a
teacher salary.

Letters to the Editor...

Hiring Non-certified people

Consideration of the use of non-certified

teachers to fill vacancies must first answer
this question: "What skills, knowledge or
capabilities should a teacher possess to be
successful in the classroom?"

Teaching is an incredibly complex process

because it involves complex humans, complex
communication, complex interaction, as well
as complex intellectual, emotional and
attitudinal components.

To reduce teaching to "knowledge of the

subject" or even the skills typically
taught in a "methods course" is on the face
of it absurd. When coupled with the context
in which teaching/learning occurs, it is
inconceivable.

Whether teaching is an art or a science;

whether the pedagogical skills are more
important than the underlying beliefs and
theories; or, whether teacher training is
essential does not matter. What matters is
that we know teaching is a challenging,
complex demanding profession; that teachers
must possess many skills, understandings,
and procedures; that teaching involves
careful planning, precise execution, and
thousands of appropriate minute by minute
decisions.

We have not done a very good job of

determining which certified teachers possess
these skills, so I am not sure how we expect
to determine it for non-teachers. But until
we find ways to do so, let us not perpetuate
the teacher shortage problem by continuing
the "error of our ways" as we attempt to
find solutions to the problem.

There are many other places to look and many

other ways find relief from the problems.
Now is the time for some creative solutions
rather than despiration solutions.

By Bill Page

Let's talk about the lack of certified teachers

By Judy Hale
Publication: Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia)
Date: Monday, January 4 2010

LATELY, we are hearing a lot of chatter about making changes to our public schools. Creating
charter schools and changing the way we hire teachers seem to dominate the news, and they are
effectively blinding us from our more pressing problems.

Taking a second look at these issues can be good,

but change merely for the sake of change is rarely constructive. And in this case, it is a
distraction.

Focus should be on the one issue no one seems to want to discuss - the shortage of certified
teachers and qualified school service personnel.

Research tells us that the most important factor in a child's education is the presence of a highly
qualified and certified teacher. Unfortunately, odds are pretty good that a student who took
chemistry, math, foreign language or even language arts in a West Virginia public high school
last year did not have a teacher who was specifically trained to teach the class.

In other words, the teacher was not certified to teach the subject matter.

In fact, according to a recent report, 56 percent of chemistry positions in our schools went
unfilled just two years ago, meaning teachers with at best some science background filled in.

Over the last two school years, 10 percent of all classroom positions posted were not filled by
educators certified in the specific area. That's up from 7 percent three years ago, and the problem
is only getting worse.

Equally sobering is that the shortages are not restricted to one area of the state.

Contrary to the conclusions reached by members of the Governor's Twenty-First Century Job