Springsteen says Wal-Mart album deal was mistake

Wal-Mart is a GREAT business for business and management students!

If we judge business success on long term survivability through profit generation, we could reasonably say that Wal-Mart is a hugely successful business – in fact, it is currently ranked as the worlds #1 largest corporation (measured by sales revenues).

Read this article on a deal that Wal-Mart made with Bruce Springsteen – world famous rock star with a huge ‘blue collar’ fan base, and then answer the following questions:

Level 1: Knowledge
1) Identify the key reason why Springsteen has “expressed regret" over his deal with Wal-Mart.

Level 2: Application
2a) Explain the benefits of this deal to Springsteen.

2b) Use the following sites to prepare a list of 5 factors FOR and against Wal-Mart's business behaviour.

Wal-Marts official website
Criticisms of Wal-Mart

Level 3
3) Using the information you have found in 2b, interpret Wal-Mart's alleged anti-union strategy.

Level 4: Analysis
4) To what extent can you justify Wal-Mart’s approach to Corporate Social Responsibility?


Click here for some ideas!


Note Level 1 – Level 4 are questions based on IB standards where

Level 1: Knowledge
Level 2: Application
Level 3: Analysis
Level 4: Evaluation

Words in bold (define, explain…) have a specific meaning in the IB Diploma Program (DP). The meanings are in Glossary of Command Terms Section of the IBO DP Business and Management Guide available at the OCC and from my website