Click through the graphic about Wal-Mart. It is fast and readable, more a list than anything else. Then think about government and governance. Wal-Mart doesn't need the same kind of government services that single site establishments needed. So how will government change in a Wal-mart world? That was Tanzi's question and I think it is an important one.
Facts About Wal-Mart To Blow Your Mind - Business Insider
This example illustrates concentration of power. In a Wal-Mart dominated world, it becomes a major interest group and so political activities would consequently be influenced by that fact. Whether the government chooses to appeal to that which is likely or try to counter or alter that, its actions would have been a reaction to it.
ReplyDeleteYep, correlation ≠ causation. I do find it to give good insight into the change in market climate, which Wal-Mart certainly helped bring about (even if it isn't solely responsible).
ReplyDeletewow. #14 rendered me speechless...
ReplyDeleteDuring my SIP research I found another interesting fact about Wal-Mart:
ReplyDeleteWal-Mart and other large corporations (Boeing, Lowe's, etc.) are contributing to the decrease of the medical cost trend by contracting directly with high-performance networks, AKA "centers of excellence." These large corporations have partnered with hospitals across the country for a variety of expensive, complicated procedures such as heart surgery and spinal fusion. This is slowing down the growth of health care costs because of the bundled payment model and the fact that the hospitals pay for any follow-up care. This is a new cost-savings strategy, but it is estimated to result in savings of 10-25%. While it's scary to think about how large Wal-Mart is, this illustrates the power it has in negotiating/contracting with hospitals in order to lower costs.
I am so surprised that with all the bad press walmart had received in the past, so many people continue to shop there.
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