Wal-Mart and The Glass
Ceiling
Investigating and Proving Gender
Discrimination
February 2004
Wal-Mart Basics
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Founded by Sam
Walton
Headquarters in
Bentonville, AR
Largest Retailer in the
World
Largest Private
Employer in U.S.
$244.6 billion in
sales; $6 billion profit
in 2003
District Manager
Wal-Mart
Store Job
Pyramid
Management Trainee
Store Manager
Co-Manager
Assistant Managers
(1 to 7)
Dept Heads
Cashiers
Cart Pusher
Greeter
Stocker
Women in Wal-Mart
Management Positions
CS
M
.
tM
gr
De
p
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rt
M
po
gm
t.T
M
Su
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ra
in
e
e
gr
M
t.
As
s
M
gr
Co
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M
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.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
St
o
% Women in Job
Percent Women in Store Mgmt & Hourly Supervisors, 2001
Historical Comparison of Women in
Management at Wal-Mart and Competitors
The Promotion Process
Getting Into Management Training
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No Posting of
Openings
No Application
No Set Selection
Criteria
No Information on
Management Jobs or
Qualifications
“Tap on the Shoulder”
Were Women as a Group Less
Qualified for Management ?
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No education
requirement
No prior
experience
required
Higher Average
Performance
Ratings
Performance Ratings 2001
4.6
Performance Scores
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4.4
4.2
4
Women
3.8
Men
3.6
3.4
3.2
All Hourly
Sales Assoc.
Job Positions
Dept. Managers
What the Women Told Us
About Promotion. ..
 No
Information About How to
Apply
 Shifting Requirements and
Excuses
 Relocation Requirement – Real or
A Pretext?
 Sexist Attitudes
Rhonda Harper, former VP
Marketing Sam’s Club
Jim Haworth, former Exec. VP
Operations Wal-Mart
Gender-Based
Pay Disparities
Average Annual Earnings **
In 2001
Job
% of Women
in Job
Male
Salaries
Female
Salaries
Difference
in Salaries
Regional Vice Pres.
10%
$419,400
$279,800
$139,600
District Manager
10
239,500
177,100
62,400
Store Manager
14
105,700
89,300
16,400
Assistant Manager
36
39,800
37,300
2,500
Management Trainee
41
23,200
22,400
800
Department Head
78
23,500
21,700
1,800
Sales Associate
68
16,500
15,100
1,400
Cashier
93
14,500
13,800
700
*Full-time
**Including bonuses
Data: Richard Drogin
Wal-Mart’s Side of the Story
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No Uniform National Practice
Women Not Interested in Management
Positions
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Long and Unpredictable Hours
Pay Differences are Very Small
Have Made Efforts to Improve Diversity
Women Are Happy at Wal-Mart
Case is Just Too Big
Uniformity and Central
Control
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Every Store Looks
and Operates
Identically
Same Jobs and Job
Hierarchy
Wal-Mart Cheer at
Daily Store
Meetings
Wal-Mart Culture –
3 Basic Beliefs
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All personnel
policies from
Bentonville
24/7 Real Time
Electronic
Connection
Weekly and Daily
Reports and Store
Visits
Heat and Music
Was The Alleged
Discrimination Intentional?
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Internal Studies of Pay and Promotion
Rates by Gender
Diversity Consultant
Benchmarking Against Competitors
Warnings from the Executive Vice
President of Human Resources
Knew that Relocation Requirement Had
An Adverse Impact on Women
Tom Coughlin, Exec. VP and CEO
of Wal-Mart
Coleman Peterson, Exec. VP for People
Division and Member of Board of Directors
Don Harris, Exec. Vice
President, Operations
Stay Tuned
Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Northern
District of California
 Class Certification Motion Pending
 www.walmartclass.com
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