Answered Questions

Hmmm. Yes and no. However, I'm guessing you don't want my opinion, but want expert evidence.

Since you haven't mentioned specifically what kind of resources the assignment requires, I'll be somewhat general.

Begin at the Business LibGuide, our listing of the best places to search for general business information. Click on the books tab. We're using books because books provide the big picture on a debate such as this. Search Wal-Mart in the catalog. Be sure to use Wal-Mart, not Walmart, as the results are much better for Wal-Mart. In the results you will see several books including Bergdahl, M. (2004). What I learned from Sam Walton: How to compete and thrive in a Wal-Mart world. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons., which is a full text eBook. Click the "view now" link to search and read the text. You will also see Lichtenstein, N. (2006). Wal-Mart: The face of twenty-first-century capitalism. New York: New Press. This book isn't full text, but click on the title to see the index. If you see a chapter you like, request Information Delivery using the form at http://library.brenau.edu/infodelivery-and-ill/request-an-item/ and we'll email the chapter to your Brenau email.

Next, click on the articles tab of the LibGuide and click on ABI/Inform Complete. Here your search must become specific. You must search one issue about Wal-Mart, such as Wal-Mart AND "labor relations" or Wal-Mart AND globalization or Wal-Mart AND "low prices" or Wal-Mart AND employment. Use the quotation marks like I did to limit the results to the most relevant ones. Then, using the toolbar on the right side of the page, limit the results to the the time period specified in the assignment (usually the last 5 years in Business). Then, using the same toolbar, limit to scholarly articles. After reviewing those, limit to trade articles. This will provide the best quality of information, for example the scholarly articles:

Balser, D. B. (2007). The bully of Bentonville: How the high cost of Wal-Mart's everyday low prices is hurting America. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52(1), 161-164.

Goetz, S. J., & Shrestha, S. S. (2009). Explaining self-employment success and failure: Wal-Mart versus Starbucks, or Schumpeter versus Putnam. Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell), 90(1), 22-38.

You will find loads of articles using these searches!