Sam Walton has been called a motivational genius. After reading this case, and with what you have observed at your local Wal-Mart store, explain how this motivational genius empowered the employee. What is the “Wal-Mart Way”? Explain its impact on the associate and on the community. What has happened now that Sam is no longer the motivational leader?

The small town was in need of a hired gun. The people were tired of dealing with the local price-fixing merchant scum who ran the town like a company store. This low-life bunch held the people of the town in a death grip; the townspeople believed they overcharged on every purchase. In spite of what appeared to be a case of collusion, the law was powerless to do anything. What competition there was had been effectively eliminated.