Walmart: Under the Regulatory Microscope of the Chinese Government

Just days after its dustup over sourcing of goods from Xinjiang (the “alleged” area of Uyghur labor camps), Walmart received notice of 19 vulnerabilities in its internet system. Ergo, Walmart had violated China’s cybersecurity laws and was apparently too slow to fix the flaws. The Chinese government police records show that Walmart had been punished “in accordance with relevant laws.” Liza Lin, “Walmart Cited Over Cybersecurity,” Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2022 p. B1.

For those of you keeping score, Walmart has experienced boycotts, social media tongue-lashings, and now punishments “in accordance with relevant laws.” Companies operating in China face a difficult choice: Comply with U.S. law and suffer the losses, penalties, and social media attacks or ignore the U.S. laws and remain a happy and beloved retailer in China.Tthere is no easy way out of that dilemma. But the root cause analysis is worth noting: When companies evaluate whether to do business in a country with billions of potential consumers, the nature of the government there matters. Totalitarians are no respecters of persons or corporations. They have some fairly large thumbs for squashing both those in labor camps and corporations that address those labor camps. Even when corporations are between a rock and a hard place. The problem is the companies never trotted down the “What if?” path to explore the harsh side of doing business with Communists. Walmart is now in its own labor camp. The government is forcing behaviors on Walmart. The singular difference is that Walmart has the opportunity to escape. Does it have the courage to do so?

About mmjdiary

Professor Marianne Jennings is an emeritus professor of legal and ethical studies from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, retiring in 2011 after 35 years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics and the legal environment of business. During her tenure at ASU, she served as director of the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics from 1995-1999. In 2006, she was appointed faculty director for the W.P. Carey Executive MBA Program. She has done consulting work for businesses and professional groups including AICPA, Boeing, Dial Corporation, Edward Jones, Mattel, Motorola, CFA Institute, Southern California Edison, the Institute of Internal Auditors, AIMR, DuPont, AES, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Motorola, Hy-Vee Foods, IBM, Bell Helicopter, Amgen, Raytheon, and VIAD. The sixth edition of her textbook, Case Studies in Business Ethics, was published in February 2011. The ninth edition of her textbook, Business: lts Legal, Ethical and Global Environment was published in January 2011. The 23rd edition of her book, Business Law: Principles and Cases, will be published in January 2013. The tenth edition of her book, Real Estate Law, will also be published in January 2013. Her book, A Business Tale: A Story of Ethics, Choices, Success, and a Very Large Rabbit, a fable about business ethics, was chosen by Library Journal in 2004 as its business book of the year. A Business Tale was also a finalist for two other literary awards for 2004. In 2000 her book on corporate governance was published by the New York Times MBA Pocket Series. Her book on long-term success, Building a Business Through Good Times and Bad: Lessons from Fifteen Companies, Each With a Century of Dividends, was published in October 2002 and has been used by Booz, Allen, Hamilton for its work on business longevity. Her latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse was published by St. Martin’s Press in July 2006 and has been a finalist for two book awards. Her weekly columns are syndicated around the country, and her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Reader's Digest. A collection of her essays, Nobody Fixes Real Carrot Sticks Anymore, first published in 1994 is still being published. She has been a commentator on business issues on All Things Considered for National Public Radio. She has served on four boards of directors, including Arizona Public Service (1987-2000), Zealous Capital Corporation, and the Center for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability at the University of Minnesota. She was appointed to the board of advisors for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators in 2004 and served on the board of trustees for Think Arizona, a public policy think tank. She has appeared on CNBC, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and CBS Evening News. In 2010 she was named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Business Ethics by Trust Across America. Her books have been translated into four different languages. She received the British Emerald award for authoring one of their top 50 articles in management publications, chosen from over 15,000 articles. Personal: Married since 1976 to Terry H. Jennings, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Deputy County Attorney; five children: Sarah, Sam, and John, and the late Claire and Hannah Jennings.
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