1 4th chapter: Findings and analysis

1.1 Chapter introduction

This chapter demonstrates the results of a thorough literature study on Walmart and other similar stores' environmentally friendly practices. The researcher presented the details of selected research articles, which are analysed to explore the research objectives. The data analysis is based on descriptive and thematic analysis. The carefully chosen collection of sources used for this analysis is meant to examine and assess Walmart's eco-friendly initiatives and sustainable business practices.

1.2 SLR

1. The selected research articles

The systematic literature review started with a thorough search for relevant scholarly sources discussing environmentally friendly business practices in the retail sector, mainly focusing on Walmart. Upon the initial search, a total of 246 scholarly papers were retrieved. However, 76 of these articles were excluded from consideration owing to duplication and language criteria. The remaining 170 publications were subsequently filtered based on accessibility and paper length, resulting in the removal of 60 studies. Out of the initial 110, a further filtration process was conducted to assess the quality of the sources and the selected time frame for publishing. Consequently, 60 articles were excluded. Therefore, after the final evaluation, the collection of papers was narrowed down to 10 key articles by using established guidelines for what to include and what to eliminate. These criteria focused on how relevant the articles were to the research questions, how well the methods were used, and how recent the articles were. These articles were chosen because they directly relate to green initiatives, have real-world data about how they work, and emphasise significant retail settings, especially Walmart. These characteristics enable the researcher to select appropriate data for Walmart's sustainability efforts.

2. Examination of the Data quality of the Collected Data

The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool was used in a careful evaluation process to make sure the study results were accurate. This tool was very helpful in evaluating each of the 10 chosen research articles. The CASP checklist emphasizes a few important points to make sure the results are reliable, for instance, effectiveness of the methodological approaches, validity of the results and the relevance of research outcomes. This thorough quality check assisted in maintaining the requirements of study validity and reliability, which made sure that the findings were both credible and applicable. The results from the chosen sources were put together to get a complete understanding of how well environmentally friendly practices work in the retailing industry.

The following table presents the summary of the selected articles

Table 1: Summary of selected articles; Source: Author's Own

Author Research topic key words Objectives Research Methods Research Findings

1 Schirnhofer Sustainability efforts in the retail industry: the case study of walmart • Sustainability • Retail Industry, • Environmental Impact • Stakeholder Engagement • Walmart. the primary objective is to look into how attempts to be more environmentally friendly in stores can benefit everyone involved. Along with this, the researcher aimed to explore how the actions and programmes that retailers take to be more environmentally friendly affect stakeholders and how those stakeholders interact with retailers. Qualitative case study method The results showed that Walmart has been working with many groups since 2005 to improve their business and global supply lines. These efforts have created both economic and non-economic value. Their efforts to be more environmentally friendly are good for both the company and the world.

2 Jacob Assessing the effectiveness of Green Supply Chain Management • Green Supply Chain Management This paper aims to examine how Walmart's Walmart's green supply chain Qualitative research The results show that Walmart's GSCM efforts have made its operational

Chain Management in Enhancing Sustainability in the UK retail industry: A focused study on Walmart Inc

• Sustainability management (GSCM) method

• Environmental practices affect its sustainability performance

• Walmart,

• Retail Industry,

method strategies and global supply chains much better, which is good for both the company and the environment. The study shows that these actions help Walmart create value for all of its stakeholders, both financially and non-financially. This makes stakeholders more involved and helps Walmart create value through sustainability efforts.

Impact

• Long-term

Strategy

• Social

Responsibility.

it comes to ESG factors.

to save energy, cut down

on waste, and create more

environmentally friendly

supply lines. For long-term

sustainability and shared

value, it also shows how

important it is for business

plans to be in line with

larger social and

environmental goals.

4

Gielens, Geysken, Deleersnyder and Nohe

The new regulator in town: The effect of Walmart's sustainability mandate on supplier shareholder value.

• Retailing, power-dependence,

• Walmart, sustainability,

• Financial event study.

This research aims to find out if suppliers' worries that Walmart's sustainability rules will hurt their finances are reasonable, and if so, how factors such as marketing and operational skills may affect their financial results.

financial event study method

The study found that the sustainability rules hurt about two-thirds of Walmart's sellers financially, while the other one-third see them as an opportunity. Walmart's attempts to take over were found to have less of an

excellent reputation for caring for the environment. On the other hand, suppliers that were more focused on operations, such as those that spent a lot of money on research and development (R&D) or cutting costs, were less able to handle these pressures.

5 Winata and Ellitan

The Effectiveness of Technology Development Towards Walmart's Sustainability Supply Chain Management

• Sustainability

supply chain

management

• Walmart

• Supply chain

performance

• Strategic fit,

competitive

advantage

• Technology.

The primary goals are to assess the efficacy of technology in improving Walmart's sustainability in supply chain management.

Secondary data collection methods

The results indicate that technology has had beneficial effects on Walmart's sustainability in managing the supply chain, namely in the areas of customer demand prediction and mitigating problems related to over supply.

6 Ertem-Eray

Addressing

Corporate

Social

The main goal is to look

Content

The research shows that

corporate social responsibility in corporations: a content analysis of Amazon's and Walmart's websites

Responsibility (CSR), Content Analysis, Triple Bottom Line, World Wide Web, Amazon, Walmart.

into how Amazon and Walmart talk about their CSR efforts on their public websites, especially how they show that they are responsible businesses around the world.

analysis

companies may report their CSR efforts more honestly if the public expects and presses them to do so. Analysis shows that the idea of the "triple bottom line" does not adequately describe the companies' global CSR efforts. It was also pointed out that while both businesses are trying to showcase their CSR identities, there are significant distinctions in how they do this on their websites.

7

Lucia and Flavia

Shopping as 'best practice'- analyzing Walmart’s

Sustainability, media representation, Walmart, corporate policy, public perception, discourse

The main goal of the study

multimodal and positive discourse analysis.

The research results show

that even though Walmart

is doing numerous

environmentally friendly

and communicating these

policies analysis. understandings mean for corporate responsibility and public participation. efforts in several different ways, the public is still looking closely at them and debating them. The study shows how complicated people's views are when it comes to how companies handle sustainability. For example, even though Walmart has strong communication plans, people still doubt and critique the company's policies.

8

Negi and Anand,

Green and Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices-A Study of Wal-Mart

• Green Supply Chain

• Best Practices

• Challenges

This study aims to explore the implementation of environmental sustainability with in the supply chain to strengthen the competitive edge and minimise its environmental footprints

Qualitative

The study shows that Walmart has made its supply chain more sustainable by using green projects, strategic sourcing, and better logistics management. This has helped the environment

9 Spicer and Hyatt Walmart’s emergent low-cost sustainable product strategy Sustainability, corporate social responsibility, Walmart, strategic planning The main goal was to look at the strategic moves Walmart has made over the last ten years to carry out its vision of selling sustainable products and given the company a competitive edge. Qualitative The study's results explain how Walmart's sustainability efforts have changed from focused on direct interactions with customers to working more closely with suppliers to make changes to the sustainability of their products. The studies also show what Walmart learned from these projects and how its tactics changed over time to deal with the challenges of implementing environmentally friendly practices in a low-cost business setting.

Galgali

Walmart: Opportunities and Risks in Sustainability

Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Development Goals, Shared Value, Corporate Risks, Walmart, Business Opportunities

The paper examines Walmart's plan for sustainability and determines at the risks and benefits associated with the commitment to SDGs.

Qualitative

The paper addresses the difficulties Walmart faces in engaging with stakeholders and developing its brand. It also provides recommendations for enhancing its public image.

Descriptive analysis

3. Annual allocation of specific articles

The following chart presents information on the annual distribution of the selected articles.

Figure 1:Annual allocation of specific articles; Source: Author's Own

The charts illustrate the uneven distribution of the selected research papers. The researcher did not select any papers from the years 2015, 2016 and 2019 since no studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the current study.

4. Distribution based on the adopted research method

In different research studies, different research methods are used, and the pie chart shows how they are spread out.

Selected methods in the studies

Qualitative research methods

financial event study method

Secondary data collection methods

Content analysis

multimodal and positive discourse analysis

67%

11%

11%

11%

Figure 2:Distribution based on the adopted research method; Source: Author's Own

Out of all the methods used, 67% are qualitative study methods. After this, there are three more methods, each making up 11% of the whole: methods for collecting secondary data, financial events study and content analysis. Another small part talks about multimodal and positive discourse analysis, which also make up 11% of the methods used. This breakdown shows that the majority of the studies have used qualitative research methods.

Thematic Analysis:

5. Theme: The opportunities and challenges associated with adoption of green initiative in Walmart

Walmart has made its efforts to be more environmentally friendly an important part of its global business plan. This helps the company not only follow the rules but also get an edge over its competitors. Negi and Anand (2014) stated that Walmart has thought about the environment in all parts of its supply chain management, from sourcing to logistics. This makes the company more

sustainability efforts aim to make the company more valuable in more ways than one, including economically, socially, and environmentally. Energy efficiency and reducing waste as parts of green initiative can enable Walmart to lower costs. For instance, targeting zero emissions by 2040 and working on Project Gigaton are two initiatives that Walmart is undertaking in order to decrease carbon emissions, such initiatives can result in operational savings.

Neebe (2020) stated that using sustainable methods also improves Walmart's brand image and builds customer trust, which is in line with the rising demand for eco-friendly products. In places where people care a lot about the environment, this can give Walmart an edge over its competitors.

Galgali (2018) highlighted that Walmart's size also lets it push its huge network of sellers to use greener methods, which could change industry standards, nevertheless, despite its maximum efforts for green initiative, Walmart face criticism in different market place, claiming that the commitments and the actual practices of the company does not aligns ( Negi and Anand, 2014). It can be challenging for Walmart to fulfil the higher expectation of consumers. In addition, Schirrhofer (2022) stated that leading retailers encountered substantial challenges with putting these environmentally friendly methods into action in many markets. It is hard to make green projects more consistent because local rules, cultural differences, and levels of infrastructure are all different. Based on the findings of Galgali, 2018, it seems like Walmart has a hard time making sure that all of its locations follow the same rules and regulations without limiting its ability to change to local needs. Additionally, environmentally friendly actions may save finances in the long run, but they can be very expensive to start up and keep up. It is challenging keep these costs under control while also trying to keep prices low, especially in areas where prices are important. In contrast, Negi and Anand (2014) argued that Walmart is a giant company therefore, it can easily manage such costs without affecting its net revenues. Likewise, Jacob (2024) also identified that the company is expected to maximise its green practices without raising the cost of products, which can lead to challenges for the company. thus, Walmart can effectively create a balance between its green practices and cost management.

this regard, Spicer and Hyatt (2017) highted that Walmart has extensive resources that can be used to mitigate such challenges for instance the use of new technologies for effective management of green initiatives. However, Winata and Ellitan (2023) argued that innovative tool can improve logistics, waste management, and energy efficiency, yet they also pose challenges for business organisation such as privacy and security issues. Hence, it can be stated that while technology can make processes much more efficient and help the environment, putting it to use across all of Walmart's many locations can be hard and require a lot of resources.

6. Themes: The significance of Walmart's sustainable plans for reaching its sustainable goals

Walmart has significant objectives like zero emissions and using only green energy to power its buildings by 2030, to make these initiatives effective, the company has added more renewable energy sources and made all of its processes more energy efficient (Jacob, 2024.). Thus, it shows that they are concerned about their climate change goals. Additionally, the company aim to integrate ecological responsibility with business practices in a way that not only reduces their environmental impact but helps them lead the marketplace with inventiveness (Winata and Ellitan, 2023). Negi and Anand (2014) say that Walmart has strict green supply chain management techniques with an emphasis on strategic procurement, efficient transportation, and eco-friendly packaging. The company's environmental effect has been greatly reduced due to these efforts, which include activities like finding the most efficient paths for transportation to use less fuel and redesigning packaging to make it less wasteful. However, these programs are good at lowering the environmental impact of businesses, but their ability to be expanded and their ability to fully solve global sustainability issues are still being studied (Gielens et al. 2018). For instance, understanding how well these methods work at greatly lowering carbon emissions throughout the whole supply chain is still a developing area.

Schirnhhofer (2022) praises Walmart as influential due to its engagment with different people in the supply chain. This makes things more clear and pushes people to work together, Sharing value across economic, social, and environmental areas is made easier by taking a strategy that includes everyone. Nevertheless, Gielens et al. (2018) criticised that these engagements can sometimes fail well. Even though they were able to make the supply chain more environmentally friendly, the effects on small businesses and communities are not satisfactory. They are under a lot of pressure

to meet strict standards without the right help or rewards. On the other hand, the Galgali (2018), points out a problem with how these environmentally friendly practices are integrated into Walmart's financial management plans. Walmart has put a lot of money into sustainability projects, but these investments need to be aligned with long-term financial strategies and success metrics in order for these efforts to continue. Walmart risks the long-term success of its projects during economic downturns if it lacks a strong financial plan that integrates sustainability. Nevertheless, Ertem-Eray (2021), demanded that companies should honestly present their practices and the outcomes achieved, as it was noticed that there is misalignment between what was presented and what was practiced. Thus, this difference says that even though Walmart is doing good things in the social and environmental areas, it could make these efforts more visible in how well its business is doing financially.

Different areas have different rules and cultures that make it hard to put Walmart's sustainability policies into practice (Spicer and Hyatt, 2017). These problems make it harder for sustainability methods to be consistent and work well. It is important for the success of these global efforts that tactics are changed to comply with local laws and customs. Walmart's efforts to cut down on plastic waste and make energy use more efficient, for example, have had varying degrees of effectiveness in different markets, based on the level of support from local regulators and the availability of infrastructure. Furthermore, Jacob (2024) elaborated that Walmart has strong long-term goals, like using only renewable energy, making no waste, and selling products that are good for the earth and resources. The current efforts to reach these goals are still being evaluated for their success.

Moving toward renewable energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions are both good steps in the right direction. However, getting to zero trash and fully sustainable products is a long process that needs constant innovation and change (Winata and Ellitan, 2023).

7. Theme: The influence of Walmart's green initiatives on the different stakeholders.

Walmart is committed to sustainability, and its green initiatives have had an immense effect on all of its stakeholders, including consumers, vendors, workers, and the community as a whole.

Walmart's attempts to be more environmentally friendly, especially in how they source products and package them, have changed how customers think about and buy things. Schirnhofer (2022) talks about Walmart's strategic shift toward items that are better for the environment. This not only appeals to consumers who care more about the environment, but it also teaches people about how

important it is to make choices that are good for the world. This educational part is very important because it gives people the power to make choices that are in line with their ideals. Walmart's green supply chain management (GSCM) practices have a big effect on the companies that serve them, for instance, Gielens et al. (2018) address Walmart's sustainability policy, which makes suppliers follow strict rules about the environment. This requirement has two benefits: it makes the supply chain more sustainable, and it also increases the value of suppliers' shares, since following Walmart's rules often leads to better operations and new ideas.

Furthermore, the company's green programs encourage employees to care about the environment, for instance, Neebe (2020) says that these kinds of projects can give employees a sense of satisfaction and purpose, which can boost mood and keep them on the job. Also, getting workers involved in sustainability programs makes sure that green practices become part of how the business works, which makes the implementation of such schemes more real and effective.

However, in past the company was criticised for various issues related to working conditions, employee wages, and labor rights (Galagi, 2018). Hence, the green initiatives that Walmart is taking may help the company's image as a corporate social responsibility leader. Negi and Anand (2014) believed that Walmart's efforts to cut down on waste and carbon emissions are good for the areas it serves. Walmart frequently interacts with communities using recycling campaigns, environmental awareness activities, and volunteer opportunities. This builds good relationships and improves Walmart's image as a corporate social responsibility leader.

1.3 Chapter summary

This chapter presented finding and analysis of the collected data. The research provided summary of the SLR and selected articles. In addition, descriptive and thematic analysis of conducted to examine the research area. Various themes were created for instance, opportunities and challenges associated with Walmart's sustainable efforts, effectiveness of the green initiative of Walmart and finally, the influence of these sustainable practices on the stakeholders of Walmart.

2 5th Chapter: Discussion

2.1 Chapter introduction

This part gives a discussion summary of the results from the descriptive and thematic analyses. Findings and study goals were aligned by the researcher. The research evaluated previous research to investigate and rate Walmart's environmentally friendly efforts and long-lasting business methods. Additionally, the study sought to investigate the positive and negative aspects that Walmart has faced in recent years while utilizing eco-friendly methods in various markets. The researchers wanted to know how well Walmart's plans for sustainability help the company reach its sustainability goals. Additionally, the study sought to look into how Walmart's green efforts affect various groups. After collecting the data, the investigator evaluated it in this section in order to identify the answers to the study questions. Furthermore, the part talked about the study's flaws and made suggestions for future research. Lastly, a chapter summary is presented to show the main points of the chapter.

2.2 Summary of the findings and analysis

According to the research objectives, the researcher looked into important findings after evaluating the SLR and using descriptive and thematic analysis. For example, in line with the first objective, the investigator looked into the opportunities and challenges Walmart has faced in recent years while using environmentally friendly methods in different markets. The analysis revealed various opportunities and problems associated with the green initiatives of Walmart. For instance, to meet customer demand for eco-friendly goods, Walmart has made environmental sustainability a central part of its global business plan, which led the company to achieve various positive outcomes, for example strong relationship with the customers (Schirnhofer, 2022). Achieving sustainability in all parts of supply chain management, from sourcing to transportation, makes operations run more smoothly and supports long-term business goals. Thus, targeting sustainability at Walmart is meant to raise the value of the business in three areas: the economy, society, and the environment. Operating costs can be cut by using the initiatives for instance, zero pollution by 2040 and working on Project Gigaton (Jacob, 2024). Thus, various opportunities are associated with effective adoption and implementation of green initiatives. In line with the growing demand for eco-friendly goods, Walmart's use of sustainable methods also boosts the company's image and inspires trust among customers. In some markets, though, Walmart is criticized for not always keeping its

promises and having trouble putting green plans into action (Lucia and Flavia, 2017). There may

be problems with consistency across locations due to things like local rules, cultural differences,

and the amount of infrastructure. Using eco-friendly methods also helps Walmart's brand image

and builds trust with customers, which fits with the rising demand for items that are good for the

environment (Gielens et al., 2018). However, Walmart gets criticized in some places because it

does not always keep its promises and has trouble putting green initiatives into action (Galgali,

2018). It can be hard to make sure that everything is the same in different places because of

different rules, cultures, and amounts of infrastructure. Also, the growing expectation of customers

presents significant challenges for retailers associated with the sustainable practices. Keeping track

of a green supply chain can be complicated because it's necessary to work closely with many

sellers and partners who all have different green goals and skills, thus the complexity of

stakeholder management can be challenging to ensure effective sustainable practice. To

accomplish environmental objectives through relationships with suppliers requires strong

management processes (Schirnhöfer, 2022). Walmart has many tools at its service to deal with

these issues, including brand-new technologies that make managing its green initiatives much

easier. The technological implementing for the sustainable actives can make things like logistics,

waste management, and energy saving better however, they can also cause problems like privacy

and security issues, which pose a major threat for company (Winata and Ellitan, 2023). Hence, it

can be stated that Walmart can improve is brand image, positive customer relations and effective

financial outcomes. However, there are certain challenges as well for instance management of

complex stakeholder involvement, outlining effective policies for different regions and fulfilling

the rising demands of customers (GalgalI, 2018). Walmart has less of an effect on the environment thanks to its strict green supply

chain management methods, such as strategic purchasing, efficient shipping, and eco-friendly

packaging (Negi and Anand, 2014). But researchers are still looking into how they can grow and

improve the efficiency of its processes (Jacob, 2024). The company also wants to combine environmental

duty with business practices in a way that not only lessens their effect on the environment but also helps it be the most innovative in the market (Winata and

Ellitan, 2023). Walmart has less of an effect on the environment thanks to its strict green supply

chain management methods, such as strategic purchasing, efficient shipping, and eco-friendly

packaging (Negi and Anand, 2014). But researchers are still looking into how they can grow and

help solve world sustainability problems. It has been helpful for Walmart to work with different people in the supply chain, but it has also been criticized for how it affects small companies and communities (Schirnhofer, 2022). Walmart's financial management plans also need to be in line with long-term strategies for sustainability and success measures. It was seen that what was presented and what was actually done did not match up, so Ertem-Eray (2021) said that companies should be honest about their methods and the results they got. In this case, the difference means that Walmart is doing good things for society and the environment, but it could make these efforts stand out more by showing how well its business is doing financially. Region-specific differences in culture make it hard for sustainability methods to be reliable and work well. Walmart has to follow local laws and customs to make sure these global attempts are successful (Spicer and Hyatt, 2017). Walmart has long-term goals to use renewable energy, cut down on waste, and sell products that are good for the earth. However, the current efforts are still being evaluated to see if they are working.

Furthermore, as per the third objective, the researcher aimed to understand the influence of Walmart's green initiatives on the different stakeholders. The findings suggested that Walmart's dedication to sustainability has had an immense impact on all of its partners, such as customers, suppliers, employees, and the community. The company's focus on making items that are good for the environment has changed how people behave and taught them how important it is to make choices that are good for the environment (Jacob, 2024). Green supply chain management methods used by Walmart have had an effect on its suppliers, making supply chains more sustainable and raising the value of suppliers' shares. But the relationship with providers is also criticized for putting too much pressure on them to strictly follow sustainable practices. According to Schirnhofer (2022), Walmart is shifting its focus to selling items that are better for the earth. That makes this appealing to people who care about the environment and teaches people how important it is to make choices that are good for the environment.

communities through recycling campaigns, activities that raise knowledge about the environment,

and volunteer opportunities.

2.3 Limitation of the current study

the current study is based on secondary research approaches to examine Walmart's environmentally friendly practices. This method only allows for a broad look at the data that already exists, and the analysis is limited to the sources that were chosen. The study only looked at Walmart, which gives detailed information about one company's green efforts but might not completely reflect the practices of the whole retail business. This focus makes it challenging to apply the results to other store settings or parts of the world. However, a secondary study can ignore significant information that could be found by using primary data collection. This is especially true when trying to understand the problems and effects of putting these sustainable practices into action in real-time. Although the study used reports and literature that were available to the public, there may be a publication bias that means that only good initiatives are reported, while failures or partial successes are not reported enough. Potential biases and limitations should be looked at in future study to help it proceed better.

2.4 Recommendations for future researchers

Researchers in the future are advised to conduct further study methods by adding primary research methods. Interviewing, surveying, or observing stakeholders in person could help researchers learn more about the difficulties and opportunities of putting sustainable practices into practice in retail. This method would give a more accurate and complete picture of the attempts to be more sustainable and their results. Including more than one retail company in the study and comparing their sustainability plans could also make the research results more useful and broad. Comparative studies like these could help the whole business figure out the best ways to do things and the problems that everyone faces. Furthermore, longitudinal studies could also give us useful information about how green projects work and change over time, as sustainability and corporate responsibility are always changing. Researchers could also look into how digital change and sustainability can work together in retail to see how new technologies can help or hurt sustainable practices even more.

2.5 Chapter summary

The current chapter, discussion of the findings and analysis s conducted to provide details about the green initiative of Walmart. The analysis of secondary sources revealed that Walmart encounter various opportunities and challenges while practicing its green initiatives. the company made significant efforts to reach its sustainable goals and these steps have various influence on different stakeholders. Furthermore, the researcher explored the limitations of this SLR, based on which recommendations are given to future studies.

3 6th Chapter: Conclusion and Recommendations

3.1 Conclusion and recommendation

The purpose of this study is to investigate and examine Walmart's efforts to be more eco-friendly and environmentally friendly. To achieve this, the researcher has implemented systematic literature review in which relevant studies were analysed. The researcher implemented secondary qualitative approached and provides a critical analysis of Walmart's environmentally friendly business practices, focused on the company's important efforts and contributions to environmental protection. The sample size of this investigation is based on 10 papers, which were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study objectives have been achieved with the following results:

• To investigate the opportunities and challenges encountered by Walmart in recent years while using environmentally friendly methods in different markets.

This study looked at the opportunities and problems Walmart has faced in recent years while using eco-friendly methods in different markets. Sustainable business practices at Walmart have helped the company build strong relationships with customers and run its business smoothly. Improving all parts of the supply chain, like shipping and sourcing, to be more environmentally friendly helps the company build strong relationships with customers and run its business smoothly. Nevertheless, because of local laws, cultural differences, and infrastructure, it is hard for Walmart to keep all of its stores following the same rules. Managing stakeholders is challenging because it requires working closely with many buyers and partners who all have different skills, goals and regional differences. Additionally, the growing expectation of customers for innovate and transparent green initiatives also presents challenges to Walmart. The company incorporated innovative tools in its green efforts with, but these new technologies present a new set of challenges for security and privacy risks. Even with these problems, Walmart can improve its brand image, its relationships with customers, and its bottom line.

Walmart should tailor its sustainability efforts to each area it operates in order to deal with problems like local rules, cultural differences, and broken infrastructure. Walmart should tailor its sustainability efforts to each area it operates by using innovative technology in order to deal with

problems like local rules, cultural differences, and broken infrastructure. For instance, internet of things can be utilised to check the cleanliness of the air, water, and trash collection. it can assist Walmart to learn more about specific area how they work, make the best use of resources, and make sustainability practices fit the needs and opportunities of the environment

• To understand the significance of Walmart's sustainable plans for reaching its sustainable goals

The finding revealed that Walmart has set significant targets for sustainability, like using only green energy by and achieving zero waste. In order to meet these goals, the company has increased the use of green energy sources and made its operations more efficient. In order to reduce the environmental footprints and encourage new ideas in the market, these steps are part of a broader initiative to make environmental responsibility a natural part of how they do business. Walmart's strict green supply chain management strategies, such as strategic sourcing, optimizing transportation, and using eco-friendly packaging solutions, make its dedication to sustainability transparent. These steps have made an important contribution in lowering its impact on the environment. On the other hand, the study also finds problems with making these programs more extensive and successful. Problems like addressing the problems that could hurt small businesses and communities and revealing the gaps between stated goals and real results. The study also shows that Walmart needs to make sure that its long-term financial plans are in line with its long-term green goals. To make Walmart's global sustainability efforts more effective, it is stressed that reporting needs to be more open and sustainability practices need to be changed to fit regional cultural and legal differences. Thus, Walmart's sustainability plans are important for guiding the company's approach to being environmentally responsible, but it is recommended that these plans need to be constantly reviewed and changed if Walmart is to really reach its stated sustainable goals. In addition, Walmart should help vendors meet these demands without affecting their ability to do business by giving them training or cash incentives. It is recommended that Walmart should

According to research finding, Walmart's green efforts have an effect on many groups, such as customers, suppliers, workers, and the community. The results show that Walmart's dedication to sustainability has an enormous impact on all of these groups. Walmart's commitment to eco-friendly products has a significant impact on the consumer behaviour, focusing on environmentally conscious decision-making. Consumers who care about the environment are be drawn to this change, and it also teaches people about making choices that are good for the environment. Walmart's "green supply chain management" has helped suppliers by making the supply chain more sustainable and raising the value of their shares. However, its strict sustainability standards have been criticized for putting too much pressure on suppliers. Environmental initiatives at the organization give workers a sense of purpose, which makes them more engaged with and committed to the company's goals. But Walmart's labor methods, such as its working conditions and employee rights, have been criticized, which could hurt its efforts to be green. Additionally, Walmart's involvement in environmental efforts and recycling programs strengthens its standing as a leader in corporate social responsibility and enabled the company to strengthen its relationship with the community as a whole. Walmart's efforts to be more environmentally friendly have led to good changes and better relationships with many groups, but certain issues still need to be solved. for instance, it is recommended that the company need to find a mix between strict requirements for sustainability, fair labor practices, and managing supplier pressures. Furthermore, it is suggested to Walmart to work on improving how they communicate and engage with all of their partners. It should invest into further improving business practices related to labor, making sure that workers are paid fairly, have safe places to work, and have their rights respected. This raises the brand's image as a responsible employer and makes workers happier and more likely to stay with the company.

3.2 Reflection

Gibbs' model helps me think about my dissertation journey (Galli and New, 2022), especially the part where I looked into research process and explore various stages of the research process practices.

Revisited Gibbs' cycle

Action plan

Description

Conclusion

Analysis

Evaluation

Feelings

Emotions

Figure 3: Gibbs reflective cycle; Source: Cited in Galli and New, 2022

Description: The point of my dissertation was to evaluate and examine Walmart's green initiatives. I looked into how Walmart acts environmentally-friendly in its business and how this affects customers, suppliers, employees, and the community. furthermore, various challenges and opportunities were analysed and investigated the significance of Walmart's sustainable initiative The research involved reading academic papers, gathering data from different sources, and putting it all together to come to a conclusion about how well and how difficult Walmart's efforts to be more environmentally friendly are.

Emotions: At first, the scope of my research topic made me feel stressed out, and I was nervous about getting data from such a large organization and analyzing it. However, the more articles I read, the more interested I became in corporate sustainability, and the more sure I became that I could handle the project. It was hard to start, but in the end it was worth it because I felt like I had made a difference in an important area of study.

Evaluation: There were good times and bad times during the research process. A significant benefit was learning more about how giant businesses can affect the long-term health of the environment. I was able to get really good at analyzing things and learn a lot about how to run a green business. There were some problems with the study, though. For example, it was hard to get

access to private company data and figure out how much some sustainability efforts really helped. It was hard to come to firm conclusions sometimes because of these problems.

Analysis: During this research process, I encountered various issues that taught me how important it is to have flexible research methods and be ready to change the scope of the research based on the resources you have access to. The experience taught me how important it is to do a lot of preliminary research to figure out if a study is possible and how big it should be. Also, I got opportunity to get feedback from my supervisor related to literature review, which was significant to understand the importance of conducting and effective literature review. Furthermore, I also talking about problems with my peers and friends gave me new ideas and ways to solve them, which was very helpful for getting past problems.

Conclusion: Finally, I can say that, working on my dissertation taught me a lot about both the subject and the ways to do research. I learned that sustainability is a complicated field where many different groups depend on each other. It became especially clear how important it is to be open and how corporate policies affect how the public sees the company and how engaged stakeholders are. As a researcher, I learned how important it is to be flexible, plan carefully, and make sure that data is correct.

Action Plan: If I did another research project in the future, I would spend more time planning, especially coming up with a way to do the research. To get better access to data and insights, I would also try to make connections with people who work in the field early on in the process. I would also work on making better ways to deal with limited data, such as adding more qualitative interviews to secondary data to make it stronger. Furthermore, I will explore more search strategies and critical writing practices through online platform.