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1、Lesson25TheSuccessofWal-MartWal-MartisAmerica’slargestcorporation,theserviceeconomywearsthecrownByCaitMurphy1.HowdidapeddlerofcheapshirtsandfishingrodsbecomethemightiestcorporationinAmerica?TheshortversionofWal-Mart’srisetoglorygoessomethinglikethis:In1979itrackedupabilliondollarsinsales.1By1993itd
2、idthatmuchbusinessinaweek;by2001itcoulddoitinaday.2.It’sastunningtale-onethatpropelledWal-MartfromruralArkansas,whereitwasfoundedin1962,tothetopoftheFORTUNE5002thisyear.SamWalton,Wal-Mart’sfounder,pushedsalesgrowthrelentlesslywhilesqueezingcostswithsophisticatedinformationtechnology.3Heexhortedempl
3、oyeestosellbetterwithquasi-biblicalpreceptslikethe“ten-footrule”(greetcustomersiftheyarethatclose).4Hewas,inotherwords,anearlyevangelistforthefirstcommandmentoftoday’seconomy:Servicerules.53.Wal-Mart,infact,isthefirstservicecompanytorisetothetopoftheFORTUNE500.(Before1994,FORTUNElistedserviceandind
4、ustrialcompaniesseparately,butnoservicecompanywaseverlargerthanthetopindustrialones.)WhenFORTUNEfirstpublisheditslistofthelargestcompaniesinAmericain1955,Wal-Martdidn’tevenexist.ThatyearGeneralMotors6wasAmerica’sbiggestcompany,andineveryyearthatfollowed,eitherGMoranothermightyindustrial,Exxon7,wasN
5、o.1.4.Wal-Mart’sachievementcapsabiggereconomicshift8-fromproducinggoodstoprovidingservices-that’sbeenhappeningforyears.Manufacturing’sshareofU.S.employmentpeakedin1953,at35%.Ithasbeendecliningsteadilysince.Inthedecadethatwillendin2010,theBureauofLaborStatistics9figuresthatgoods-producingindustries(
6、brawnywork10likemining,construction,andmanufacturing)willcreate1.3millionnewjobs,comparedto20millionforserviceindustries.Tolookatitanotherway,todaythereareaboutfourtimesasmanypeopleworkinginservicejobsasinotherkindsofjobs.Andevenwithinmanufacturing,servicesareanincreasingshareofoperations.GE,forexa
7、mple,makesthelion’sshareofitsrevenuesfromfinanceoperations”,whichiswhyFORTUNElistsitasaservicecompany.5.Alookat1955helpstoexplainwhyAmericahasgoneinthisdirection.TheFORTUNE500forthatyearisrichinnameslikeWes
