Introduction to International Business; Global MarketingWal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates under the brand name Walmart. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a multinational organization based in the United States. Walmart specializes in retail business running diverse warehouse stores and discount department stores. Walmart is second largest organization among the public corporations in the world. Surveys conducted in 2013 by the Fortune Global 500 indicated that Walmart has more than two million members of the workforce, making the firm one of the diversified private employers internationally. Walmart is also the largest retailer internationally, it is a public company with Doug McMillon as the Chief Executive Officer and Robson Walton as the Chairman. Walmart has also invested in China.Walmart has more than eleven thousand outlets in more than twenty-seven countries in the world. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates under different brand names in different countries. Some of the common brands are Walmart in the Puerto Rico and United States, Seiyu in Japan, Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica in Mexico, Asda in the United Kingdom and Best Price in India among other brands (Chan, 2011). Investments of Walmart internationally have received mixed reactions. Investments in South America and United Kingdom have been very successful while investments in South Korea and Germany have been a failure. Investments in China are unpredictable with the Chinese government introducing diverse reforms. Products offered by Walmart are cash and carry warehouse club, apparel and footwear specialty, discount store, supercenter, hypermarket, supermarket and superstore (Chan, 2011).China need expansions of the international companies in the nation, in the sense that international companies create job opportunities for the citizens, Walmart positively contribute to the diversification of the Chinese economy and that Walmart raise the living standards of the Chinese citizens. On the other side, Walmart need the Chinese market as a way of expanding internationally, Walmart will increase its competitive advantage through winning the Chinese market, Walmart will increase profits, diversify to the new Chinese market share, Walmart will create new markets for its products and services, Walmart will locate new products and technologies to be used in the domestic markets, Walmart will find new suppliers in the Chinese market and that Walmart will increase the wealth of the shareholders (Chan, 2011). Walmart has different ways of entering into the Chinese market, Walmart engage independent agents, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions or a combination of the above.The social and economic reforms in the Chinese market will impact the operations of local and international organizations within the region (Yao & Blanchard, 2013). The social and economic reforms were characterized with relaxing of the child policy that limits a family to one child only, and also by freeing up markets as a model of stabling the Chinese economy. The changes present doubts and uncertainties on the future of the local and international businesses (Yao & Blanchard, 2013). The changes have the capability of increasing or decreasing the momentum of the economy.Social and economic reforms in the Chinese economy do not happen on one day, it takes time since the reforms needs diverse consultations from different stakeholders (Yao & Blanchard, 2013). Chinese Communist Party has been concerned with residence registration reforms and on the land reforms. It is expected that the reforms will foster Western style consumption driven economy and services (Chan, 2011). The reforms will mainly benefit the Chinese people living in urban centers.The Chinese government has been influential in the pricing of electricity and fuels among other critical resources. Management of some resources will be under the market decisions. There has been a need in the liberalization of the financial markets and opening up of capital accounts (Yao & Blanchard, 2013). Comparing the Chinese reforms in the twenty 2010s and Chinese reforms in the 1990s, the new reforms are concerned on the international market share; a model that was lacking in the 1990s. Reforms started with Deng Xiaoping in 1970s and 1980s where the China was opened up to the international business arena (Chan, 2011). The reforms have influenced to China being one of the strongest emerging economy in the world.Social reforms reflected on unifying the urban and rural social security systems and at the same time doing away with the labor camps there are considered controversial. The 60 point plan focuses at addressing Chinese government and party bureaucracy. China is struggling with social stability, economic stability and letting market forces control the monopoly of the Chinese communist party. Analysts have considered the reforms to offer optimism, it is strongly believed that the reforms will foster a healthy competition for private businesses and state owned organizations (The Nature of International Business, 2010). Chinese leadership values the stability of the nation and the economy. The Chinese government controls monopoly in state owned businesses that are very powerful. The Chinese government has a number of protected sectors, which need reforms to foster healthy competitions.The Chinese reforms are after successful transitions as it happened in South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. Analysts argue that China is heading to the right direction as the world face changes with globalization and socialization (Chan, 2011). Although the process is long, it will benefit both the local and international companies operating in Chinese market.Walmart stores in China target urban populations (Roberts, 2013); Walmart has faced stiff competition from the local players in the Chinese markets. In overcoming the stiff competition, Walmart is going for the small towns within China by opening up more outlets and also by introducing new products and services. Fresh foods are a new product offered by Walmart to the Chinese population. China has an extensive consumer market that has contributed to growth of the economy over the years. Walmart is an influential player in the Chinese market with more than four hundred stores and more than ninety thousand employees (Roberts, 2013). The reforms are believed to offer more expansion, which will create more opportunities to the target market.Walmart is facing challenges in China; there are underperforming outlets that need to be closed down and in setting up new stores in strategic locations. It was noted that more than thirty outlets were considered underperforming with the company projecting greater expansions by 2015 (Chan, 2011). The biggest competitor in the Chinese market is Sun Art Retail Group with fourteen percent market share followed by the China Resources Enterprise and Walmart each holding eleven percent of the market share (Roberts, 2013).The new reforms in the Chinese economy have a capability of positively or negatively influencing the operations of Walmart in the Chinese market. New leaders encourage more urbanization of China. There are high prospects that Walmart will benefit with the new reforms as the target market expands more and more. There are areas being developed in the urban areas which will be occupied by people in the near future. The apartments will hold many people, which is an opportunity for Walmart to expand in the new markets. It is expected that the reforms will support local and international businesses as China face changes with globalization and socialization.ReferencesChan, A. (2011). Ithaca, NY: ILR Press.Roberts, D. (2013, October 24). . Retrieved February 16, 2014, from Businessweek.com: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-24/walmarts-China-expansion-aims-to-tap-urbanization. (2010). Retrieved February 17, 2013, from Highered.mcgraw-hill.com: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078029376/889427/Chapter01.pdfYao, K. & Blanchard, B. (2013, November 15). . Retrieved February 16, 2014, from Reuters.com: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/15/us-China-reform-idUSBRE9AE0BL20131115