Weber's Social Theories within our Modern Economic World
             Wal-Mart, the largest private cooperation in America reflects a lot of the business and economic strategies of our capitalist nation. The LA Times recently published an article about how Wal-Mart both helps the American population by providing goods at low costs and also hurts our society because of the way in which their employees are treated and the many social and economic repercussions Wal-Mart's calculated efforts for price reduction cause. By analyzing the aspects of Wal-Mart's strategies and policies which are illustrated in this article, we are able to examine many of Max Weber's social theories including issues regarding capitalism, rationalization, organization of big companies, control over employees through calculation and traditionalism, and the Protestant ethic as it is embedded within our society.
             Weber's observations on capitalistic business strategies that calculate how to run businesses more efficiently by calculating income and costs meticulously reflects the strategies Wal-Mart uses in order to reap profits. "It is one of the fundamental characteristics of an individual capitalistic economy that it is rationalized on the basis of rigorous calculation, directed with foresight and caution toward the economic success" (The Protestant Ethic 37). This clearly reflects the kind of rationalized economic strategies that Wal-Mart fundamentally focuses on. In the main headquarters of this enormous corporation there are lists of all the competitive retail stores, such as Target with pictures of the main-executives of these stores. They want to know everything about their competitors so that they can calculate an efficient plan to wrestle customers into their own stores. They shaved costs everywhere through this meticulous form of calculation. Inventory costs are lowered by strategically managing goods within the store, man...