Name: Megan A, Labiaga Date: November 23, 2021

Year & Block: ABM 11 - E Instructor: Ms. Nefriteri Vega

TOA: PT - Writing a reaction paper Course: ENGL 01

What Billions are Worth

A Reaction Paper based on the
Documentary Film “ Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price”

“The love of money is the root of all evil - that does not say that

money itself is evil” is a line by Rev. James Lawson in the end of the

documentary, which probably speaks for the side of Walmart.

“Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price” is a documentary film by the

Brave New Films meant to expose Wal-Mart’s unjust business practices.

The speaker’s main objectives is to inform the public, motivate actions

to be done, and create a just country. As shown evidently, the creators

were able to meet their objectives with great success as people in

America started to open their eyes and act upon this unfair event.

Personally, I am one with the speaker’s agenda and the undeniable

fact that their objectives met relevant needs for social issues to be

aided. I was able to find myself being positively influenced by the

documentary film because not only were they a voice to those who

cannot be heard, but they also filled the minds of the unaware. As a

business student, the topic on social justice fit perfectly on how future

businessmen like us are suppose to run an entity In the right way with
integrity and commitment to people. Despite the common

misconception about how the economic and business world are filled

with greed, the obligation to use their power to make the society a

better place is something that entities like Walmart lack upon ensuring

social justice through essentially prioritizing corporal components such

as human rights in workplaces, responsibility to the environment, and

an effective company-customer relationship. Business organizations

play a vital role in the society; a role that one must play responsibly

rather than people over bills - or perhaps does those billions’ worth

include humanity at stake?

Human rights in workplaces has been a controversial issue for a

very long time. The speaker clearly made their point on as to why it is

considered an essential component in how corporal social justice

works. Majority of the happenings tackled in the documentary is how

Walmart repeatedly violates the basic human rights of their employees .

Evidences such as cheating the workers $150 million dollars, forcing the

Chinese employees to lie to inspectors, overworking employees while

underpaying them, no benefits for them or their families, etc shows just

enough to prove an unjust workplace. Through these, I learned how

hard the life has been for those treated unjustly as what I’ve heard

during the interview of certain employees as they tell their struggles. I

find respecting the rights of your employees as an essential key to

success and a matter we should continuosly fight for; to be able to

function externally, you must first work with achieving greatness inside

the company as a whole.

The environment is everyone’s responsibility, but businesses are

always the first one to need them the most. Walmart’s decline to the

call of care for nature was also briefly tackled in the film like the issue

on river pollution. The speaker wanted to emphasize how not attending

to their environmental responsibility only brings a terrible feedback to

the corporation. In my opinion, including environmental awareness

when discussing business is a very good way to help nature. We are all

aware of the environment being contentiously ruined for industrial and

business purposes, so it is just right to give back to mother nature as

much as they could.

No manager or a future one would question why the

relationship between company and customer is really important. Oddly

for Walmart, one of their customers said “When the person is done

spending their money on that store, they wouldn’t care about you

anymore.’ which expresses a very unhealthy treatment of their

customers. Walmart will never have been able to reach that far if it

wasn’t for their customers. What is worse is how some customers would

get violated in Walmart’s own premises. In my perspective, an entity’s

number one priority is always customers and their welfare. I believe that

businesses have the great power to help and save people and so they
should. This made me learn how some owners are really willing to throw

away their principles for their greed. Just to avoid expenses or liabilities,

CEOs like Walton are willing to put aside justice.

Overall, the documentary was able to meet their objectives

through gathering many solid and reliable evidences. The speakers

were able to tackle the concept of social justice in a clear and precise

way through exposing the unjust practices of world-famous business like

Walmart. It can be observed that the film uses professional terms in

exposing evidences and raw stories to catch the viewer’s heart. This

story on the other side of Walmart gave me a clearer version on who I

want to become in the business industry; a manager who prioritizes

people over power, humanity over money, and an instrument of social

justification. To be able to be who I aspire, I shall focus on reinstating

the highlighted corporal components that Walmart lacked in, namely

the stirctly observing human rights in workplaces, responsibility to the

environment, and a healthy company-customer relationship. The

impact this film will always remind me of how much of a power being a

manager Is and how it directly affects the lives of those who surrounds

you. I firmly believe that I am able to tactically justify my reaction due

to the motivation it has given the majority of the people who watched

the film. In a world where billions are are earned in exchange for lives

and rights, I’d always prefer a penny for a million free souls.