What were some of the commonly accepted hiring practices prior to the implementation of Title VII?
Before the adoption of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there were other methods accepted for hiring practices. Prior to the implementation of Title VII, Wal-Mart used hiring practices which included denying jobs to women at distribution center which was supported by gender-a violation of the title and prejudicial sparking. In other words, the hiring practices used before the implementation of Title VII were based on gender discrimination. Its implementation has led to reduction in all these issues of gender discrimination.
Is gender equality a current issue? Why or why not?
The main issue with staffing in Wal-Mart is diversity. There have been several cases in which Wal-Mart has been sued for gender discrimination. Although the employment rate in Wal-Mart had increased by 59%, for approximately five years, there was approximately 3% decrease in the number of women employed in the company. In addition to the drop in the number of females being employed at Wal-Mart, there was another issue of gender inequality when it comes to salaries an employee benefits (Pynchon, 2011) This is also associated with the gender inequality allegations against Wal-Mart. Female workers at Wal-Mart earned less than their male counterparts even their performance was the same or even higher (National Organization for Women, 2011). This was in all regions where Wal-Mart stores were located and in every job category. It was also found out that the gap in their pay keeps widening over time for males and females who were employed in the same job at the same time. Women also took a very long time compared to men to be promoted. Another inequality is seen when it comes to compensation for males and females at the same level of job category. Men have been found to receive higher amounts of compensation compared to females. All these discriminations against females show that gender inequality is a current issue at Wal-Mart.
Are both genders equally represented in all levels of the company?
In addition to all discriminations, there was the issue that both genders that is males and females were not equally represented at all levels of the company. Though it is decreasing, the number of female employees at Wal-Mart was high almost seventy percent. Out of this it was found that less than one third of them were in the management. These show that women at Wal-Mart are given the low levels of the company staff. Even when it comes to promotion it takes a very long time for a woman to be promoted to a management post (Curry, 2011). This is the opposite of their male counterparts where they could be employed at any level without considering their qualifications. Some high level jobs were not advertised but just given to specific people. Males are represented at all levels of the company but females are not represented at all levels since there are those top positions in which women are not given.
Are salaries equitable based on job performance and/or seniority?
Another issue at Wal-Mart is that salaries are not equitable on job performance and or seniority. As stated earlier, women are paid less than their men counterparts even if they are at the same level and same job category. This is an indication than, salaries are based on gender and not on performance and seniority (Curry, 2011). There are some cases where women who are lucky to have been promoted to management positions have been found to receive less salaries compared to males who are at a lower position. In addition to this, compensations are not based on performance and seniority. They are also based on gender since males have been found to receive higher compensations compared to females even if the women are senior or they have a better performance (National Organization for Women, 2011). Salary distribution at Wal-Mart has been inconsistent depending on factors determined by its management.
Should Wal-Mart’s managers care about these statistics? Why or why not?
Managers at Wal-Mart should care about these statistics because they have an impact on the performance of the company. These activities affect the company legally, ethically and morally. It is illegal to discriminate against women which can prompt legal actions against the organization (International Labor Organization, 2011). Despite the fact that the management has been claiming that it is concerned and it is making the necessary changes, research done on the company has shown that nothing has changed and very little is being done to stop these activities. Wal-Mart should have a social responsibility in which it should contribute to the well being of the community. This can be done by paying smart wages to its employees based on performance and seniority but not based on gender. The managers should care since; how they treat their employees will affect how their customers are loyal (International Labor Organization, 2011). No one will want to buy from an organization which does not care for the poor and for women.
What, if anything, should management do about this issue?
The management should identify the suitable corrective measures and implement them. The problems here are gender inequality and inequality in payments and compensations. The management should try and identify and define the problem, identify a plan which can be used to solve these issues, implement the plant and then monitor and evaluate whether it is producing any positive results. If the management is committed about solving these issues, these steps would assist them adequately. They should device methods motivating their employees based on performance and not on gender. Compensation methods should also be corrected and be a little bit fair.

References
Curry, M. (2011). Article- Wal-Mart Class Action Gender Discrimination Case Holds. Retrieved on May 23, 2011 from http://www.business-marketing.com/store/article-walmart.html
International Labor Organization. (2011). Gender and Employment. Retrieved on May 23, 2011 from http://www.ilo.org/employment/Areasofwork/lang–en/WCMS_DOC_EMP_ARE_GEN_EN
National Organization for Women. (2011). Wal-Mart: The Facts. Retrieved on May 23, 2011 from http://www.now.org/issues/wfw/wm-facts.html
Pynchon, V. (2011). Wal-Mart Discrimination Case Grapples with Implicit Biases against Women. Retrieved on May 23, 2011 from http://blogs.forbes.com/shenegotiates/2011/03/28/walmart-discrimination-case-grapples-with-implicit-biases-against-women/