Organizational Behavior Analysis of Walt Disney World

Outline

1. Introduction
2. Main Leadership Styles or Theories
3. Organizational Culture

1. Major Organizational Changes
2. Ethical Issues
3. Conclusion

Organizational Behavior Analysis of Walt Disney World

The Walt Disney World Organization is examined from several angles, including leadership styles, organizational culture, significant organizational changes, and ethical concerns. The world’s most well-known entertainment corporation, Walt Disney World, runs one of the busiest theme parks. One learns more about how the business functions, shapes employee behavior and tackles ethical issues by examining these areas. Transformational, servant, and situational leadership are the three primary leadership philosophies contributing to the business’s success. The corporate culture strongly emphasizes diversity, cooperation, excellent guest service, and creativity. The organization’s history has been characterized by significant organizational changes, including acquisitions and the deployment of programs to improve the visitor experience. Various programs have addressed ethical problems, such as labor methods, cultural representation, and environmental effects. One may thoroughly grasp the Walt Disney World Organization and its influence on the entertainment industry by looking at these components.

Main Leadership Styles or Theories

To effectively lead its staff, Walt Disney World uses a variety of leadership theories and techniques. Within the Walt Disney World Company, transformational leadership is prevalent. Transformational leaders inspire and encourage their workforce by developing an excellent corporate culture, inspiring innovation, and fostering a shared vision (Luo et al., 2019). At Walt Disney World, transformational leaders inspire their employees with a sense of mission and excitement, enabling them to go beyond their comfort zones and provide outstanding visitor experiences. Additionally, servant leadership is included in the organization. Servant leaders put their workers’ needs first, fostering their development. They set an exemplary example, encourage teamwork, and work to foster a climate of respect and trust. Walt Disney World’s servant leadership philosophy fosters a motivated and devoted team. Additionally, situational leadership theory has applications within the company. Walt Disney World understands how critical it is to modify one’s leadership approach depending on the circumstance and workforce demands. Leaders are taught to adapt their style, giving the right direction and assistance based on the work and team members engaged.

Organizational Culture

Walt Disney World’s corporate culture is distinguished by creativity, innovation, outstanding guest service, ongoing learning, teamwork, and diversity. For both staff and visitors, the company places a high priority on providing an excellent and welcoming environment. Employees are urged to embrace the company’s history and immerse themselves in the spirit of creativity and narrative, or “cast members.” The corporate culture places a strong emphasis on ongoing learning and growth. Employees undergo in-depth training to improve their abilities and expertise to provide exceptional client experiences. A motivated and devoted staff results from the emphasis on employee development. The organization places high importance on cooperation and teamwork. Walt Disney World understands the importance of working together to provide seamless and extraordinary visitor experiences. The culture of togetherness and camaraderie is fostered by encouraging cast members to collaborate, exchange ideas, and support one another.

Major Organizational Changes

Walt Disney World underwent considerable organizational changes to respond to market needs and improve operational effectiveness. The purchase of Pixar Animation Studios in 2006 was one significant move (Holcomb & Latham-Mintus, 2022). Disney’s creative potential was increased with the union of these two entertainment titans. The success of succeeding blockbuster movies was aided by integrating Pixar’s storytelling and animation know-how with Disney’s operations, improving the visitor experience. The introduction of the MyMagic+ program, a comprehensive endeavor to improve the visitor experience, was another notable shift. This concept included cutting-edge technology to expedite and customize the visitor experience, including MagicBands and the My Disney Experience app. By enabling visitors to personalize their itineraries, get access to attractions, book dinner reservations, and more through a single digital platform, MyMagic+ revolutionized operations throughout the theme parks. The debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2019 also brought a significant organizational transformation (Uy, 2022). This addition established Walt Disney World as the top destination for Star Wars enthusiasts and showed Disney’s dedication to providing guests with immersive experiences.

Ethical Issues

Walt Disney World has encountered moral dilemmas in several contexts. Low pay and excessive work hours for some employees, especially those in lower-paying professions, have drawn criticism for labor practices and workplace conditions. How the company treats and compensates its employees has drawn public attention and criticism. Ethical issues have also been brought up by cultural portrayal in movies and theme park attractions (Baker, 2023). There have been discussions regarding cultural appropriation and sensitivity since some representations have come under fire for supporting stereotypes or not accurately portraying other cultures. The environmental effect has also been brought forward for consideration. Water use, garbage disposal, and the theme parks’ ecological footprint have all been topics of discussion. Through environmental programs, including cutting back on single-use plastics and investing in renewable energy sources, Walt Disney World has taken action to solve these issues.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Walt Disney World Organization demonstrates a variety of leadership philosophies that support a motivational workplace. The company enthralls staff and visitors with a culture that values creativity, innovation, outstanding service, learning, teamwork, and diversity. Walt Disney World regularly adjusts to suit market needs through significant changes, including acquisitions, improvements to the tourist experience, and immersive attractions. The organization’s dedication to ethical business practices is demonstrated by its response to issues with labor practices, cultural representation, and environmental effects. Walt Disney Global strengthens its position as a global entertainment leader by prioritizing effective leadership, a thriving culture, strategic changes, and ethical concerns. Therefore, the rigid position allows it to provide magical experiences all over the globe.

References

Baker, C. (2023). The prevalence of story worlds and thematic landscapes in global theme parks. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 4(1), 100080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annale.2022.100080

Holcomb, J., & Latham-Mintus, K. (2022). Disney and disability: Media representations of disability in Disney and Pixar animated films. Disability Studies Quarterly, 42(1). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v42i1.7054

Luo, A., Guchait, P., Lee, L., & Madera, J. M. (2019). Transformational leadership and service recovery performance: The mediating effect of emotional labor and the influence of culture. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77, 31–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.06.011

Uy, J. (2022). Green milk: The environmental etymologies of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Transformative Works and Cultures, 38. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2022.2177