Leadership and Management Strategies of the Walt Disney Company

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Walt Disney Company's management and leadership strategies. It begins with an introduction to the company, highlighting its success in the entertainment industry. A SWOT analysis identifies Disney's strengths (reliability, efficient team, negotiation skills) and weaknesses (poor financial planning, high attrition). Opportunities include leveraging innovative technologies and branding, while threats include localization and competition. The report suggests the "fairness and justice approach" as the best ethical approach. It then discusses key elements of planning (objectives, actions, resources, implementation) and aspects of company culture, including communication, unity of command, and centralization/decentralization. The report explores organizational structures, recommending a functional structure, and contemporary leadership theories, such as participative and transformational leadership. Finally, it recommends a change management approach, including training, to ensure future growth and employee retention. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of leadership and management practices for Disney's continued success.

Running Head: WALT DISNEY 0
Management

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Introduction of Walt Disney Company
Walt Disney Company is making magic since the year 1923 in its theme part
attraction, classic animation features as well as through its hottest shown on the television. It
is also creating such stories that are unforgettable. It also connects the audiences all over the
world. Crew, cast, employees, and imaginers are the key to its success (Nguyen, Mia, Winata
& Chong, 2017). The mission of Walt Disney is to inform, entertain, as well as inspire the
people across the globe. In the entertainment production, it is one of the most successful and
recognised companies. It was idealised by two brothers named Roy O. Disney and Walt
Disney.
SWOT analysis of Walt Disney
Strength:
 Reliability: Walt Disney has strong and effective tie up with its suppliers that help it
in providing the high quality of materials.
 Disney also has effective cash flow system that helps the company to achieve the
extra investment in other regions. In the year ending 2018 also, it has achieved the total
operating flow of 14.3 billion (Rosenberg, Caldart & Seager, 2017).
 Efficient team: Walt Disney also has the effective team members that consist of then
story scriptwriters, artists, as well as graphic designers. Among its team, it has several
experienced professionals who have the experience in the mass media industry.
 Effective negotiation skills: Walt Disney also has string network as well as
negotiation skills in order to set up the dealers and distributors (Colquitt & Rodell, 2015).
Weaknesses of Disney
 Poor financial planning: by getting the huge collection of its account and lot of cash
flow, it can be said that financial planning of the company is insufficient or poor.
 The lack of promotion and marketing by Disney can also leave it vulnerable to the
competitors.
 It has also spent high amount of time on the grooming and training of its employees.
However, it is not able to improve its high rate of attrition.

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 In addition to this, the product designers have the poor judgement that can lead to loss
of opportunities as compare to its competitors (Becker, 2017).
 It has to face the force competition in its core segment. In relation to the advertising, it
tends to compete with the several other media such as radio, magazines and newspapers.
Therefore, high competition has proved to be the threat that might reduce the Disney market
share in some of its segments.
 In addition to this, in the recent time, every media company is required to strictly
adhere to the high regulations made by the government.
Opportunities for Walt Disney
 Through the expertise of Walt Disney in the mass media market, it can also set several
skills that can help in using several innovative technologies.
 It can also make changes in its marketing investment. It can also get many
opportunities that it has missed.
 Disney has proved to be number one company for the lot of adults and children who
grow up during the era of Walt Disney. It is the perfect source of branding that can be used
by Disney to promote the business (Ghasabeh, Soosay & Reaiche, 2015).
Threats of Walt Disney
 It is true that Disney is proved to be king in the production of mass media. localisation
has also proved to be the biggest threat of Disney.
 In the recent time, children expecting more shooting the villains to play station and
video games. It will still remain to be the favourite theme part but Walt Disney still required
to reach to the next generation.
 It still requires the high amount of human resource to make its operation run
(Boguszewicz-Kreft, Kreft & Żurek, 2019).
One Ethical Approach that is best for Walt Disney
In its ethical approach, it can use the “fairness and justice approach.” This approach
states that individual is required to be respected in the same way in each situation. Therefore,
discrimination should not be done at the workplace. Walt Disney should also be considered in
order to make the ethical decision (Yean, 2016). It is also being analysed that if company will

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sue this approach, it will surely make the accurate and effective decision, as it will help it in
reducing the negative feeling among all its employees. By using this approach, employees
will also feel engaged in the workplace in every operational function( Boockmann, Thomsen,
Walter, Göbel & Huber, 2015).
Four key elements
In using the four elements to the plan, it is essential to give the emphasis on the
concept of planning. In the four elements of planning, it is essential to give the emphasis on
the actions, objectives, resources, as well as implementation. Objective is the first factor that
should be considered by the Walt Disney in order to make the statement for future conditions
that manager can put emphasis. The whole goal can also give the consideration with the
timing, measurement and priority. Objective is also required to be implied at the specified
time. At the same time, time dimension can also give emphasis on the activity that is guided
by several objectives. Of objectives will be set properly, it can also help the employees in
order to give their best toward activities of organisation. In order to ensure the effective
planning, it is significant to measure the objective. Several types of measurement can also be
undertaken in relation to the quantify goals in several areas. The company can also give the
emphasis on the productivity, market standing as well as on the overall profit. actions is the
next element that is required to be concerned with the certain operation that is required to be
planned properly so that objectives can be achieve (Rahim, 2017).
The third aspect is the resources that are required to be considered by Walt Disney for
plan. It also indicates the identification of sources and ensuring budgeting. Therefore, it is
essential for the management to indicate the type of budget that can proved to be effective for
the planning needs. The last aspect is the implementation that gives emphasis on providing
the direction to the personnel for carrying out the plan. At the phase of implementation,
emphasis is required to given on the directions that are provided by the personnel in
completing the plan. At this, three tactics can be considered such as persuasion, policy as well
as authority. All these factors can assist in implementing the plan in effective way. In
addition to this, it can also help in achieving the set target in this competitive market.
Therefore, Walt Disney can consider these four elements for achieving the success (Noe,
Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 2017).

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Aspects of the company culture
Communication is the most significant aspect in the culture of company. If proper and
effective flow of communication will be done in the company, it will also become easy for
the employees to ensure their work properly. Similarly, Walt Disney can also create the
effective and strong culture by ensuring the proper flow of communication at the workplace.
It is significant because if employees will be given the chance to communicate their ideas and
view, they will work in better way. By using this, it will also become laidback for the
employees to effectively work with the dedication and efficiency toward their responsible
work (Isabella, Yemen, Isabella & Yemen, 2017).
Unity of Command
Walt Disney can get the unity of command by making one effective leader by making
its leader in each of its department. For example- In its marketing department, it can ensure
one best leader so that it will become easy from the employees to get track from only one
leader. If employees will get the direction from only one leader, it will also become easy for
them to solve their queries. Besides this, organisational activity will also be controlled if the
leader will guide employees in effective manner.
Centralisation or Decentralisation
It will become easy for Walt Disney to achieve the decentralisation by giving
emphasis on its subordinates. Top management of the company should collect the
information from the subordinates and management as it will prove to be helpful for them as
well to achieve the objectives. It is also true that if information will be collected directly from
the subordinates then proper data will be collected because employees are the one who
directly ensure the interaction with the customer. It is also founded that when approach of
decentralisation is sued, interest of employees also increases toward the activities of
organisation.
Span Control
In Walt Disney, span of control should also be exercised where around 5 or 6
members of the team should be organized directly by the manager. For instance: the selling

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department should have at least two manager and they should be responsible for guiding the
employees. it will lead to control of the overall activity of the organisation (Ferdous, 2016).
Formalization
In Walt Disney, manager should specify the rules and procedures for employees. it
can also fix the time for every member in which they can complete their work. By using this
approach, productivity of the organisation will also increase. Besides this, the managers can
also set rules when they join the company.
Organisation structure
Functional structure
Walt Disney can use the Functional structure. It will prove to be effective for the
company because in this structure; company will be divided into the small effective groups.
For example, in the advertising department, there will be small group of employees. Using
such structure in company, a specific and proper flow of communication will be maintained.
Contemporary Leadership Theory
Participative leadership approach can be used by the Walt Disney where in workers
will also be allowed to participative in the decision-making. Using such approach, employees
will also become motivate to come up with their innovative idea. It will also be easy for the
company to motivate the employees and bring the productivity out of them. In addition to
this, transformation leadership theory can also be considered (Salahuddin, 2010). It will help
in boosting the motivation level of the employees. Using such leadership style, leaders also
work with the team members in order to know the changes wherever it is required. It will also
assist the employees in solving their queries when they are facing it. It is therefore best to
boost the engagement level and dedication of employees (Iqbal, Anwar & Haider, 2015).
Recommendations
It is recommended to the company for using change management approach in its
company. It will help the company to bring the required changes as per the needs of the
customers. It will also prove to be successful in retaining the employees if they get the
experience in varied aspects. It will also help the Walt Disney to achieve success in the

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coming five years. In ensuring the effective change management approach, training will
prove to be best for the Walt Disney. It will help in boosting the knowledge and skills of the
employees.
Conclusion
In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that Walt Disney has proven
to be successful in the media entertainment industry. Walt Disney can also give its strong
influence on the diverse aspects such as unity of command, decentralisation, and span of
control. Besides this, it is also essential for the Walt Disney to give emphasis on the
participative and transformational leadership approach so that employees feel engaged and
get motivated to work effectively in the organisation. Walt Disney should also implement the
Change Management approach in order to achieve the growth in next five years. Therefore,
emphasis should be given on the training programme for employee’s productivity.

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