Disney Animation John Lasseter

Disney Animation - John Lasseter There are several forms of interpersonal power evinced within the Lasseter case study. Foremost among these is coercive power, which is subservient to relationship power in terms of empowering the individual (Boldt et al., 2007, p. 43-44). Since Lasseter went above his immediate supervisors to get the pilot for computerized animation, his immediate supervisors coerced the studio head to dislike the idea and ultimately used it. This sort of coercive power was also responsible for Lasseter's firing after the failed pilot.

There is also an example of legitimate power in this case study, as Lasseter obtained his positions at Disney and Pixar through his own prowess at animation. Reward is also evinced, as Lasseter was able to reward Jobs for employing him by making stellar contributions to the former's company. The two faces of power appear in this article in that there are situations in which power is both centralized and decentralized, and used for both negative and positive purposes.

The centralized, political hierarchy that Lasseter encountered and which got him fired is demonstrative of the centralized, negative potential of power. The fact that he was able to go to another company and eventually spawn his animation idea there demonstrates the decentralized, positive facet of power. No, the firing of John Lasseter from Disney Studios (and the events leading up to his firing) do not demonstrate the ethical use of power.

It is quite clear from an analysis of those events that Lasseter was fired for personal reasons -- which largely conflicted with the professional aims of Disney Studios. Because Lasseter had forsaken some of the mechanisms of power in those studios (in the form of the vaunted chain of command) and had gone above his "direct superiors" (McCuddy), those individuals made sure that Lasseter would regret doing so by effecting his termination. In fact, Lasseter's firing is a clear demonstration of personal interests conflicting with professional ones.

Because Lasseter's immediate superiors did not like the fact that he had forsaken them, they did not like him. Since they did not like him, they made a point to utilize their power for personal reasons and get him fired, which is unethical behavior. The firing of Lasseter certainly is indicative of political behavior in the Disney organization. His firing is reflective of the chain of command in effect at this organization, which is a demonstration of organizational politics at its finest.

Lasseter made enemies of those whom he did not involve in his decision to create a pilot for an animation program. Because he got permission to create the pilot from those who were superior to his superiors, Lasseter's superiors felt isolated, neglected and, as a result, resentful.

The fact that he was immediately fired after giving the presentation that neglected his immediate superiors illustrates the fact that his termination was political, as does the fact that the same individual who told him he was fired was responsible for helping to convince the studio head not to utilize Lasseter's idea for animation. In high school I worked as a part-time merchandiser over summers. As such, I traveled to retail stores and merchandised my company's products (greeting cards) inside of them.

I was not an employee of these stores, but of the greeting card company. Evidently, there was some policy where employees of one store in particular are not supposed to sit down while working. I was not aware of this fact.