Organizational structure and management of the Walt Disney Company

Organization Management

The Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

An organization is any social entity that has a well-designed structure to coordinate its functions, and the organization has to have a specific goal. Most organizations hardly work internally alone, but rather involve the external environments. Some organizations are profit oriented, like the business organizations, while others are non-profit making (Daft et al. 2010). In this context, a contemporary focus is overlooked towards the Walt Disney Company, a profound firm dealing with mass media and affiliated industrial operations.

Brief Company Profile

Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923, and has always kept the reputation in providing quality and extremely creative products, which consumers have loved ever since. The organization specializes in providing quality entertainment, services of media communication, broadcasting, television programs and live performances. The company, which is located in California (United States), exemplifies exponential characteristics that the right management and organization controls. This has yielded good outcomes in terms of profit returns towards Disney.

Organizational structure

All formal organizations that are aimed towards progress have organizational structures, which are well-merged divisions that are characterized by efficient communication channels that integrate fast passing of information in different divisions. Most company constitutions allow mandate to the managers to come up with the structure. In the case of Walt Disney Company, three divisions oversee the major operations of the organizations. These divisions include the Disney's Consumer Products, the Disney studios and the Disney attraction division. All the divisions have obligations towards the growth of the organization for instance, Disney studios has the duty of production of animated images and live performances, which are to be distributed to TV stations, theatres, and markets dealing with home related videos. Under the studios, division is a series of other film producing sections, like the Touchstone Pictures and the Animation productions (Gershon, 1996). Therefore, the structure of any company should entail hieratical positions, which are divided into sections for better procedures and realistic spans of control.

Leadership style at Disney Corporation

Leadership styles are selected according to the organization's structure and needs. The Walt Disney Company, which was run initially by Disney, adopted the situational leadership model due to its effectiveness in the organization. Situational leadership is that which the behavior of the leader greatly depends on the current situations taking place. This leadership model has no single or permanent manner in making decisions. To illustrate the efficiency of the situational model, there was an instance when Disney collaborated with Ubbe Iwerks to form the Walt Disney Production, the two were however different. Disney was social, so he came handy in times when the company required social traits in business to influence people. In situations when Disney lacked the leadership advice, Iwerks came in handy. No wonder Disney got successful in his managing obligation. He appreciated the external environment by outsourcing skills he hardly possessed (Palestini, 2011).

Personnel and motivational styles

Personnel and motivation of companies is determined by the cultures of the organization. The culture of any organization is established with regard to its previous accomplishments and the levels of success. When building a recognizable culture, that other organizations will treasure, a company could decide to adopt any of the three approaches. The organization could decide to appoint only the individuals it thinks are reasoning the same way they do. The company might also allow individuals of any kind into the organization, but ensure the new employees are trained into the organization's culture or the last option could be to allow the new staff to learn from the other employees. The executive officer should understand the culture, and influence the personnel and steer managers into the culture. The Walt Disney Corporation, in its determination to address employee improvement and development, offers the employees educative programs that will enhance professionalism of the employees. In addition, the organization also allows for lessons related to the way to manage time, and the best planning procedures. Efficient communication, recommended behaviors and proper writing skills are also part of the training process that equips the employees with the necessary information of good management and conflict resolution among themselves. The culture and image, since the history of the organization, is the main motivator of the employees. The programs provided also increase the morale of the employees as it builds self-confidence (Robbins, 2009).

The company's success

Due to their ability to set realistic missions, and embrace well-defined values, implementing of the relevant structure of management and adoption of appropriate leadership models, Walt Disney Corporation has gone far beyond their competitors in terms of success. The success is due to the employee motivational techniques implemented by the company's owner, Walt Disney. The elements leading to the success of the organization are discussed in the proceeding paragraphs.

Elements leading to the success of the company (strength of the company)

a) Understanding of one's values and the reason behind it

Disney started the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio with his brother, who was older than he was. This happened in Hollywood, 1923. The company allowed the American values of respect, truthfulness and being honest to be their driving force. This was a time of laying a firm cultural foundation, which had strong moral implications to the society. They regarded the business and its values as the leeway to profit maximization. They also valued services and products that were of quality as an individual distinguished quality from vague products. Rewards also came in more bundles if the quality was appealing to the consumers.

b) Ensure sufficient and courageous leadership

Disney always ensured there was assurance of the steps taken, when making right decisions. He was affiliated to high integrity levels, and was often consulted on the leadership models and techniques, which was shared to all the interested parties. Courage is hence an important determinant of the quality leaders.

c) Value the importance of quality

There is a negative perception by many individuals and organization, that perfection is impossible. Walt believed in capabilities, and believed that producing higher standards than others was implying the morality and achievements one possessed. Having the positive mentality, and being optimistic about quality is crucial for any growing or already established corporation.

d) Have greater ambitions

While other investors and business people assumed money was the end of their journey, Walt realized that money was just a means to greater opportunity for expansion. Money is a minor ambition as ambitions that are more significant have been reached over the years. Disney and the brother used almost all the money to invest back to the organization, and hardly viewed it as a waste.

e) Exceed consumer expectations

Disney applied technicality to impress the customers he had. This entailed embracing more recent technological processes and allowing science to take control of the business running. The main cause of failure might also be as a result of limiting the potential of our own imagination.

f) Respect the minds of people

Good employee relation and a calm environment at the workplace is a major boost for success. Disney ensured that there was family relation at the workplace and encouraged cooperation of employees for easier achievement of intended goals.

g) Employ creativity

Creative ideas should be acquired from their sources, and the ideas should be transformed to big valuable things. A workforce with uncreative personnel is most likely prone to stagnation as far as progress is concerned. More creative minds within the organization means better chances for improvement and rapid growth. Growth needs wise ideas.

h) Being a thinker with diversity

Thinking, especially in relation to business, involves coming up with ideas that are relevant to the growth of the organization. Putting the future at hand and analyzing the outcomes and expectations, to mitigate the organization from tremendous losses and tarnished image (Barry, 2009).

Employees and customers are the major strengths of the organization, as the customers are the consumers of products and services, and employees are obliged to ensure customer satisfaction through efficient and quality service providing. The management therefore is not supposed to assume the potential of employees in growing the business, or killing it completely. Where there is a dire need for replacement of workers, due to inefficiency during work, then it is fair to demote and get better-qualified personnel to work towards the organizations goals.

Planning, leading, organizing and controlling (PLOC)

The mentioned elements are all related to the strategic management of the organization. Managers are expected to be leaders, good planners, organizers and in control. The entire managerial function, however, has six major fundamentals, planning, organizing, coordination, staffing, directing and control.

At the planning stage, the process of setting out objectives is undertaken and the ways of attaining the objective is well set out. At the organizing stage, there is the formation of departments within the organization. That is where the formal organizational structures are drawn and well differentiated. At the coordination stage, the formal relation between different departments is agreed on, and the relevant communication channels are adopted. Staffing involves the processes of the human resource management recruiting the best and most qualified personnel for positions in the organizations. Directing is the process of leaders influencing the behavior of employees and it involves factors like motivation of the employees. Controlling is the assessing point to determine whether the performance of the organization is progressive or poor. The actual performance of the organization is compared to the standard performance expected.

Major challenges facing the company

The major issue the organization (Disney) is suffering from includes high production costs, due to economic fluctuations. Meeting employee demand is also a main issue as demand for better pay rates and job retention is a disaster and causing nightmares for the company. The decision by Disney to retain the employees even if there was pressure and threat that explained the reduction of the customer was a commendable manner to make decisions. Good decisions are a ticket to best organizational performance (Forseter, 2002).

Conclusion

Adoption of the right procedures in management of organizations is what decides the fate of prosperity levels of the organization. Having great managers like Walt (Former manager, Disney) and Iger, the current C.E.O of Walt Disney Corporation, have practiced the necessary strategies that lead to sufficiency leadership, through fine decision-making processes.