The Walt Disney Company has been an industry leader in the majority of its business segments for many years now; a success which is due largely to its unique history, heritage and corporate culture. Consumers and businesses alike around the world refer to the “Disney Standard” of doing things, demonstrating the high level of regard in which they hold us and the overall effectiveness of TWDC’s business plan. Through the hundreds of positions within TWDC, the main commonality is that each cast member has been entrusted with the preservation of Walt’s legacy. That guiding principle is truly what makes TWDC unique and has shaped our history, heritage and corporate culture since our founding. The unprecedented history of TWDC is evident when you consider decisions made by the company and our successes over the years. Ideally the decisions would reflect upon and influence successes on a regular basis, but that hasn’t always been the case.
After Walt’s passing, the company was largely afraid to take new, larger risks, choosing instead to stick to strategies that had proven successful in the past. Michael Eisner was able to change that though, establishing a new operating philosophy for TWDC as a whole, and dramatically increasing revenues. This demonstrates that the history of any company is full of both positives and negatives, but both must be taken into consideration and developed in order to let the organization evolve along with its consumer market.
Preserving the heritage of TWDC remains a top priority of all our business segments, but is especially evident with Parks and Resorts. While new characters are continuously being developed, the original favorites are still featured prominently in the parks. Newer markets could be expanded into by placing characters from recent theatrical releases and television shows at the front of the parks, but respect is always shown to the “fab 5. While TWDC strives to “create Magic” for its guests and consumers, the company recognizes that the Magic is created by the cast members and makes it a point to present them with a unique corporate culture in which to operate. Though some corporate “belt-tightening” is obvious through the segments in response to the economic recession, the company still focuses on maintaining a positive and supportive environment for its cast.
As with any company, the interests of an employee can determine which aspects of the organization appeal to them most strongly. In other words, an employee’s experience is what they make it. This is especially true with TWDC in that there are so many areas for cast members to take the initiative to better themselves, as well as their community and environment. While some employees prefer to focus on their work, others can choose to take advantage of additional training and other extracurricular activities.
Compared to the other employers that I’ve worked for, TWDC definitely stands out. While it’s true that TWDC has far more to work with in the way of resources, the effort is still being made to appeal to each cast member, while the other companies for whom I’ve worked have focused exclusively on the bottom line. Because I’m a continuing-education student with experience in a professional career, participating in the College Program hasn’t been as much of an eye-opener for me as it has for some of the younger students. That being said, I’ve still learned a great deal about the way a successful company should operate and I’ll be able to incorporate that knowledge into all my future endeavors. In conclusion, any company doing business today could learn something from the Walt Disney Company. Their unique history, heritage and corporate culture all combine to form the foundation of a company that cares about its employees and consumers even while they strive to operate successfully.
