organizational behavior essay

Submitted By Xue-Yuan
Words: 7111
Pages: 29
Open Document
Introduction

Disney's European theme park adventure: a clash of cultures
Marie C. Trigg and
David Trigg

The authors
Marie C. Trigg is Lecturer at Bowater School, Deakin
University, Australia.
David Trigg is Lecturer in the Department of Management, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia.
Abstract

When companies internationalize, the dimension of individual national cultures needs to be considered in conjunction with corporate culture. Theme parks deliberately set out to portray the cultures and fantasies of other times and places, thereby compounding the issues affecting corporate and national cultures. Explores the tensions that the corporate culture of Walt Disney Corporation imposes on its French subsidiary, Euro Disney SCA, to determine if the resultant conflict has contributed to its poorer-than-expected performance. Using the three-level construct of culture proposed by Schein an examination of the corporate culture of Disney will be made with particular reference to its programme of internationalization and the ultimate "clash" of its corporate culture with French national culture. The strength of Disney's corporate culture has led to conflict, and blinded the organization to the differences in the surrounding local culture.

Theme parks are a modern concept which originated with the opening of Disneyland in
1955 at Anaheim, California. Such parks, according to Milman (1991) attempt to create an ambience of another place and time by focusing on a dominant motif, around which architecture, costumed personnel, rides, shows, food services and merchandizing are co-ordinated. Another description would have them as privatized, ageographic cities where there are never-ending, controlled simulations
(Sorkin, 1992). Notwithstanding their regulation, theme parks are able to present happy visions of pleasure by stripping away the less appealing aspects of regular urban life such as crime and grime.
Theme parks, as the name suggests, employ one or more themes which are used throughout the visitors' experiences from names and images to merchandizing. It is a unified experience usually operated as a single management unit and hence differs considerably from leisure parks which are normally an agglomeration of amusements conducted by individual operators. Theme parks differ also from heritage parks where the activity and sensations revolve around enlightenment or historical preservation rather than entertainment (Bramwell, 1991).
King (1991) contends that theme parks are modern museums which induce pleasure and stimulate curiosity. Theming comprises shorthand stylization of person and place to create archives of collective memory, belief, symbol and archetype. A theme park is a bank of popular culture that connects entertainment and informal learning through synthesizing of popular culture.
Theme park activity differs from other forms of vacation and leisure activity because it caters particularly for family groups. The largest market segment for tourism is the family vacation. As vacations present a highThe authors would like to express their gratitude to
Professor Darrell Mahoney of Deakin University,
Australia, for his encouragement and valuable comments. This article draws on and expands an earlier paper that was presented at the Annual
Conference of the Association for Global Business at Las Vegas, Nevada, in November 1994.
Unattributed quotations and anecdotal comments are taken from interviews with management and staff.

Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal
Volume 2 · Number 2 · 1995 · pp. 13-22
© MCB University Press · ISSN 1352-7606

13

Disney's European theme park adventure: a clash of cultures

Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal

Marie C. Trigg and David Trigg

Volume 2 · Number 2 · 1995 · 13-22

(MNCs). Others who have added specific insights in the area include Randlesome
(1990)
Show More

Related Documents: organizational behavior essay

Organizational Behavior Essay

Exemplary Leadership and POB Former long-time CEO Jim Sinegal's driving vision for Costco still dominates and it is all about conceiving that small company feeling and he did this by creating value from within. Of course for Sinegal, creating value from within meant taking good care of Costco's 160,000 employees, which is explicitly stated in the vision statement. One way Sinegal was able to do this was by fashioning a corporate culture that established a more proactive and effective management…

Words 1538 - Pages 7

Essay on Organizational Behavior

Running head: INSERT RUNNING HEAD HERE Computer Recycling Project Insert Name Here Insert Affiliation Here Internet Postings about Whole Foods and Wild Oats 1. The Effect of Mackey’s attitude can be seen in his statement to Perry Odak, the owner of Wild Oats, stating that “I’m going to destroy you”. The Affects can also be seen in Rahodeb’s online posted when he stated “[Wild Oats management] clearly doesn’t know what it is doing. It has to future and no value. The verbal statement…

Words 649 - Pages 3

Essay Organizational Behavior

Canada, but originated in NYC in 1909, and in Toronto Canada in 1913. However, in 1971, a local court judge approved the BB of London to be incorporated. Consequently, by the year 1980, according to Kinicki & Kreitner (2008), in Bethel’s Organizational Behavior, “the initial 50 per year. There was an overabundance of volunteers willing to make a two-year commitment to a father-absent boy, and as many as 90 matches were made annually” (p.313). Conversely, “in 1994, 213 men inquired about becoming…

Words 1292 - Pages 6

Organizational Behavior Essay

Baio MGT315 Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior Summary Paper Professor Cheryl Harrison December 21, 2012 According to the course text book, “Organizational Behavior is the study of the many factors that have an impact on how people and groups act, think, feel, and respond to work and organizations, and how organizations respond to their environments" (George and Jones, 5). There are different levels of organizational behavior including individual, group and organizational levels.…

Words 741 - Pages 3

organizational behavior Essay

Q 1: As mentioned in Chapter 6 under "OB in the News" and/or on PPT slide #23 in the MetGCSA presentation located in "Course Content - Week 5," money is rarely a prime motivator for employees. What are some of the other motivators that consistently appear before money in the text, the articles below and in your own list of workplace motivators? Some of the other motivators that consistently appear before money in the text as well as the articles below are as follows. Creativity A fluid work schedule…

Words 603 - Pages 3

Organizational Behavior Essays

MBA 613 Professor H. Sherman July 1, 2013 Final Exam Abstract Within the provided article there two key players who overall ideals and objective are considered differing. The two players have identified symptoms that have resulted in creating problems. There are several alternatives to the problems as well as perspective solution that are suggested to be enforced for both players to ensure a productive franchise. Introduction It was Dale Carnegie who said when dealing with people; remember…

Words 3585 - Pages 15

Essay On Organizational Behavior

FINAL PROJECT Kathy Taylor MT302/Organizational Behavior March 3, 2012 Instructor Pam DeLotell 1. Think of a present/past work environment you have been on (or use and example from your course materials), and then assess organizational behavior practices you observed that fostered the effect of positive changes(s) within the organization. Cite relevant examples from your personal experience and utilize additional relevant examples from outside sources…

Words 1901 - Pages 8

Organizational Behavior Essay

john cho Organization Behavior Professor heffern Tue/Thurs 11-12:15 Career Plan Assignment Everyone has a dream they want to accomplish, a goal they want to achieve, and a career they want to attain. Reaching these may seem like an agony but you’ll never get to where you want to be unless you go through the hardships. People often have in mind that they have impossible goals due to the financial and educational backgrounds thus discouraging them to pursue their dreams and plans in life.…

Words 1993 - Pages 8

Organizational Behavior Essay

Workshop Two: “How Can Concepts of Personality, Values, and Culture Influence or Correct Employee Behavior?” Organizational Behavior April 1, 2013 Introduction According to Robbins and Judge (2011), Gordon Allport defined personality best as “the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment.” The text further defined values as “basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence…

Words 606 - Pages 3

Organizational Behavior Essay

Organizational change begins at organizational development. Organizational development is a planned process of change to improve the effectiveness of the organization (Borkowski, 2009). In order to understand the way change is developed one must understand the way change is developed. Change is for everybody, organization or division. Many people will be changed by helping leaders understand the psychology of change, helping key phases in a successful change, the importance of critical mass/ barriers…

Words 385 - Pages 2