The Wonderful World of Human Resources at Disney

The wonderful world of human resources at Disney

Sohail Sheikh

2016-2

Human Resource Management

M922

Mr. P. Juskiw

Glion Institute of Higher Education

21.11.16

Statement of Authorship

I certify that this assignment is my own work and contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma in any institute, college or university. Moreover, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the work. I also understand that under no circumstances should any part of this assignment be published, including on the internet, or publicly displayed without receiving written permission from the University.  

Signed        Sohail Sheikh

Student number: 311964                         Name:        Sohail Sheikh

Table of Contents

Introduction        4

Employer of Choice        4

Employee Engagement        4

Socialization Model        6

Conclusion        8

References        9

Table of Figures

Figure 1: Using Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions to compare US and France…...…..5

Figure 2: The Socialization Model used in Disney……………………………………………6

Introduction

The Walt Disney Company (WDC) is an American mass media and entertainment conglomerate with its headquarters in Burbank, California. In October 1923, the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was founded by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney that established itself as a leader in the American animation industry. In 1986 it took on the name Walt Disney Company as it expanded its operations to theatre, music, publishing, radio and online media. WDC consists of Walt Disney Studio’s which is one of the largest American Cinema Studio’s, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Media Networks and Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (Our Businesses, 2016).

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts employs 130,000 of Disney’s total 180,000 employees across parks located in California, Florida, Japan, France and China (Destinations around the world, 2016). Walt Disney is #71 Global 2000, #8 Worlds most Valuable Brands, and #58 America’s Best Employer’s (The worlds biggest public companies, 2016).

Employer of Choice

WDC is known for embracing diversity and emphasizing on values which include storytelling, optimism, innovation, community and decency. According to Glassdoor.com’s list of best companies for employee benefits and perks Disney ranked 13th scoring a 4.0 on a 5-point scale which takes into account basic benefits like retirement plans, health insurance, vacation time and other unique benefits. For example, Disney offers ‘Yay Days’ which is 2 days of paid leave to enjoy outdoor activities. Disney employees receive free admission to all parks, discounts go as high as 40 to 50 percent on hotel stays and merchandise (Mauney, 2016).

Employee Engagement

At a Disney park to achieve a high engagement of employees; old-fashioned fundamentals such as training and recruiting the best employees, building enthusiasm and commitment through recognition and communication, and creating a culture that puts people first (Wilkie, 2014). WDC uses a centralised casting team for recruitment to ensure the talent is consistent around the world and to also ensures that the core values of the company are embodied by the employees and are clearly communicated.

The values of WDC focus on the human element of the business which includes not just their consumers and guests but also their crew members and employees. Disney aims to create a respectful, safe and inclusive workplace in all their locations around the world. The WDC employs a diverse workforce as they believe that a diversity of opinions, perspectives and ideas will enhance the internal creativity and increase the performance of the company. As a result, they have a workforce representative of the global marketplace and at the same time foster an inclusive environment for all employees and their families.

Disney’s mission statement is “To be the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world" (About the Disney Company, 2016).

[pic 1]

Figure 1: Using Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions to compare United States and France

By taking Hofstede’s cultural dimensions’ theory into account, America is one of the most individualistic cultures in the world, WDC creates a work environment that embraces collectivism. For example; their philosophy of “Dream as team” and brainstorming sessions such as “Blue sky” encourage employees to work together.

Disney has taken measures to glocalize its theme parks in every location by adding a touch of the local flare while at the same time keeping Disney’s corporate philosophy intact. For example, at Hong Kong Disneyland, the park was designed based on the Chinese concept of feng Shui, traditional Chinese cuisine was available and employees were refrained from continuously smiling because according to Chinese culture an overly friendly demeanour is considered suspicious (Cacciatore, McClanahan, & Muhonen, 2014).

WDC’s expansion overseas can also be viewed as imperialistic as they try to promote Western ideals at the cost of local cultures. For example, Hong Kong Disneyland profited from selling dim sum in the shape of Mikey Mouse as well as traditional robes that contained images of Disney characters on it, which was depicted as exploiting the Chinese culture. Disneyland Paris enforced the ban on sale of alcohol in this theme park as well despite the French tradition of having a glass of wine with a meal (Cacciatore, McClanahan, & Muhonen, 2014)