Walt Disney Company
Introduction
This report attempts to examine the Walt Disney Company as an organization whose international operations play a vital role in the company’s continuing existence. This report seeks to present a review and analysis of the company’s global strategy by analyzing the key internal and external factors that impact on the company and how it has used alliances and acquisitions as part of its global strategy. As a human technology-intensive company, this paper seeks to understand how Disney was able to leverage its resources to create a competitive advantage. As an important aspect of its operations, relevant management issues are reviewed to see how it has affected the company’s global expansion strategy.
Walt Disney
The Walt Disney Company is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that controls and maintains vast interests in various multimedia companies in the United States and around the world. What started as a simple love for children’s entertainment of a sample cartoonist soon became a revolutionary icon in the world of entertainment and business.
Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois of mixed Irish, Canadian, German and American roots. Although born in the city, Walt grew in the farm counties of Marceline in Missouri with four older brothers and a young sister. As a young child, Walt Disney was already interested in drawing cartoons. He was able to nourish this gift when the family moved back to the city where he attended classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. (Schatz, 2001).
After a short stint in France during WWI, Walt soon came to work in advertising as a cartoonist while earning extra money selling animated cartoon advertisements. In 1923, Walt...
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______. 2005c. Investor Relations. Retrieved 29 April 2005 http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/
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problems. In a study done on the role of the Walt Disney Company, Vincent Faherty explains
Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5th, 1901 in Hermosa, Illinois. Together, he and his brother would come to cofound Walt Disney Productions. Disney grew up in Marceline, Missouri with his mother, father, three brothers, and one sister. In 1911, they moved to Kansas City. Due to his Uncle Mike Martin’s career as a train engineer, Disney developed his love of trains. In 1917, the Disney family moved to Chicago where Disney attended McKinley high School. He took drawing and photography classes as well as drew for the school newspaper. He also took classes at the Chicago Art institute. At the young age of sixteen, he dropped out of school. He originally wanted to join the army but, after being rejected for being underage, instead joined the Red Cross. He was sent to France and to drive an ambulance there for one year.
[1] Information was mainly taken from the Harvard Business Case Study “The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King”
Walter Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901 in Chicago. He was born into the family of Elias and Flora Disney. When Walt was born, he had two older brothers. One was Raymond, who was eleven, and the other was Roy O., who was eight. Two years after Disney, his sister Ruth was born. In 1906, the Disneys moved to Marceline, Missouri where Walt attended the Park School (Louise).
The Real Walt Disney Walt Disney as a real man. Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois to his parents, Elias Disney, an Irish Canadian, and Flora Call Disney, a German American. Walt was one of four children. Walt and his brother Roy and sister Ruth grew up in Chicago, where they attended Benton Grammar School together. He worked hard throughout his schooling and helped support his family during difficult times.
Walt Disney was born Walter Elias Disney on December 5,1901 in Hermosa,Illinois. Walt was in a family with three brothers and a sister. He lived in Missouri where the Santa Fe railroads passed by his family farm. This led to Walt gaining a love for trains. Disney would spend his summers working at the train station selling food and newspapers.
This case provides a brief history of management conflict and change at Walt Disney Company. Former CEO Michael Eisner was considered to be controversial because of his abrasive style and tendencies toward micromanagement. It was this style that strained several important relationships to the Disney Company. Though his reign as CEO during the 80’s and 90’s helped advance Disney Company, it was his conflicting management style that led to his demise and the beginning of Robert Iger’s epoch at Disney. Since Iger has taken the helm as CEO Disney was ranked 67th in the Fortune 500 list for largest companies, it has become the largest media conglomerate in the world, and relationships and disputes stemming from Eisner have been reconciled.
Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1901. His father worked there as a building contractor. He was a strict and religious man who often physically abused Walt and his siblings (“Skews.Me”). Walt’s father took over a farm in Marceline, Missouri. Walt was very happy living on the farm and developed a love for animals. Unfortunately, his father’s business there failed, and the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Walt helped his father deliver newspapers. He also worked selling candy and newspapers on the trains (Barrett).
One of the key factors of the successful diversification is the very strong branding of the name Disney. That the name was famous after the success in the early years made it among other things possible to go into the theme park industry. Evaluated isolated, the theme parks was a success. But when also accounting for the synergies created, the decision to go into this industry was a huge success. It has created a spiral of synergies, where the characters in the movies get more popular due to the parks, as well as the fact that when people are visiting the parks they get stimulated to buy the merchandise. This is just one example of the synergies that exist in Disney. When Michael Eisner took over control in Disney, he kept focusing on same corporate values as earlier, which are quality, creativity, entrepreneurialism and teamwork. These values have been preserved despite of the size of Disney, and are an important factor in sustaining and building the Disney brand.
The entertainment industry holds the immense potential for growth and development. The industry is constantly evolving and Walt Disney emerge as a global leader and recognized as the world’s second largest media conglomerate in the terms of revenue after Comcast. The Walt Disney Company is a multinational entertainment conglomerate headquartered at California, United States. The company integrated its products into five target segments are as follows: (1) Media Networks (2) Parks and Resorts (3) Walt Disney Studios (4) Disney Consumer Products (5) Disney Interactive. The company has strong diversified product portfolios and generate high returns and revenues from all the target segments but the media networks contributes
For around 90 years Disney has been around and has released approximately 530 movies starting in the 1930’s. Today throughout the world, the studio brings great movies, music and stage plays to consumers. “The Walt Disney Company's objective is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products. The company's primary financial goals are to maximize earnings and cash flow, and to allocate capital toward growth initiatives that will drive long-term shareholder value” (“Investor Relations”).
Walt grew up on a small farm in Marceline, Missouri, during his earlier years, but he was born in Chicago, Illinois. On December 5, 1901, he was born to Flora and Elias Disney and was the fourth youngest out of five children. Growing up was hard for Walt because his family moved so many times. In
Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois. Despite this, he lived in Marceline, Kansas for a majority of his childhood. He and his family worked and lived on a small farm and, during his free time, would use his imagination to doodle animals which he would sell to friends and neighbors. In 1911, Walt’s father fell ill and the Disney family moved to Kansas city. There, Walt and his brother Roy delivered newspapers for their father. They would wake up at ungodly hours, like three in the morning, and work seven days a week. Even with school and his job, Walt still found time for his drawings. After completing middle school, the Disney family moved back to Chicago, where Walt would then graduated from high school. During the tail end of World War I, he joined the Red Cross and served for nine months in France. He transported officers, transported supplies, and drove ambulances.
The Walt Disney Company, or more commonly known as Disney, is an American corporation headquartered in the Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California. Disney (DIS) is the largest operator of theme parks and resorts and largest media conglomerate, reported total revenue of $11.58 billion, a 4% raise from the previous year in its third-quarter results. Most of its revenue is generated from the media network segment and the park and resort segment. Disney's strategies mainly focus on generating the best creative content possible along with innovation and utilizing the latest technology. (Seekingalpha.com, 2014)
The animation scene is dominated by few large companies, and Hollywood. Disney, for example is one of the biggest conglomerates in the world, with a revenue of $42 billion (2012). Given its long history since its inception by Walt Disney in 1923, Disney has become one of the most influential players in the entertainment industry. Some movies are famous across generations. Thus, it is hardly surprising that Disney is one of the company that influences children the most, with its innovative animation and imaginary worlds and diverse characters.