Intpersonal Relations at Disney

Intpersonal Relations at Disney

1. Motivation

   • Definition
     • The process of arousing and creating a condition of being eager to behave towards a goal(Merriam-Webster, 2014)
   • Within Disney
     • Fulfilling McGregor's Need Theory
       • Incentives
         • Research has shown that companies that keep their employees happy, have better performance. When it comes to employee retention, Disney comes out on top.
           • Disney has more than 180 motivational programs
             • Spirit of FRED Award--FRED is an acronym created from the name of an employee who personified the Disney values: Friendly, Resourceful, Enthusiastic, and Dependable.(Penton, 2014)
             • Private events in the Disney Theme Parks. (Chief Marketer, 2005)
             • individual incentives through our Disney Rewards.(Chief Marketer, 2005)
             • Certificate programs that provide complete vacation experiences at the Walt Disney World Resort and aboard our Disney Cruise Line ships. (Chief Marketer, 2005)
             • Traditions 101 training program
             • Employee of the month
             • Opportunities for our Cast to set and pursue career objectives Improving our operational efficiency. (Chief Marketer, 2005)
             • Access to cafeteria, dinners, sports center
       • Theory X: employees motivated by lower order needs. (Nelson and Quick, 2013)
       • Theory Y: employees motivated by higher order needs. (Nelson and Quick, 2013)
     • Fulfilling Social Exchange and Equity Theory
       • Disney motivates their employees by bearing in mind the interaction between them and the environment, creating committed workers
         • 87 percent of employees say they are proud to work for The Walt Disney Company (Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
         • 80 percent of employees believe the business segment they work in develops creative products, services and content(Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
         • 70 percent believe that their business is leading the industry and is evolving and making the changes required to compete effectively in the marketplace.(Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
         • 10 percentage point increase in the number of Cast, Crew and Imagineers who feel both highly engaged and enabled in their roles (Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
     • The main purpose of Disney is to motivate people to be happy

2. Communication

   • Definition
     • The action of exchanging informations and ideas(Nelson and Quick, 2013)
   • Within Dinsey
     • Disney focuses on the two-way communication, where there is feedback, questions and interaction
       • They use communication skills such as
         • Expressiveness: express thoughts, ideas and feeling openly. (Nelson and Quick, 2013)
         • Empathy and Sensitivity: hear emotional dimensions of the message people send. (Nelson and Quick, 2013)
       • Communication through New Technologies and Social Media
         • Five-Minute Chats--This tool helps managers and cast members to communicate at the Walt Disney, World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Every manager has a list of people to check in through chats, for that month. (Penton, 2014)
           • Employees now have increased access to managers who in turn learn about their staff, making the power distance lower, allowing better communication
         • Facebook, Twitter, Disney Network
     • For Disney teaching their employees about non-verbal communication is really important, due to the constant interactions with people, specially kids and foreigners, where misunderstandings can take place easily. (Disney Institute, 2014)
     • "The key for a good communication comes from creating a core ideology and values and work around them" Jim Collins
       • Testing Communication at Disney
         • 77 percent understand how their jobs fit with the goals and strategies of their business segment (Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
         • 90 percent understand the role they can play in helping Disney to be a responsible company. (Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
     • They have their own Disney Institute for people to study there

3. Team Work

   • Definition
     • Group of people that complement each other and are committed to achieving the same goal and mission(Nelson and Quick, 2013)
   • Within Disney
     • Pursue integrated involvement: closeness achieved through different tasks and activities. (Nelson and Quick,2013)
     • All employees should work towards
       • Give attention to consistency and detail
       • Continuous progress via creativity, dreams, and imagination
       • Control and preservation of Disney’s “magic” image
       • To bring happiness to millions
     • Disney seeks for people who are people-oriented and service-minded
       • Disney finds really important to promote Diversity
         • Epcot Theme Park: divided in 11 countries, where native people are hired to enhance communication and promote diversity
         • Exchange Program: people all around the world can apply to work at Disney
         • Multicultural Groups are in charge of certain tasks.
         • 80 percent believe their business segment is committed to creating and supporting a diverse workplace. (Disney Employee Survey, 2014)
     • Capacitation to avoid social loafing

4. Leadership

   • Definition
     • Process of guiding others behaviour at work(Nelson and Quick, 2013)
   • Within Disney
     • Disney uses two types of leadership: a democratic or participative leadership and employee-oriented leadership. (Walt Disney Leadership Style, 2013)
       • Participative Style where workers are the ones in charge of creating process, still the leader supervises and takes the final choice. Interaction and collaboration are key to succeeding. (Walt Disney Leadership Style, 2013)
       • Employee-oriented focuses on the relationship among the employees
     • Nowadays, companies need managers that are able to lead and viceversa
       • Concerned for resutls
       • Concerned for the people
     • A good leader must be
       • A good communicator
       • Visionary
       • Motivator
       • Empathic/Charismatic
       • Supportive
       • Emotional Intelligent
         • Ability to recognize and manage their emotions and the emotions of others, they must have self-awareness, social awareness among others (Nelson and Quick, 2013)
     • "Disney’s leadership team manages the world’s largest media company and are the visionaries behind some of the most respected and beloved brands around the globe. Their strategic direction for The Walt Disney Company focuses on generating the best creative content possible, fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology, while expanding into new markets around the world." (Disney Leadership Team, n.d)