Walt Disney-Leader Essay example - 1494 Words

Leader-Walt Disney Walt Disney is the prolific creator and leader of The Walt Disney Company. Disney is most recognized for his gallant efforts which created the Disney empire, yet his leadership style is one that has melded into a company culture and a prescribed way of organizational leadership. Disney is a man of many words and accomplishments which has led the Disney organization to extensive success. Throughout his 43 year career in film and television, Disney was the personification of a great leader. His career began at 19 with the creation of Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists, which was short lived. However, from this disappointment, he gained notoriety for his cartooning in Kansas City where Disney worked with Newman†¦show more content†¦An example of this is the opportunity he gave his employees to attend art school to learn more about animation. This was optional and free to the employee, and over eighty percent of them jumped at the offer. He saw that without knowledge, the company could not grow and stay ahead of the innovation curve. (Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies, New York, NY: Grosset Dunlap, Thomas, B. (1966)) Disney also felt that everyone was equal and shared in the contribution of the success or failure of the company. He felt it was important to stay in contact with the business’s front lines. He knew his employees by name and expected them to call him Walt. Disney also did his fair share of coaching and supporting. He did less delegat ing and more motivating. He was a leader who drove the people around him to achieve the goals of the organization. â€Å"Of all the things Ive done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.† (http://www.forbes.com/sites/lewishowes/2012/07/17/20-business-quotes-and-lessons-from-walt-disney/4/) This is all apparent in the innovation of The Walt Disney Company’s portfolio; from animation, short stories, books, television, theme parks, hotels, leadership seminars, and more. It is hard to find weaknesses regarding the leadership of Walt Disney. When he is studied, it is in a positive light. Although Disney led his organization to stellar levels, at times it was floating at bankruptcyShow MoreRelatedWalt Disney-Transformational Leader2140 Words   |  9 Pagesturning points in advancing the subject’s leadership role. Leadership Capacities Walt Disney was a leader who exemplified many leadership capacities throughout his 43-year Hollywood career. He demonstrated a strong moral purpose and worked hard to make a difference in the lives of everyone who had interactions with Walt Disney Productions. His moral convictions were instilled in him by his parents at a young age. Walt was always striving to make people happy. His first priority was always to his familyRead MoreWalt Disney : A Visionary Leader Essay1701 Words   |  7 PagesWalt Disney When people think about Walt Disney they will most likely think about Disneyland, Disneyworld, or even Mickey Mouse. What people do not realize is that he started with an advertisement company and built one of the most widely recognizable companies in the world. Walt Disney was a great in his visionary leadership, but he was not effective in his ethical leadership. Disney inspired his company to achieve his dream, but he was an egoistic leader during the process. This paperRead MoreWalt Disney : A Visionary And Ethical Leader1685 Words   |  7 PagesWalt Disney Walt Disney once said, â€Å"It’s not the magic that makes it work, it’s the work that makes the magic.† (Capodagli Jackson, 2007). Walt Disney was truly a visionary and ethical leader that used his talents as a transformational leader and artist to dream up a world that has stood the test of time for nearly 90 years. In this paper I will explain why he was both a visionary and ethical leader. It will show that he used inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation to furtherRead MoreWalt Disney : A Visionary And Ethical Leader1948 Words   |  8 Pagesbuild the happiest place on earth? Well Walt Disney did just that. He had a vision to build the cleanest and friendliest amusement park on earth. The purpose of this essay is to define and outline specific rationale on why Walt Disney was both a visionary and ethical leader. I will expand on why Walt Disney was a visionary leader by using his inspirational behavior to remove waste from his amusement park. I will also explain how he was an ethical leader by using ethical behavior to educate childrenRead MoreWalter Elias Disney Had A Great Impact On American Television And Entertainment All Over The World Essay1138 Words   |  5 Pages Walter Elias Disney had a great impact on American television and entertainment all over the world. Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 just outside of Chicago, Illinois (â€Å"Walt Disney Biography†). Walt Disney moved to Missouri when he was five years old, where he began to develop a love for drawing (â€Å"Walt Disney’s Life†). When Disney was sixteen, he dropped out of school and was sent to France with the American Red Cross (Nix, Elizabeth). In 1919, Disney mo ved to Kansas City to become a newspaperRead MoreWalt Disney : A World Without His Magic, Whimsy, And Optimism1641 Words   |  7 Pages2016 Walt disney Try to imagine a world without Walt Disney. A world without his magic, whimsy, and optimism. Walt Disney changed the entertainment industry, into what we know today. He pioneered the fields of animation, and found new ways to teach, and educate. Walt disney was a person that had a great mind and was a better leader. Walt disney was a man that influenced the people minds to join and help during both of the World Wars. Walt disney was born December 5, 1901Read MoreWalt Disney : The Great Legacy1506 Words   |  7 PagesWalt Disney Research â€Å"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.† - Walt Disney Walt Disney has inspired millions of people across the globe through his success, films and dreams. His bold legacy has lived on past his grave and millions of people have and continue to find joy in his magical works, but how many know his story and how his great legacy came to be? How did he get to where he finished? Walt Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901Read MoreCompany Analysis : L Brands Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pagesindustry to be profitable. During the years 1923-1966, Disney experienced tremendous, consistent growth under the leadership of its founder, Walt Disney. It was clear that, during much of this time period, Disney had a competitive advantage over other firms in the industry. A competitive advantage is the ability of a firm to consistently earn profits above the industry average. In order to gain its initial competitive advantage, Walt Disney helped lead the company towards a benefit position relativeRead MoreThe First Era Of Industrialization1625 Words   |  7 Pagestranscontinental railway. The United Stated Federal Government gave the company near 94 million dollars to complete the project. In actuality, however, the company only needed less than half of this amount.[9] The remaining cash became profit for the leaders of the company and the politicians who had been bribed.[10] Large corporations from all industries began to rise during this period, from steel companies to banks, and for such a business wealthy nation, it is odd that America cannot be attributedRead More Defying the Disney Image: The Testimony of Walt Disney Essay3000 Words   |  12 Pages Walt Disney was born in 1890 to a woman named Seà ±ora Isabelle Zamora. His father, Elias, met Isabelle in California of that same year and the two carried on an affair that ended with the birth of Walt. Later, Elias brought the two back to Chicago, Illinois where Isabelle became a housekeeper for the Disney family. Walt was assimilated into the Disney household and treated as the biological son of Elias and Flora Disney. Isabelle was with the family for years, being passed on from the

Is A Fax Tax Really Necessary - 1408 Words

Is a Fax Tax Really Necessary? When it comes to the topic of putting a tax on junk food, most of us will readily agree that it would help the obesity problem in America. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of taxing those foods and drinks that contain a lot of fat and sugar. Whereas some are convinced that it would help America tackle the obesity problem. Others maintain that it would just end up hurting America in many different other ways besides obesity. The current population of America would agree that having a tax on these products wouldn’t necessarily mean that I would cease the consumption of these food thus lowing the obesity epidemic in the country. Everyone in the world has known America through many†¦show more content†¦In 2003, U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, concerned that fewer young people were meeting the physical fitness standards required of military recruits, declared obesity a threat to U.S. national security more dire than weapons of mass destruction† (â€Å"Obesity Epidemic†). Which has called for the government and scientists to come up with a plan to help lower the obesity epidemic in America. The reason for this call of action is because of the alarming rate of the growth of obesity in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, â€Å"69.1% of American adults age 20 years and over are either overweight or obese. This percentage has increased steadily over the past three decades, and if the trend continues, the entire adult population will be wither overweight or obese within 75 years† (Baird). This epidemic will become a larger than it already is and there would be a point that there would be no way to solve that problem. In order, to help lower the rate of obesity. Many politicians and doctors have team up together create a fat tax on fatty foods. â€Å"A fat tax is a specific tax placed on foods considered to be unhealthy and contribute towards obesity. The tax could be placed on foods high in sugar/fat, such as crisps, chocolate and deep fried takeaways. It would be similar in principle to a cigarette or alcohol tax†

Ecco free essay sample

1) Describe the competitive environment of ECCO and determine how well ECCO is positioned (vis-a-vis competitors) to take advantage of changes in the industry. Use Porter’s five-forces model, the PEST model, and a SWOT analysis to explain your answer. (400 words) ECCO produces mainly casual footwear with an intense focus on high-quality production. In order to deliver the highest quality product, ECCO maintained a fully vertically integrated value chain situated in various countries leveraging local expertise. Because of this unique situation, competitors found it very difficult to sustain a comparable level of quality. As noted in the case, ECCO finds itself in a highly competitive industry. The primary competitors identified in the case are: Timberland, Clarks, and Geox. For a brief analysis of the strengths of each of these competitors, please refer to Figure 3. As ECCO has recently entered the golf shoe market, they also face stiff competition from firms such as Nike, Rebok, and Adidas. ECCO stands in a unique position among the competitors in that it is the only non-branded manufacturer. The primary competitors of ECCO identified in the case outsource the majority of their manufacturing then uniquely brand the end product. These firms depend on brand recognition and marketing to drive consumer decision, not intrinsic quality. By contrast, ECCO is very focused on quality, and maintains control of 80% of manufacturing in-house. Because ECCO is uniquely positioned with full control of manufacturing and distribution, they have a level of agility and efficiency that is unattainable by competitors. Because of this, they can respond more quickly and efficiently to consumer demand. This ability, however, stands in contrast to their practice of resource driven and quality focused manufacturing. A SWOT analysis can be found in Figure 1, and Porter’s Five Forces analysis can be found in Figure 2. As a result of ECCO’s agility, changes in the industry can be met by ECCO more efficiently than their competitors. ECCO may simply choose to stop producing a current item, instead of having to cancel outsourcing contracts. Close competitor Clarks at one time had many plants in the United Kingdom but has closed all but one to cut labor costs. Because of their value chain and supply chain ownership, ECCO is better prepared than their competitors to adapt to changes in the industry. 2) How well does the configuration of ECCO’s global value chain match the drivers in the industry? (400 words) ECCOs value chain is spread out through several countries, set up to leverage the various social, demographic, economical, and geographic advantages of each. For a brief analysis of each of the countries and their strengths and weaknesses, see Figure 4. The disadvantage of such a distributed approach is cost and complexity. ECCO must employ managers to oversee each of their specific tasks with local language, cultural, and political expertise as required. Furthermore, with each additional country in which ECCO decides to locate a factory, they face an increase in the risk that unfavorable political or economic forces might undermine any benefit they may have gained. Of course, the overall firm level risk will be lower because of the resource pooling effect. The industry for casual shoes, ECCOs main market, is driven by demand for comfortable and high quality footwear. ECCOs value chain has taken advantage of this driving factor by controlling the quality and production of their shoes to meet this demand for high quality. If operations were outsourced, they lose the control of ensuring such high quality and leverage of their high technology. 3) ECCO has a fully integrated vertical value chain. What are the advantages, disadvantages, tradeoffs, and risks of this strategy? What economic and strategic factors should be analyzed to answer this question? (400 words) As noted above, Ecco’s in-house production accounts for 80% of their total production. Vertical Value Chain Benefits ECCO benefitted from owning its own value chain in many ways. Each facility in their respective country utilized local resources and expertise in specific areas such as leather research in Denmark and assembly in Slovakia. By owning the entire value chain, products can be produced more quickly and product lines can be tweaked more frequently. Inventories can also be maintained at low levels, allowing ECCO to achieve closer to a just-in-time production operation. Vertical Value Chain Cons The main negative for ECCO in having an integrated vertical value chain is increased costs over competitors. For most shoe companies, the cheapest option is to outsource manufacturing, which is what most of ECCOs competitors have done. Another con of owning the entire production chain is that when demand abates, there are still high fixed costs to cover to keep the plants operational. Tradeoffs In-house production and total vertical value chain ownership means that ECCO is solely responsible for the quality and production of the product. ECCO is able to ensure the highest level of quality for its products, but there is likely to be a diminishing return on the level of quality. From an RBV perspective, ECCO is using the following resources: In-house production: Fully owned by ECCO, ensuring the highest quality. This is rare because of the expense and expertise in setting it up and acquiring the skill sets. Although this is imitable, it would be difficult to imitate. It would take a lot of capital and time for competitors to set up such a production pipeline. Finally, the organization can and has effectively exploited it. Private Ownership: Allows ECCO to focus on the strategic vision of the owners without such a heavy emphasis on shareholder equity. It allows ECCO to bear more risk. Also, capitalizes on the ability to guard proprietary knowledge. Again, this is a rare asset, as many other competitors are public companies and shareholders would likely demand the company to bear a lower level of risk. This is not easily imitable, as a company is or is not public, and transitioning between the states is difficult. Also, the organization has exploited this. 5) How is family ownership affecting ECCO? Comment on the corporate ownership structure and its implications for making and executing strategy. What alternatives exist? 400 words) Family ownership has been a key component to ECCO’s success. It has allowed the company to retain executives and executive vision due to familial loyalty to the company. As an example of this loyalty, CEO Karl Toosbuy had left the company several times only to return . Karl Toosbuy made several comments that indicates the true value of familial ownership. Regarding the ownership structure, Karl s tates, The family can take higher risks, and we act instead of wait. Based on the readings, it is my opinion that family ownership provides a competitive advantage for ECCO. Alternatives to family ownership include taking the company public or establishing a policy of hiring from outside the company and family. Although going public would provide a cash infusion for ECCO and allow more rapid growth, Karl Toosbuy believed that a company that was responsible to many individuals would ultimately be less agile and not be able to bear sufficient risk for continued success. The current ownership structure seems to work well for ECCO, and a change would likely involve a fundamental shift in culture and focus on quality. Such a drastic shift might condemn ECCO to mediocrity. 6) What do you recommend, why, and how would you implement your recommendation? (1000 words) ECCO has had great success in leveraging their in-house production model. If I were to identify one key component that they can leverage for continued success, this would be it. Because they have already invested in the expertise, this model allows them to free themselves from being at the mercy of suppliers and distributors. By leveraging this, they can continue to reduce costs of production and gain an even stronger edge over competitors. As noted in the case, Portugal is seeing a rise in labor costs. ECCO should attempt to cease the operations in Portugal and continue to monitor other economic factors in countries in which they operate. When the cost-benefit analysis fails to provide a compelling reason to continue operations in a less-profitable country, they should shift operations to other facilities. In their immediate future, it seems prudent to shift more resources to operations in China, Indonesia, and Thailand because of the attractive labor costs. Historically, ECCO has fallen short in sales and marketing efforts. ECCO should focus more time and resources in these areas, and improve their brand equity. Also, having a more balanced focus between market-driven and resource-driven would allow ECCO to capitalize on the latest fashion trends, but obviously not to an extent that undermines their core competency. In order to reduce costs and increase profit, ECCO needs should set up more tanneries. Currently they have tanneries only in Netherlands, Thailand and Indonesia but none in Slovakia and China. As noted in the case, these markets have the potential to be very lucrative, and production costs would be low. ECCO is already attempting to leverage their expertise in the production of leather. This should be further exploited. Because the marketing directory, Carl Gry, came from a retail director in Danish fashion clothing, ECCO could leverage his expertise and contacts to introduce a line of leather accessories, clothing, and other apparel. Not only will this contribute to their top line, but offering a wider variety of products would expand their consumer base. Finally, as noted several time in this analysis, ECCO’s primary strategic advantage is its unique, fully integrated vertical value chain. They should continue to find ways to further increase operating efficiency and quality. ? Appendex Figure 1 Figure 2 ? Geox Headquartered in Italy, is a threat to ECCO†¢s casual lifestyle footwear segment. Specializes in perforated rubber soles. They have their in house production facilities in Romania and Slovakia while they outsourced to manufacturers in China. 55 percent of their sales are from Italy itself. Clarks Biggest player in casual lifestyle footwear segment. They were into casual dress, casual boots and sandals.