Transformation of managerial skills
Since its foundation, Disney has experienced transformations in managerial skills. The transformations have been due to the changing business environment and as Samson & Daft assert, managers should align their skills with the relevant strategies for business survival and expansion in this changing market (2009, p.83). As illustrated, managerial skill’s transformation depends on economic situation of the organization.
Participative to scientific management skills
At its foundation, Walter and his brother, Roy, clearly understood that for the company to grow stably and compete effectively, it required teamwork and cooperation. The managers therefore deployed participative skills in the organization’s administration.
In fact, Walter advocated for cooperation and teamwork among the ‘members’ of the organization regardless of the position one held. However, during Eisner’ period the focus was no more on the foundation. The managerial skills transformed from participative to scientific in which Eisner focused on the best way to do things; Eisner dedicated his strength to creativity.
Specialization to innovation skills
Walter and Roy deployed specialization and division of labour during the foundation. Walter specialized in production while Roy headed the finances. In specialization, managers focus on the output of each individual with little regard of their individual development. This managerial skill was significant for the setting of strong foundation of the Disney Company.
Eisner on his part focused on growth and development of individual employees. In order to leverage the company’s financial situation after Walter’s death, Eisner encouraged innovation among the employees through the concept of learning organization. By introduction of cross-divisional initiatives, Eisner deployed not only specialization skills but also innovation skills among the employees.
Hybrid style of leadership
Initially, Walter and Roy focused on employees’ completion of duties with little concern about their specific needs. They demonstrate leadership style in which employees are ‘free to think’. Walter emphasized on performance regardless of the position of the employee. In order to revive the company’s financial situation, Eisner deployed conglomerate of leadership skills.
Learning organization aimed to develop the employees, whereas the cross-divisional initiatives meant to improve the performance each employee. In his leadership, Eisner therefore used both skills of people-oriented and task-oriented styles. Eisner developed ‘organizational hierarchy’ through his emphasize for skilled managers. This evidences that Eisner used some bureaucratic skills to manage the organization.
Learning Organisation
Disney should adopt the concept of learning organization in order to benefit from the advantages it presents to the businesses in the dynamic market of the 21st century.
In order to realize effective expansion and fulfil the dreams of the founder, Walter, Disney management should adopt the concept of learning organization. Expansion of business requires motivated management and employees. Since for decades the management focus has been on ‘task-completion’ without regard of individual development, it is important to empower employees through learning organization.
Learning organization encourages rewards and punishment based on performance. The management should develop an evaluation strategy to reward those who perform excellently and punish underperformers. As a result, high performer feel empowered while underperformer feel challenged. Once challenged, the underperformers have to improve. In effect, the overall performance and expansion of Disney will improve.
Innovation is integral part of strategic planning for creative companies such as Disney. With the dynamic technologies in creativity, Disney has to keep its systems updated, which will guarantee it a considerable market share for its products. Learning organization enhances innovation of technologies among the employees. Such technologies should be specific for completion of tasks within the organization.
Learning organization encourages the management to provide employees with challenging tasks. Since the employees have to accomplish these tasks, despite the challenges, they have to research and consult on the effective means of handling the challenges. Research enables capacity development and growth of individual employees. At Disney, the shop floor employees will acquire more skills and boost their level of innovation and consequently, the organization will experience high-level creativity for a competitive position in the industry.
Learning organization enhances globalization. As illustrated in the case, Roy’s attempt to new ventures of the business resulted into financial crisis of the organization. Globalization and trading in international market has a direct correlation with expansion in terms of product and services of a business. Roy’s failure was a result of lack of learning organization principles. Learning organization enhances innovation and creativity.
Innovation results into creation of efficient methods and procedures of ‘production’. Efficient methods mean mass production of high quality and low cost products. Products with such features attract more customers in the market. Learning organization would therefore enhance Disney’s trade in the international market and compete with the leading players in the industry.
Eisner’s Management skills
Scientific managerial skills
Eisner’s introduction of learning organization illustrates deployment of scientific skills of management. Scientific management dictates for four strategies of management, which aligns to characteristics of learning organization. The management should reward and punish employees on their basis of performance. The employees should develop the best and creative ways of accomplishing their duties.
In scientific management, the manager should plan and control the employees and by using learning organization, Eisner introduced scientific skills of management. Some aspects of this skill could be applicable to the today’s management. However, the managers should be involved not only in planning, as depicted by the management theory, but also in active engagement of the plan. By doing so, these managers will have what Eisner refers to as ‘hand-on skill’. In turn, it enhances efficiency in accomplishment of the organizational plans.
Capacity development skills
In his leadership, Eisner focused on innovation of individual employees. Learning organization encourages innovation, as earlier noted. Eisner once noted “Synergy, For Us, Goes with Creativity” (Walt Disney Co, 2011, p.2).
This emphasizes his efforts to enhance creativity. In this way, Eisner deployed the skill of capacity development for it employees. The market dynamics experienced in the current business world is a result of changing technologies in creativity. To compete in such situations therefore, today’s managers should use this management skill.
Learning organization skill
Learning organization is a management skill in itself. Eisner introduced the skill to motivate the employees as “motivated employees develop the own-drive to undertake their duties” (Samson & Daft, 2009, p. 84). To achieve this strategy, the management should assign duties to the employees based on interest and hard work.
In this way, the employees perform their duties effectively. In fact, Eisner’ success at Disney was due to learning organization. Since learning organization acts to motivate employees, current managers can still use it to motivate their employees. With the changing market, managers should apply the learning organization skill to empower employees to meet these dynamics.
Hybrid leadership skill
As noted, Eisner combined aspects of different leadership styles to leverage the financial situation of the organization. He combined the aspects of people-oriented and task-oriented leadership. His emphasis on creativity and capacity building of individual employees manifests this fact.
Bureaucratic aspects were also eminent in his management. For instance, his focus on employing highly experienced and skilled managers reveals the ‘organizational hierarchy’ in the company. Hybrid skills are practical to the management of this century because decision-making varies with situations and time. Since these changes are complex, managers find it difficult to apply a single style of leadership in management.
References
Samson, D., & Daft, R. L. (2009). Leading in Organizations: Management. South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning Australia.
Walt Disney Co. (2011). Once upon a time at Disney. Retrieved from <https://dpep.disney.com/>