Organizational Dynamics Analysis

Courtney E. Peters

Brandman University

OCLU 613: Seminar in Organizational Dynamics

Kelly Anthony

October 11, 2020

“The impact of organizations on people’s well-being and happiness has never been more

consequential” and it starts with leaders and managers analyzing their organization (Bolman,
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Deal, 2017, p. 7). As a leader and manager, it is imperative to look at all the situations in

multiple angles to determine a solution. There are multiple ways to investigate each situation, for

example a leader and a manager can look at the structural, human resources, political and

symbolic frames their organization exhibits. These different frames allow for leaders and

managers to gain different perspectives in order to determine the necessary actions needed

towards the outcome of issues within their organizations. Throughout my organizational

dynamics analysis, I explored all four of these frames to understand more how multiple teams

within the Walt Disney Company collaborate together.

For my analysis, I focused on the new technology that has developed from the Walt

Disney Technology team and how it affects the effectiveness within Guest Relations and other

areas amongst the company in communication. In Guest Relations, we are responsible for

helping our guests in the most efficient and magical ways possible. In order to achieve these,

technology is extremely important and is constantly evolving. Before COVID, it seemed as if

weekly we were getting a new update on one of our systems that we use. These updates could be

as small as adding a drop down box to help organize the application better, to a completely new

system to document our interactions with our guests. Guest Relations communicates with

numerous areas within the company to assist our guests. Throughout assisting our guests, all Cast

Members involved in the situation want to make sure guests are not receiving more

compensation than they should be; it is imperative to have an easy way to communicate to all

areas.

Back in December we launched a new program called the Guest Experience Suite,

replacing the old tracking system called Magic and CastApp. Unlike Magic and CastApp, where

notes from Guest Relations were only seen in each system separately, the Guest Experience Suite
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now combines any system we use to write notes into one place. It was very inefficient before this

system to have to write a note in one application that the parks use and then copy and paste it

into the resort system. We did this because we wanted the resorts to see the conversation we had

with the guests and the compensation we issued them. It also would take time away from our

guests' days when we had to research all the different applications to ensure another area did not

leave a note for us to see. Guest Experience Suite combines all of these into one central location

and has also combined two of our old applications into one, making it way more efficient.

Throughout my analysis, I focused on four leadership frames to understand how the

organization’s areas work together to resolve issues amongst them.

Structural frame is how “an organization’s structure represents its best effort to align

internal activities with outside pressures and opportunities” (Bolman, Deal, 2018, p. 92). It is

important for a leader to determine what type of structure best meets the need for their

organization to succeed. Depending on how long your organization has been in business and

even how large it is should be factors how the structure should be. If the organization is large and

well established, having a divisionalized structure where you have multiple teams working

independently and collaborating from time to time. If the company is newer having a simple

structure, “where one or two people control the operation and can turn on a dime when needed,”

maybe a better structure until the company grows and the leaders better understand how their

organization will be run (Bolman, Deal, 2018, p. 78).

The structural design that the Walt Disney Company uses is divisionalized. Disney

divides up a lot of the work into “quasiautonomous units” (Bolman, Deal, 2018, p. 80). What

makes it really efficient is that each group focuses on it’s area of expertise. This can make

situations easier for each member of those groups. The only problem with it is sometimes areas
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“lose touch with operations” within the other groups (Bolman, Deal, 2018, p. 82). An example of

this is some people on the technology team have never worked in my area, so they do not know

the different challenges we have with the applications we use in order to assist our guests.

Disney is great at trying to combat this issue though. They will have some of the Cast Members

from the technology team come to our areas and observe us in operation to better understand the

wants and needs for the applications we use. Tom Wujec explained how prototypes really help a

team succeed, because you know what the goal is and can easily modify updates to meet the goal

you are looking to achieve. Most of the applications and updates that happen, the Cast Members

who will be using it the most, usually get to go in to test it out before it is released. This way the

technology team can fix bugs or add any additional updates before it is officially released.

Human resources are extremely important in any organization. In order for any

organization to operate it takes people. For organizations to keep their followers working with

them long term, organizations need to invest into their workers. When researching turnover rates

at theme parks, Milman and Dickson noticed “employees who were more satisfied with their

relationships with their co-workers had a higher customer orientation” resulting in less turnover

rate (Milman, Dickson, 2014, p. 452). This finding shows how team bonding and morale plays a

major role in how individuals feel about their working environment. A good workplace is serious

about treating everyone well; workers as well as executives; women as well as men; Asians,

African Americans, and Hispanics as well as whites; gay as well as straight employees

(Northouse p. 152).

The human resource strategy that I think most lines with The Walt Disney Company is

promoting diversity. It is important for a company to remember they “benefit from a talented,

motivated, loyal, and free-spirited workforce,” and having a very diverse group of individuals
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really sets up all divisions within Disney for success. In an interview, our former Chief Diversity

Director stated that “Diversity at Disney includes valuing diversity of thought and perspective

and connecting to the unique talents, gifts, backgrounds and experiences that each individual

brings” (Walt Disney Company 2014). Disney also takes pride in our 13 consecutive years of

earning 100% on the Corporate Equality Index within the workplace for LGBTQ individuals

within the work place (Walt Disney Company 2019). The diversity in our company really creates

a more open environment for creativity. Even though I am focusing specifically on the

technology team and Guest Relations, having individuals with different backgrounds and

specializing in different areas really diversifies and gives different perspectives to set up our

programs and company for success. You don’t necessarily have to have a background in

technology to be on the team. To be on the technology team you have to have a passion for

helping Cast Members and Guests. Diversity, in terms of Cast Member’s backgrounds, is one

way The Walt Disney Company is extremely successful.

The political frame “is the realistic process of making decisions and allocating resources

in a content of scarcity and divergent interests” (Bolman, Deal, 2018, p. 179). Within an

organization it is near impossible not to have some political conflicts from time to time.

Especially in times when resources are scarce, it is important for a leader to use their power in

order to make things happen to improve the organization. The political frame “emphasizes that

goals… evolve through an ongoing process of negotiation and bargaining” (Bolman, Deal, 2018,

p. 186). When groups of individuals within the organization come together with the same goals

they form a coalition. According to Cyert and March , a coalition within an organization has

“goals [that] emerge out of a bargaining process among [its] members (Cyert, March, 1963 p.

189-190). These coalitions only succeed if the decisions they make satisfy everyone within them.
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The coalition that exists within my organization are the technology team, who develop

the applications and the cast members, who use the applications. Their goals are to work together

to create a more enjoyable experience for guests with applications that are efficient at tackling

multiple situations in a more cohesive manner. The conflict that can arise is the information and

expertise between both of these groups. Both groups may not know 100% what the other group

can and cannot do. Between these two groups, we use an overbounded system of power because

it is “highly concentrated and everything is tightly regulated” (Bolman and Deal p. 195). Since

everything is so tightly regulated it is really hard to stray from what roles we both play with each

other and to try and over power the other group. The main problem that these groups have is the

individuals working in the technology team thinking they know what’s best for our team’s

operation even though they have never done the operation themselves. Bruce Jones, from Disney

Institute, explains “it’s important to not simply avoid all manner of conflict but to create a

culture within the team that understands and embraces constructive conflict,” which is the type

of conflict that occurs within these areas (Jones, 2018). This is when we have to collaborate to

find time for the technology to come to our area to better understand our operational needs.

The symbolic frame “sees life as allegorical, mystical, and more serendipitous than

linear” (Bolman, Deal, 2018, p. 242). An organization can have multiple symbols that mean

something different to each individual within the organization and even individuals who do not

work for the organization. Symbols can take different forms and also evolve throughout time due

to cultural changes within and outside the organization.

Disney’s values and beliefs are to bring happiness into the lives of others. Not necessarily

just the guests that are walking through the theme parks, but also the people watching Disney’s

movies and shows; individuals who may not ever go to the parks. Within the Walt Disney
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Company we have numerous organizational symbols, but the most well known one is Mickey

Mouse. When one hears the name or sees Mickey, hopefully it brings happiness. Most Cast

Members will say “I work for a Mouse” because that is the vision that we have created not only

for the people working for the company but everyone else across the world. In a way saying this

and believing this “transforms [our workplace] into a beloved, revered, hallowed institution and

an all-encompassing way of life” (Bolman and Deal p. 243). This transformation really puts

happiness at the forefront of our company.

The ultimate factor on how we will achieve happiness is how it will encompass our 5

Keys. These 5 Keys are Safety, Courtesy, Show, Efficiency, and Inclusion keys to success. The

impact of our organization’s culture on our success or failure is seriously everything. If people

feel that we are not creating happiness anymore or meeting their standards we will have less

people coming to our parks or even supporting our movies and shows. Guests even judge the

way Cast Members appear at work. I have had guests come in to express their concerns about

how seeing some unhappy Cast Members made their experience less magical, because they

expect all of us to be happy as well.

The structural, human resources, political and symbolic frames should be on the mind of

every organization. Even for extremely large companies, like the Walt Disney Company. Now,

more than ever, the Walt Disney Company needs to really focus on the human resource frame.

Due to Covid-19 and the parks not being at full capacity, the company recently announced a

layoff of 28,000 Cast Members. This drastically affects both the technology and the Guest

Relations team.

This is a great time for the company to really focus on empowering their Cast Members

more. One way the Walt Disney Company, Guest Relations, and the technology team can really
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empower each other is keeping each other informed. Many projects that affect these teams may

have to be postponed, so it is important to keep everyone informed who is involved.

Empowering Cast Members with information is something that the company has lacked in the

past. With the political frame, it is important for both Guest Relations and the technology to

remember that it is important to build coalitions with each other.

Thinking of coalitions as friends to help get projects done or as someone to turn to to

improve upon applications that are already present, can drastically help both areas. Working in

the Guest Relation area myself, sometimes I view the technology team as a group that I do not

associate with unless there is an update or new application coming out. This is not the mindset

that should be happening. The political frame focuses on networking, and this is what should be

happening amongst the teams so there is more of a connection between the two.

Leaders and managers have huge roles within organizations and it is important for them

to be very observant to the different needs of it. When there are situations that are brought up to a

leader or manager, it is imperative that they look at the situation through multiple perspectives in

order to come up with the best solution. Some of the perspectives that a leader could look at are

the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames within their organization.

Resources

Disney Earns Perfect Score for LGBTQ Workplace Equality. (2020, February 21). Retrieved

September 14, 2020, from https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-earns-perfect-score-

for-lgbtq-workplace-equality/

Northouse, P.G. (2019). 12. In Leadership: Theory and practice. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
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The Walt Disney Company Recognized for Diversity Leadership. (2015, November 19).

Retrieved September 14, 2020, from https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-

company-recognized-for-diversity-leadership/

Milman, A., & Dickson, D. (2014). Employment characteristics and retention predictors among

hourly employees in large US theme parks and attractions. International Journal of

Contemporary Hospitality Management, 26(3), 447-469. doi:10.1108/ijchm-04-2013-

0178

Wujec, T. (2010, April 22). Build a tower, build a team | Tom Wujec. Retrieved September 09,

2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_yKBitO8M