Smile Factory - 1210 Words

COMMENTS ON Van Maanen, J., â€Å"The Smile Factory: Work at Disneyland†, In P. Frost, et al (eds.) Reframing Organizational Culture, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1991, pp. 58-76. A) HOW DOES THIS PAPER RELATE TO OTHER MATERIAL YOU HAVE REFLECTED ON IN THIS MODULE? The ‘Smile Factory: Work at Disneyland’ case study emphasizes a strong correlation with the in-class topics presented throughout the Organisational Behaviour module. The paper is a description of the organisation’s code of conduct, business focus and core values and is primarily concerned with evaluating relevant socio-behavioural patterns embedded with the specific business culture. Disneyland can be described as a mechanistic organisation, where potential†¦show more content†¦There is a 20 year gap between when the primary research was performed and when the article was first published. The author’s analysis is largely drawn from his own experience of working in Disneyland in late 1960’s and from informal interviews with ride-operators who worked in Disneyland during his time. Although the article is quite informative, its immense popularity could stem from the fact that the author is an influential professor of management at MIT. The article has been widely cited and is considered a classic case study in the study of management. We question whether it is possible for the author to be objective given his past relationship with Disneyland, described in Note 3. Also, the general tone of the article appears to be negative because of his past experiences at Disneyland. We also noted that the work culture prevalent in the 60’s may not necessarily reflect the current work culture at Disneyland. Also, the personal experiences of few ride-operators may not necessarily reflect the experiences of 4000 strong workforce at Disneyland. WeShow MoreRelatedLaissez Faire Vs. 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