This is a presentation that I created and presented in my Corporate Public Relations course in the fall of 2022. It covers the Corporate Social Responsibility activities of The Walt Disney Company.
Where Dreams Come True:
The Walt Disney
Company Case Study
L I N D S E Y M O R R I S
Background
Information:
The Walt Disney Company began as a small-scale cartoon and
animation company created by Walt Disney and his brother Roy
Disney. With 100 years of corporate development under their belt,
they are now no longer confined to the area of film production. A
major part of the Disney enterprise includes several well-known
companies such as ABC, Pixar, ESPN, and Hollywood Records.
Additionally, they also own the rights to many film franchises, some
of which include Star Wars, The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pirates
of the Caribbean, and Indiana Jones.
Some of their competitors include Universal Studios and
DreamWorks, which are both owned by rival media conglomerate
Comcast. Comcast owns several other media networks including
NBC, Telemundo, and Syfy. Another large media company that is in
direct competition with The Walt Disney Company is Time Warner
Inc., which owns HBO, Warner Bros., the CW, and DC Comics
About Citizenship –
Social Responsibility
01
The Walt Disney Company is a member
of an array of initiatives and
organizations to work toward climate
actions that are in accordance with the
2015 Paris Agreement. They have also
added clean energy production sites at
many of there theme parks around the
world. They have also also implemented
site-specific watershed management
strategies at their global parks, resorts,
and even at their corporate
headquarters. They have also begun
testing a fully compostable experience at
a restaurant in their Animal Kingdom
theme park in Florida.
02
One organization that they give regular
funding to is the “Starlight Children’s
Foundation,” where they give deliver
Disney themed care packages to more
than 500 hospitals both the United
States and Canada. The Walt Disney
Company has also continued to work
with the “Make a Wish” Foundation.
Along with granting wishes this year,
they also announced a $1 million
donation to the foundation following
the grand reveal of their newest cruise
liner, the Disney Wish.
In recent years, consumers have become increasingly vocal in their
desire for large corporations to take responsibility for their
environmental damage and give back as a global citizen. Disney takes
pride in its extensive amount of corporate social responsibly in the
areas of environmental protection and global community investment.
Environmental Protection Community Investment
After reviewing the CSR efforts of Disney’s direct competitors, I found that
Disney is involved more areas of CSR than both Comcast and Time Warner
Inc. In saying this, both of their competitors have done extensive work in
the area of giving back to the LGTBQ+ community. I think that mimicking
some of these activities would be a great way for The Walt Disney
Company to expand their CSR endeavors. In saying this, since a large
portion of the target audience for Disney products and services are
children, I think that I would be in the best interest of the company to keep
their CSR efforts with the LGBTQ+ community strictly in the area of
charitable giving to designated non-profit groups. I think this would be the
best course of action because if parents feel that The Walt Disney
Company is in any way pushing unwanted notions on their children, it
could severely injure their overall public image.
CSR Initiative that Disney
Should Implement
Workplace Environment
01
In the area of benefits provided to
their employees, current and former
Disney personnel left positive
ratings in several areas, some of
which including health insurance
and mental health care. In addition
to this information, based on the
salary information provided, they
reward their workers for their
efforts very nicely. Regular Cast
Members on average make around
$38 thousand and their higher
qualified staff make around $124
thousand a year.
02
They have recently implemented
Disney T.R.U.S.T., which is their
regional affinity group for Europe,
Africa, and the Middle East. This
program was implemented to garner
positive well-being and mental
health, and T.R.U.S.T. stands for talk,
recognize, understand, support, and
triumph. The Walt Disney Company
also provides on-demand learning
platforms to push those working with
their company to further their own
education. They have set rigorous
labor standards for the tens of
thousands of facilities around the
world that make Disney-branded
merchandise
A profound part of The Walt Disney Company is employing people who
have strong values and in turn create a strong organizational culture.
They do this with the understanding that building an immersive
commercial experience is co-created through both the customer and
the employee. The Walt Disney Company has shown a dedication to
supplying a healthy and accommodating work environment for its
10,000+ employees.
Employee Benefits Employee Programs
After reviewing both the Glassdoor profile and the efforts explained in
CSR report, I feel that Disney has developed a notable company culture. I
think that it is impressive that they provide access to different types of
educational software. This allows employees utilize their personal time to
work towards their professional development, which allows Disney to
develop better employees from within the company. While it is admirable
that they have implemented the T.R.U.S.T. program in Europe, Africa, and
the Middle East, I think this would be a program that would be beneficial
to their employees around the world. The issue of mental health has
become less of a taboo in recent years and by initiating programs to help
their workers manage stress and protect their mental well-being, Disney
can ensure that they are preforming to the best of their abilities.
Workplace Environment
Initiative that Disney Should
Implement