Disney is one of the largest and leading media entertainment conglomerates in the globe, both in terms of diversity and revenue generation (Collis, 2009). The company is known for four of its operational divisions such as Disney studios, Disney consumer products, Disney parks and resorts, and Disney consumer products and media networks (Hollis, and Ehrbar, 2006). Therefore, the brand drives Disney’s business and based on its reputation, any item sold under the Disney brand is sure to become succeed and generate revenue for the company (Collis, 2009). These has enabled Disney to continue providing exciting programs and products under the Disney franchising model (Collis, 2009).
Providing response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the market place requires that an organization performs as a whole (Lothar, 2008). This entails improved cooperation between the constituent departments of an organization. While people might argue that one functional area is vital than other functional areas, both departments play a critical role in the success of the organization (Hollis, and Ehrbar, 2006). In many instances, an organization is made up of four functional areas that involve human resources, operations, marketing, and finance. These departments work as a whole because they interact and interrelate during normal operational activities within the company.
Functional interrelationships at Disney Inc.
Marketing functions at Disney Inc. performs a vital role in identifying the wants and needs of customers, which are responsible for driving the entire organization. The marketing function provides supervision, market analysis, and conducts research on behalf of Disney (Jiang, 2009). Taking note of changes in the external environment enables the organization to predict the market needs and preferences. Marketing department is also crucial for enabling Disney Inc. to increase its product portfolio to other sectors rather than relying on the family entertainment market. This shows that marketing links both internal and external environments. In addition, the marketing division at Disney Inc. must relay this information and findings to other departments at Disney Inc. in order to make them realize the objectives of the entire organization. It uses innovation and creativity to improve the competitive image of the organization. Nonetheless, the marketing department cannot undertake these operations without the help from other departments. The operations department is responsible for providing logistical support to marketing operations while the finance department provides the funds and financial advice on the viability of market research and development (Jiang, 2009). The human resource department provides the manpower that is critical for ensuring success in marketing operations.
The operation department is concerned with satisfaction of needs and wants on a wider perspective of the organization. For instance, all operational activities within the Disney Inc. are executed by the operations department. Decisions such as development new product portfolios under the Disney brand, decisions of resource inputs, and the costs of products are determined by the operations management (Jiang, 2009). However, the operations department depends on the marketing department to conduct research and development to provide the necessary information that can be used to make other decisions. Equally, the operations department depends on the finance department to provide the necessary funds for managing the operations. Sales records for operations activities are also kept by the finance department. The human resource departments takes care of the welfare of employees at the operations department in addition to satisfying the staffing needs of the operations department.
Sound financial health at Disney Inc. is possible because of the financial soundness. The finance department at Disney Inc. is responsible for raising capital for financing operational activities at the organizations. The department also ensures that there is enough revenue at the organization to cover the cost of any operation used to raise finance. Likewise, the finance department depends on relationships between the operation and marketing departments. While the finance department is concerned with ensuring timely availability of finances needed to run the organization, the operations department ensures that all productive activities at Disney Inc. at undertaken with the costs in mind. Along the line, the marketing department delivers the produced products to the market and implements the best strategies to ensure that the goods are sold at the best prices to generate large sums of profit for the entire organization (Jiang, 2009).
Finally yet important, the human resource department at Disney Inc. performs the integrative function that involves general management of all activities at Disney Inc. The HRM department identifies the demand for human resources equipped with particular skills, knowledge, and abilities to suit the different departments at Disney Inc. When the marketing department thinks of conducting a market research aimed at introducing new products, it is critical that the HR department is notified to enable it identify the human resources qualified for realizing these functions. The Human resource department is responsible for drawing a strategic plan that governs the staffing needs of all departments at Disney Inc.
Conclusion
Interrelationships between departments at Disney Inc. is inescapable because strategic management of Disney Inc. is undertaken from coordination from the four functional areas: operations management, marketing, human resources, and finance. The integration among these departments is critical for ensuring that Disney Inc. realizes all its objectives. For this reason, it is evident that functional relationships exist between the operations, marketing, human resource, and finance departments at Disney Inc.
References
Collis, M. G. (2009). The Walt Disney Company: The entertainment King. Harvard Business School
Hollis, T. and Ehrbar, G. (2006). Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records.
Jiang, X. (2009). Strategic Management for Main Functional Areas in an organization. International journal of business and management 4(2):153-157
Lothar K. (2008). Negotiating International Business and Principles of Negotiating International Business Charleston, SC and Booksurge LLC
