Date of Graduation

5-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Accounting

Advisor/Mentor

Worrell, Dan

Committee Member/Reader

Kish-Gephart , Jennifer

Abstract

This thesis answers the question of whether a unique organizational culture can help a company find long-term success. My main focus of the thesis was on the Walt Disney Co., a company that I think has set the standard in organizational culture and is where I will be starting my professional career. My aim was to find what aspects of culture are most important to have, and how companies can use their culture to gain a competitive advantage. In order to answer this question, I researched companies that have been recognized for having a very successful organizational culture, as well as companies that have struggled. From this research I could compare and contrast the differences in order to identify the aspects of culture that have either been successful or detrimental. I also interviewed two professional women to get their perspective on organizational culture, and I surveyed a small representation of University of Arkansas soon-to-be graduates to see whether organizational culture could play a part in their decision of where they want to start their career. I also researched the effect of globalization on organizational culture and how it could potentially cause companies to have to change their organizational behaviors and work environment. I have concluded that in order for a company to be successful, they need to create a unique organizational culture that cannot be copied by competitors in order to give them a competitive advantage. I created a ten-step process that companies can use to help them achieve their ideal organizational culture. I recognize that there is not necessarily one monolithic static organizational culture, and have taken that into consideration as I have gone through the paper.

Keywords

Walt Disney; corporate culture; organizational culture

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