A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LABOR STRUCTURE

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Media

Document 1

The company’s mission is to be among the leading entertainment and information producers as well as providers across the globe (Walt Disney). Walt Disney also utilizes its portfolio of brands to differentiate themselves from other media industries through their services, content and consumer products. The company seeks to produce the most inventive, inspired and profitable consumer experiences and associated products of entertainment in the world. In collaboration with its affiliates and subsidiaries, Disney is a leading multicultural international family entertainment and media enterprise with various business segments such as parks, networks, media, studio entertainment, experiences and consumer commodities, direct-to-consumer and international (Walt Disney). Walt Disney's characters, stories, and experiences reach many consumers and families from different corners of the world. Besides, the worldwide distribution of theme parks and media content, museums, and Canadian control agencies have adopted and implemented Disney's culture.

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In the course of its corporate history, Walt Disney has demonstrated a prototypical control-based strategy which presents itself in numerous ways (Meyer 2008). Therefore, the Walt Disney experience provides valuable insight into the probable width and depth of cultural imperialism as well as the conflict between responsiveness and control. Although the Disney Empire that expanded beyond animation, the rest of the employees are subjected to the irrational control of their job and their lives. Walt Disney is a corporate entity that benefits from outsourcing practices that abuse human labor during the manufacture of its products in most of the developing countries (Chen 2018). Disney’s large percentage of its workers comprise of women mostly in the poorly developed countries. Additionally, these workers are unable to participate in the intellectual phases of conceptualization and planning (Miller 2011).

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They are also underpaid and do not have control of their working conditions. Furthermore, capitalists who operate their workshops and factories situated in, dependent, poorly industrialized countries do not have full control over the manner in which production tasks will be assigned. Walt Disney generates revenue as a result of its global division of labor through automated production processes as well as from a labor force that mainly consists of females in the production process of its cultural products. It is important for Disney forecast and plans on their manpower before they expand their global presence. Also, change like for instance, investing in a new line of business like animation studios and theme park requires employees to be in a continuous cycle of training. Furthermore, the labor market competition highly influences the labor structure of the company.

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This is because Walt Disney has built a strong reputation in the entertainment media industry as innovative leaders and developing their employees (Yoon and Malecki 2009). Thus, there comes a time when these workers are rated high in the present labor market. Walt Disney has been accused of poor safety measures in some of its factories which has led to numerous reported incidents of accidents as a result of the use of old machinery as well as inadequate basic training or insufficient supply of protective gears for its workers. In addition, most Disney workers are exposed to harsh chemicals at the factories and ineffective audits in regards to the working conditions of the factories. Impact of Division of Labor on Working Conditions The company has also been slammed for the poor oversight of its supplier factories.

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Besides, these supplier factories have often withheld the full overtime pay of the employees and fined them for taking leave. Also, the factories have often recruited workers without proper official contract documents (Fröbel, Heinrichs and Kreye 1980). Walt Disney performs all of the mental tasks which involve conception and planning and subcontracts work that requires physical participation to nations that are still developing. In turn, the company takes advantage of poor wages to maximize profit. Such a relationship can be viewed as a form of economic imperialism since the industrialized countries have all the power as well as control in the relationship. This type of business is embraced in some cases. For example, in places such as China and Indonesia, they have trained their women to be submissive to the men, thus they always do what they are told.

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Retrieved from: https://www. thenation. com/article/are-disney-workers-having-a-hard-time-making-ends-meet/ Christopherson, S. Behind the scenes: How transnational firms are constructing a new international division of labor in media work. Geoforum, 37(5), pp. The new international division of cultural labor. Managing media work, pp. Robbins, M. Polite, F. G.

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