Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essays

Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essays Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essay Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essay Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Tammy Adams, Kecia Darnell, Chelsea Hensley, Elizabeth Munns, and Zameika Williams University of Phoenix FIN 370 Professor Stephen Beadnell October 18, 2010 Strategic Initiative Paper Introduction This paper will address the strategic and financial planning associated with the operations of Disney. In addition, the paper will show the correlation between strategic and financial planning. The impact of the organization’s initiative costs, sales, and associated risks the organization encounters during the financial and strategic planning will be addressed. Thus, the financial planning process provides a tool for preparing for the future working-capital requirements of the firm. † (Keown, 2005) The Walt Disney Company currently has many strategic plans in action; in 2005 the Company’s CEO, Robert Iger, ordered a restructuring of their Corporate Strategic Planning Division. The strategic planning department is now being incorporated i nto each of Disney’s four segments which include Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products and Media Networks, as well as Disney’s International Organization. They are also utilizing smaller groups focusing on developing Disney’s five year plan as well as acquisition opportunities, new technologies, and emerging businesses. â€Å"Strategic planning will continue to play an important role in identifying the opportunities and challenges presented to our company as we grow our leadership position as the most valuable entertainment brand in the world,† said Mr. Iger in his 2005 announcement of the restructuring project (News Release, para. 3). Strategic planning for The Walt Disney Company (2005) has been â€Å"an essential catalyst to Disney’s growth by identifying new opportunities and expanding existing business† (News Release, para. 4). They are using this new structure to create efficiency, accountability, and empowerment in the ongoing efforts of each business unit leader to create new entertainment experiences which will ultimately generate more long-term value for shareholders (The Walt Disney Company, 2005). Their strategic planning procedures have worked for many years, and a restructuring brought more attention to an area of financial planning that is extremely important. Disney’s efforts to stay at the head of the market have certainly proven to be effective as well as very beneficial. As a result of restructuring and creating multiple departments within Disney, the organization’s financial planning is efficient. The organization has identified financial goals, prioritized those goals, and developed a financial plan by using the legacy information to determine the organization’s financial forecast. The organization focuses on key relationships that will provide additional resources for the business, and create a positive profit. The strategic planning division was dismantled to create a more efficient operation. The organization used vital information created by the strategic planning division to have a profitable future. â€Å"The strategic planning unit was fashioned by Mr. Eisner and others at Disney to create a dynamic tension between the units and the corporate suite. But as the business units grew over the years, the executives who ran them chafed under strategic plannings oversight. † (Holson, 2005) One particular area that Disney could potentially have an impact on Disney costs and sales is with online movie viewers. With certain developments such as Netflix, movie watchers are able to stream movies from the comfort of their own home. While Disney previously established an agreement that entitled the Disney Company to licensing fees, those charges did not incorporate people that were able to access movies online. According to an online article entitled, Disney May Raise Costs for Netflix, 2010, Disney is concerned that they will miss out on significant licensing revenue as the number of Netflix subscribers that watch movies online through Netflix’s streaming service increases. The situation between Disney and Netflix could lead to a direct impact on costs and sales for both Disney and Netflix. However, focusing primarily on the impact the Disney Company, the effects could be more drastic. One scenario is the parties do not reach an agreement in regard to the streaming fees Disney wants to charge Netflix and the companies discontinue business. Netflix will no longer provide Disney movies for rent, this could lead to a decrease in potential sales and free advertising for Disney. It could be said that Netflix users will select from a the remainder of the selection of movies available, however, according to the article, the likelihood is that Netflix will negotiate with The Disney Company so there are no limitations put on the amount of streaming video Netflix can offer . This will actually increase the current acquisition costs for Netflix at an estimated incremental one percent acquisition cost. There will be a positive impact on sales for Disney due to the additional charges able to be acquired through attaching fees to the online streaming content. As a result of restructuring and creating multiple departments within Disney, the organization’s financial planning is efficient. The organization has identified financial goals, prioritized those goals, and developed a financial plan by using the legacy information to determine the organization’s financial forecast. The organization focuses on key relationships that will provide additional resources for the business, and create a positive profit. The strategic planning division was dismantled to create a more efficient operation. The organization used vital information created by the strategic planning division to have a profitable future. The strategic planning unit was fashioned by Mr. Eisner and others at Disney to create a dynamic tension between the units and the corporate suite. But as the business units grew over the years, the executives who ran them chafed under strategic plannings oversight. † (Holson, 2005) The Walt Disney Company is the worlds largest media conglomerate, with assets encompassing movies, television, publishing, and theme parks, focusing on key relationships that will supply supplementary capital for the company, and generate a constructive income while combining it magic with Netflix’s and other upcoming companies. The Walt Disney Company is the most victorious organizations in the practice of strategic planning. These organizations not only benefit from building and executing a plan, but they benefit form the thought process itself. A plan is a highway to success, and the planning process signifies organizational leadership and heightens the communication of significant company information. Today’s unstable market demands that employees, work groups, and organizations have a comprehensible consideration of their roles, products and services the Walt Disney Company has to offer, as well as the processes the company use to find the way of opportunity to create an outcome-based organization culture. Combining Strategic planning, impact cost and sales, and the risks that come wit them The Disney Company has managed to stay on top building many hotels and resorts for families and those young at heart with the thrill of a lifetime with more to come. References Disney may raise pricesfor netflix. 2010. retrieved October 16, 2010 from http://seekingalpha. com/article/186250-disney-may-raise-costs-for-netflix Holson, L. (2005, March 26). Disney Intends To Overhaul Planning Unit. New York Times, p. C2. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from Apollo online library: EBSCO host database Keown, A. , Martin, J. , Petty, J. , Scott, D. (2005). Financial Management: Principles and Applications, Tenth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall The Walt Disney Company. (2005). Disney Corporate. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from http://corporate. disney. go. com database

Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essays

Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essays Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essay Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essay Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Tammy Adams, Kecia Darnell, Chelsea Hensley, Elizabeth Munns, and Zameika Williams University of Phoenix FIN 370 Professor Stephen Beadnell October 18, 2010 Strategic Initiative Paper Introduction This paper will address the strategic and financial planning associated with the operations of Disney. In addition, the paper will show the correlation between strategic and financial planning. The impact of the organization’s initiative costs, sales, and associated risks the organization encounters during the financial and strategic planning will be addressed. Thus, the financial planning process provides a tool for preparing for the future working-capital requirements of the firm. † (Keown, 2005) The Walt Disney Company currently has many strategic plans in action; in 2005 the Company’s CEO, Robert Iger, ordered a restructuring of their Corporate Strategic Planning Division. The strategic planning department is now being incorporated i nto each of Disney’s four segments which include Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products and Media Networks, as well as Disney’s International Organization. They are also utilizing smaller groups focusing on developing Disney’s five year plan as well as acquisition opportunities, new technologies, and emerging businesses. â€Å"Strategic planning will continue to play an important role in identifying the opportunities and challenges presented to our company as we grow our leadership position as the most valuable entertainment brand in the world,† said Mr. Iger in his 2005 announcement of the restructuring project (News Release, para. 3). Strategic planning for The Walt Disney Company (2005) has been â€Å"an essential catalyst to Disney’s growth by identifying new opportunities and expanding existing business† (News Release, para. 4). They are using this new structure to create efficiency, accountability, and empowerment in the ongoing efforts of each business unit leader to create new entertainment experiences which will ultimately generate more long-term value for shareholders (The Walt Disney Company, 2005). Their strategic planning procedures have worked for many years, and a restructuring brought more attention to an area of financial planning that is extremely important. Disney’s efforts to stay at the head of the market have certainly proven to be effective as well as very beneficial. As a result of restructuring and creating multiple departments within Disney, the organization’s financial planning is efficient. The organization has identified financial goals, prioritized those goals, and developed a financial plan by using the legacy information to determine the organization’s financial forecast. The organization focuses on key relationships that will provide additional resources for the business, and create a positive profit. The strategic planning division was dismantled to create a more efficient operation. The organization used vital information created by the strategic planning division to have a profitable future. â€Å"The strategic planning unit was fashioned by Mr. Eisner and others at Disney to create a dynamic tension between the units and the corporate suite. But as the business units grew over the years, the executives who ran them chafed under strategic plannings oversight. † (Holson, 2005) One particular area that Disney could potentially have an impact on Disney costs and sales is with online movie viewers. With certain developments such as Netflix, movie watchers are able to stream movies from the comfort of their own home. While Disney previously established an agreement that entitled the Disney Company to licensing fees, those charges did not incorporate people that were able to access movies online. According to an online article entitled, Disney May Raise Costs for Netflix, 2010, Disney is concerned that they will miss out on significant licensing revenue as the number of Netflix subscribers that watch movies online through Netflix’s streaming service increases. The situation between Disney and Netflix could lead to a direct impact on costs and sales for both Disney and Netflix. However, focusing primarily on the impact the Disney Company, the effects could be more drastic. One scenario is the parties do not reach an agreement in regard to the streaming fees Disney wants to charge Netflix and the companies discontinue business. Netflix will no longer provide Disney movies for rent, this could lead to a decrease in potential sales and free advertising for Disney. It could be said that Netflix users will select from a the remainder of the selection of movies available, however, according to the article, the likelihood is that Netflix will negotiate with The Disney Company so there are no limitations put on the amount of streaming video Netflix can offer . This will actually increase the current acquisition costs for Netflix at an estimated incremental one percent acquisition cost. There will be a positive impact on sales for Disney due to the additional charges able to be acquired through attaching fees to the online streaming content. As a result of restructuring and creating multiple departments within Disney, the organization’s financial planning is efficient. The organization has identified financial goals, prioritized those goals, and developed a financial plan by using the legacy information to determine the organization’s financial forecast. The organization focuses on key relationships that will provide additional resources for the business, and create a positive profit. The strategic planning division was dismantled to create a more efficient operation. The organization used vital information created by the strategic planning division to have a profitable future. The strategic planning unit was fashioned by Mr. Eisner and others at Disney to create a dynamic tension between the units and the corporate suite. But as the business units grew over the years, the executives who ran them chafed under strategic plannings oversight. † (Holson, 2005) The Walt Disney Company is the worlds largest media conglomerate, with assets encompassing movies, television, publishing, and theme parks, focusing on key relationships that will supply supplementary capital for the company, and generate a constructive income while combining it magic with Netflix’s and other upcoming companies. The Walt Disney Company is the most victorious organizations in the practice of strategic planning. These organizations not only benefit from building and executing a plan, but they benefit form the thought process itself. A plan is a highway to success, and the planning process signifies organizational leadership and heightens the communication of significant company information. Today’s unstable market demands that employees, work groups, and organizations have a comprehensible consideration of their roles, products and services the Walt Disney Company has to offer, as well as the processes the company use to find the way of opportunity to create an outcome-based organization culture. Combining Strategic planning, impact cost and sales, and the risks that come wit them The Disney Company has managed to stay on top building many hotels and resorts for families and those young at heart with the thrill of a lifetime with more to come. References Disney may raise pricesfor netflix. 2010. retrieved October 16, 2010 from http://seekingalpha. com/article/186250-disney-may-raise-costs-for-netflix Holson, L. (2005, March 26). Disney Intends To Overhaul Planning Unit. New York Times, p. C2. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from Apollo online library: EBSCO host database Keown, A. , Martin, J. , Petty, J. , Scott, D. (2005). Financial Management: Principles and Applications, Tenth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall The Walt Disney Company. (2005). Disney Corporate. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from http://corporate. disney. go. com database

Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essays

Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essays Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essay Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Essay Disney Strategic Initiative Paper Tammy Adams, Kecia Darnell, Chelsea Hensley, Elizabeth Munns, and Zameika Williams University of Phoenix FIN 370 Professor Stephen Beadnell October 18, 2010 Strategic Initiative Paper Introduction This paper will address the strategic and financial planning associated with the operations of Disney. In addition, the paper will show the correlation between strategic and financial planning. The impact of the organization’s initiative costs, sales, and associated risks the organization encounters during the financial and strategic planning will be addressed. Thus, the financial planning process provides a tool for preparing for the future working-capital requirements of the firm. † (Keown, 2005) The Walt Disney Company currently has many strategic plans in action; in 2005 the Company’s CEO, Robert Iger, ordered a restructuring of their Corporate Strategic Planning Division. The strategic planning department is now being incorporated i nto each of Disney’s four segments which include Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products and Media Networks, as well as Disney’s International Organization. They are also utilizing smaller groups focusing on developing Disney’s five year plan as well as acquisition opportunities, new technologies, and emerging businesses. â€Å"Strategic planning will continue to play an important role in identifying the opportunities and challenges presented to our company as we grow our leadership position as the most valuable entertainment brand in the world,† said Mr. Iger in his 2005 announcement of the restructuring project (News Release, para. 3). Strategic planning for The Walt Disney Company (2005) has been â€Å"an essential catalyst to Disney’s growth by identifying new opportunities and expanding existing business† (News Release, para. 4). They are using this new structure to create efficiency, accountability, and empowerment in the ongoing efforts of each business unit leader to create new entertainment experiences which will ultimately generate more long-term value for shareholders (The Walt Disney Company, 2005). Their strategic planning procedures have worked for many years, and a restructuring brought more attention to an area of financial planning that is extremely important. Disney’s efforts to stay at the head of the market have certainly proven to be effective as well as very beneficial. As a result of restructuring and creating multiple departments within Disney, the organization’s financial planning is efficient. The organization has identified financial goals, prioritized those goals, and developed a financial plan by using the legacy information to determine the organization’s financial forecast. The organization focuses on key relationships that will provide additional resources for the business, and create a positive profit. The strategic planning division was dismantled to create a more efficient operation. The organization used vital information created by the strategic planning division to have a profitable future. â€Å"The strategic planning unit was fashioned by Mr. Eisner and others at Disney to create a dynamic tension between the units and the corporate suite. But as the business units grew over the years, the executives who ran them chafed under strategic plannings oversight. † (Holson, 2005) One particular area that Disney could potentially have an impact on Disney costs and sales is with online movie viewers. With certain developments such as Netflix, movie watchers are able to stream movies from the comfort of their own home. While Disney previously established an agreement that entitled the Disney Company to licensing fees, those charges did not incorporate people that were able to access movies online. According to an online article entitled, Disney May Raise Costs for Netflix, 2010, Disney is concerned that they will miss out on significant licensing revenue as the number of Netflix subscribers that watch movies online through Netflix’s streaming service increases. The situation between Disney and Netflix could lead to a direct impact on costs and sales for both Disney and Netflix. However, focusing primarily on the impact the Disney Company, the effects could be more drastic. One scenario is the parties do not reach an agreement in regard to the streaming fees Disney wants to charge Netflix and the companies discontinue business. Netflix will no longer provide Disney movies for rent, this could lead to a decrease in potential sales and free advertising for Disney. It could be said that Netflix users will select from a the remainder of the selection of movies available, however, according to the article, the likelihood is that Netflix will negotiate with The Disney Company so there are no limitations put on the amount of streaming video Netflix can offer . This will actually increase the current acquisition costs for Netflix at an estimated incremental one percent acquisition cost. There will be a positive impact on sales for Disney due to the additional charges able to be acquired through attaching fees to the online streaming content. As a result of restructuring and creating multiple departments within Disney, the organization’s financial planning is efficient. The organization has identified financial goals, prioritized those goals, and developed a financial plan by using the legacy information to determine the organization’s financial forecast. The organization focuses on key relationships that will provide additional resources for the business, and create a positive profit. The strategic planning division was dismantled to create a more efficient operation. The organization used vital information created by the strategic planning division to have a profitable future. The strategic planning unit was fashioned by Mr. Eisner and others at Disney to create a dynamic tension between the units and the corporate suite. But as the business units grew over the years, the executives who ran them chafed under strategic plannings oversight. † (Holson, 2005) The Walt Disney Company is the worlds largest media conglomerate, with assets encompassing movies, television, publishing, and theme parks, focusing on key relationships that will supply supplementary capital for the company, and generate a constructive income while combining it magic with Netflix’s and other upcoming companies. The Walt Disney Company is the most victorious organizations in the practice of strategic planning. These organizations not only benefit from building and executing a plan, but they benefit form the thought process itself. A plan is a highway to success, and the planning process signifies organizational leadership and heightens the communication of significant company information. Today’s unstable market demands that employees, work groups, and organizations have a comprehensible consideration of their roles, products and services the Walt Disney Company has to offer, as well as the processes the company use to find the way of opportunity to create an outcome-based organization culture. Combining Strategic planning, impact cost and sales, and the risks that come wit them The Disney Company has managed to stay on top building many hotels and resorts for families and those young at heart with the thrill of a lifetime with more to come. References Disney may raise pricesfor netflix. 2010. retrieved October 16, 2010 from http://seekingalpha. com/article/186250-disney-may-raise-costs-for-netflix Holson, L. (2005, March 26). Disney Intends To Overhaul Planning Unit. New York Times, p. C2. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from Apollo online library: EBSCO host database Keown, A. , Martin, J. , Petty, J. , Scott, D. (2005). Financial Management: Principles and Applications, Tenth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall The Walt Disney Company. (2005). Disney Corporate. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from http://corporate. disney. go. com database

History of the Quiché Maya - Popol Vuh

History of the Quichà © Maya - Popol Vuh The Popol Vuh (Council Book or Council Papers) is the most important sacred book of the Quichà ©; (or Kiche) Maya of the Guatemalan Highlands. The Popol Vuh is an important text for understanding Late Postclassic and Early Colonial Maya religion, myth, and history, but also because it also offers interesting glimpses into Classic Period beliefs. History of the Text The surviving text of the Popol Vuh was not written in Mayan hieroglyphics, but rather is a transliteration into European script written between 1554-1556 by someone said to have been a Quichà © nobleman. Between 1701-1703, the Spanish friar Francisco Ximenez found that version where he was stationed in Chichicastenango, copied it and translated the document into Spanish. Ximenez translation is currently stored in the Newberry Library of Chicago. There are numerous versions of the Popol Vuh in translations in various languages: the best known in English is that of Mayanist Dennis Tedlock, originally published in 1985; Low et al. (1992) compared the various English versions available in 1992 and remarked that Tedlock immersed himself in the Mayan point of view as much as he could, but by and largely picked prose rather than the poetry of the original. The Content of the Popol Vuh Now it still ripples, now it still murmurs, ripples, it still sighs, still hums and is empty under the sky (from Tedlocks 3rd edition, 1996, describing the primordial world before creation) The Popol Vuh is a narrative of the cosmogony, history, and traditions of the Kiche Maya before the Spanish conquest in 1541. That narrative is presented in three parts. The first part talks about the creation of the world and its first inhabitants; the second, probably the most famous, narrates the story of the Hero Twins, a couple of semi-gods; and the third part is the story of the Quichà © noble family dynasties. Creation Myth According to the Popol Vuh myth, at the beginning of the world, there were only the two creator gods: Gucumatz and Tepeu. These gods decided to create earth out of the primordial sea. Once the earth was created, the gods populated it with animals, but they soon realized that animals were unable to speak and therefore could not worship them. For this reason, the gods created humans and had the animals role relegated to food for humans. This generation of humans was made out of mud, and so were weak and were soon destroyed. As a third attempt, the gods created men from wood and women from reeds. These people populated the world and procreated, but they soon forgot their gods and were punished with a flood. The few who survived were transformed into monkeys. Finally, the gods decided to mold mankind from maize. This generation, which includes the present human race, is able to worship and nourish the gods. In the narration of the Popol Vuh, the creation of the people of corn is preceded by the story of the Hero Twins. The Hero Twins Story The Hero Twins, Hunahpu, and Xbalanque were the sons of Hun Hunahpu and an underworld goddess named Xquic. According to the myth, Hun Hunahpu and his twin brother Vucub Hunahpu were convinced by the lords of the underworld to play a ball game with them. They were defeated and sacrificed, and the head of Hun Hunahpu was placed on a gourd tree. Xquic escaped from the underworld and was impregnated by the blood dripping from Hun Hunahpu’s head and gave birth to the second generation of hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Hunahpu and Xbalanque lived on the earth with their grandmother, the mother of the first Hero Twins, and became great ballplayers. One day, as had happened to their father, they were invited to play a ball game with the Lords of Xibalba, the underworld, but unlike their father, they were not defeated and stood all the tests and tricks posted by the underworld gods. With a final trick, they managed to kill the Xibalba lords and to revive their father and uncle. Hunahpu and Xbalanque then reached the sky where they became the sun and moon, whereas Hun Hunahpu became the god of corn, who emerges every year  from the earth to give life to the people. The Origins of the Quichà © Dynasties The final part of the Popol Vuh narrates the story of the first people created from corn by the ancestral couple, Gucumatz and Tepeu. Among these were the founders of the Quichà © noble dynasties. They were able to praise the gods and wandered the world until they reached a mythical place where they could receive the gods into sacred bundles and take them home. The book closes with the list of the Quichà © lineages up until the 16th century. How Old is the Popol Vuh? Although early scholars believed that the living Maya had no recollection of the Popol Vuh, some groups retain considerable knowledge of the stories, and new data have led most Mayanists to accept that some form of the Popol Vuh has been central to the Maya religion at least since the Maya Late Classic Period. Some scholars such as Prudence Rice have argued for a much older date. Elements of the narrative in the Popol Vuh argues Rice, appear to predate the late Archaic separation of language families and calendars. Further, the tale of the one-legged ophidian supernatural who is associated with rain, lightning, life, and creation is associated with Maya kings and dynastic legitimacy throughout their history. Updated by  K. Kris Hirst Sources Dictionary of Archaeology.Carlsen RS, and Prechtel M. 1991. The Flowering of the Dead: An Interpretation of Highland Maya Culture. Man 26(1):23-42.Knapp BL. 1997. The Popol Vuh: Primordial Mother Participates in the Creation. Confluencia 12(2):31-48.Low D, Morley S, Goetz D, Recinos A, xe, Edmonson M, and Tedlock D. 1992. A Comparison of English translations of a Mayan text, the Popol Vuh. Studies in American Indian Literatures 4(2/3):12-34.Miller ME, and Taube K. 1997. An Illustrated Dictionary of The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson.Paulinyi Z. 2014. The butterfly bird god and his myth at Teotihuacan.  Ancient Mesoamerica 25(01):29-48.Rice PM. 2012. Continuities in Maya political rhetoric: Kawiils, katuns, and kennings.  Ancient Mesoamerica 23(01):103-114.Sharer RJ. 2006. The Ancient Maya. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.Tedlock D. 1982. Reading the Popol Vuh over the shoulder of a diviner and finding out whats so funny. Conjunctions 3:176-185. Tedlock D. 1996. The Popol Vuh: Definitive Edition of the Maya Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. New York: Touchstone.Woodruff JM. 2011. Ma(r)king Popol Vuh.  Romance Notes 51(1):97-106.