Module 3 – Case: The Political Frame

Assignment Overview

In the Module 3 Case, you will write Chapter 3 of your thesis-style paper – relating to the Political Frame. Using specific examples of “politics” (i.e., the “jungle”) as defined by Bolman and Deal, you will use the Political Frame as a lens through which you will analyze the downfall of Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner.

Begin the Module 3 Case by visiting the Walt Disney Company website:

The Walt Disney Company. (2014). Retrieved on May 8, 2014 from http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/

The following articles provide a good starting point concerning former CEO Eisner’s tenure with the Walt Disney Company: 

White, D. (2005, Oct 01). When Mickey finally turned on his master. Michael Eisner’s reign at Disney is over. Dominic White reports. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved from Proquest. 

Grace Jr., H. S., & Haupert, J. E. (2011). Governance lessons from the Disney litigation. Business Law Today, 20(9), 1–5. Available in the Trident Online Library [Business Source Complete database].

Finally, read the following case study: 

Forbes, W., & Watson, R. (n.d.). Destructive corporate leadership and board loyalty bias: A case study of Michael Eisner’s long tenure at Disney Corporation. City University London. Retrieved on June 10, 2014 from http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/56372/2A_Forbes.pdf

Case Assignment

After you have reviewed the contents of the Walt Disney Company website, completed the above readings and those provided at the Background page of Module 3, and performed additional research from the library and the internet, write a 6- to 7-page paper in which you do the following:

Using the following five assumptions of the Political Frame, complete an in-depth assessment of the Walt Disney Company:

1. Organizations are coalitions of diverse individuals and interest groups.
2. There are enduring differences among coalition members in values, beliefs, information, interests, and perceptions of reality.
3. Most important decisions involve allocating scarce resources—who gets what.
4. Scarce resources and enduring differences make conflict central to organizational dynamics and underline power as the most important asset.
5. Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining, negotiation, and jockeying for position among competing stakeholders.

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that are to be covered in your 6- to 7-page paper include the following:

• Using Bolman and Deal’s Political Frame, analyze the political behaviors surrounding the departure of Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Specifically, address the following:
  • Briefly identify and discuss the key political forces that led to Eisner’s downfall.
  • How does the “Jungle” metaphor apply to the Eisner case?
  • Describe the coalitions that formed at Disney. Then, identify those salient interests that caused the division between coalitions, and how these differences were ultimately resolved.
  • Discuss the Eisner case study in the context of two or three of Bolman and Deal’s Political Frame assumptions included above. How do the assumptions you’ve chosen inform what happened in the Michael Eisner case?  
  • Briefly comment on the significance of the “Toxic Triangle” (see Figure 1 of Forbes & Watson’s case study about Eisner’s departure), and discuss how this model informs the Eisner case study.
  • The background readings will not give you all the answers to the Case. Therefore, you are required to perform some research in the library, and use a minimum of 3-4 scholarly sources from the library to support and justify your understanding of the case.
  • Your paper must demonstrate evidence of critical thinking (if you need tips on critical thinking, http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/college-and-university-students/799 is an excellent resource). Don’t simply restate facts – instead, be sure to interpret the facts you have accumulated from your research.
  • Remember that the Module 4 Case will also serve as Chapter 4 of your session-long thesis-style paper.

Assignment Expectations

 Your paper will be evaluated using the following five (5) criteria:

• Assignment-Driven Criteria: Does the paper fully address all Keys to the Assignment? Are the concepts behind the Keys to the Assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
• Critical thinking:  Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions?  Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
• Business Writing: Is the paper well-written (clear, developed logically, and well-organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers?  Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the Keys to the Assignment, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
• Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy): Does the paper demonstrate effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used in paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
• Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been included within the body of the paper as in-text citations?