Paper 5- Euro Disney

Abstract Disneyland is the park for children who want to make their dream come true. In Paris, Disney also have a park to serve people here. This is the venturing project of Disneyland in France. For a course of time, Euro Disneyland experience a huge net loss. In this paper, we are going to discuss the difference of cultures between two countries as a major problem, and discover what makes Disney be not successful in this country.

Euro Disneyland
Disney’s story is the classic American rags-to riches story. It started in an advertising office where Mickey was a real mouse prowling the unknown Walt Disney floor. In the beginning Mickey was named Mortimer, until a dissenting Mrs. Disney stepped in. Disney made many sacrifices to promote his hero-mascot, including selling his first car, and humiliating himself in front of Louis B. Mayer. In 1955, Disney sent his movie characters out into the real world to mix with their fans, and he battled skeptics to build the very first Disneyland in Anaheim, California. In 1966 Disney died, and the company went into virtual suspended animation. After that Disney’s share started losing its value from $84.375 a share to $48.75 a share. In September 1984, Michael Eisner was appointed CEO and Frank Wells became president. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the 33 year-old, maniacal production chief, followed Fisher from Paramount Pictures. He took over Disney'’ movie and television studios.
In July 17, 1955 the Disney gates first opened at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The place is a marvel of modern technology. A lot of computers, and huge banks of tape machines, film projectors, and electronic controls lie behind the walls, beneath the floors, and above the ceilings of dozens of rides and attractions. Cleanliness is a primary concern, and there are more than 350 employees coming on duty at 1 A.M to begin the daily cleanup routine. Since opening day in 1955, Disneyland has been a consistent moneymaker. After California, Disneyland expand its business in Orlando, Tokyo, and France. When venturing in Tokyo and France, Disney had many difficulty in adapting to those countries’ life styles and cultures. Specifically in this paper, we will discuss difficulties which Disney has to experience when venturing in France.
Main cultural differences between the U.S and France
We can compare the France’s culture with the U.S’s culture by using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions which are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity.
The power distance in France is 68. France is said to be fairly high on Power Distance. Children are raised to be emotionally dependent on their parents. The dependency is generally transferred to teachers and later on to superiors. The power is not only centralized in companies or government, but also geographically. A concrete example about it is that most highways in France lead to Paris. In France companies, there are one or two hierarchical levels more than comparable companies in Germany and the UK. Superiors have privileges and are often inaccessible. CEO’s of big companies are called Mr. PDG (President Director General.) This position is said to be more privileges than CEO. In contrast, the power distance in the United States is not high, just 40. It means that hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative a degree.
The uncertainty avoidance in France 86. It means the French do not like surprises. Structure and planning are required. Before meetings and negotiations, the French like to receive all necessary information. They are also good in developing complex technologies and systems in a stable environment. There