Pixar Case Study

1. How does Pixar use strategic management? Strategic management consists of the analyses, decisions and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantage” (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, & McNamara, 2014). Strategic management focuses on the entire organization and is used by Pixar by putting their ideas to reality. They use strategic planning to create valuable products for their audience. Through computer animation and cooperation between employees in the organization Pixar creates unique characters and stories that relates with their audiences and it how they have created their competitive advantage. Pixar’s competitive advantages are their employees and technologies, which is
Employees are essential to any successful business and Pixar took the time to create an environment where their employees don’t feel as just employees but as part of an environment that appreciate them. Catmull described Pixar’s organizational environment as “an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity…the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments make the community a magnet for talented people.” (Stallard, 2010). The passion that is found in the organization (from bottom to top) to create different, creative products is Pixar competitive advantage. Pixar makes great films and tell stories that bring imagination to life.

5. How has strategic leadership and the management of innovation helped Pixar sustain its competitive edge? What challenges remain for Catmull and Lasseter?

The vision of the Pixar organization is to create stories that move the hearts and minds of families around the world.

“Strategic leadership manages, motivates and persuades staff to share that same vision, and can be an important tool for implementing change or creating organizational structure within a business” (BusinessDictionary.com, 2014).

Pixar’s management invested their time