The Walt Disney Company
Final Paper
August 23, 2013

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Walt Disney Company and its many affiliates have been hard at work since its foundation in 1923 making it a top leader in business on many levels, with one in particular being Corporate Social Responsibility. Disney has been a company in which others strive to work towards and attain their level of reputable works and good deeds for their guests, consumers, employees, communities and the environment. Sustainability is a key factor in Disney’s success and they have worked hard on finding ways to conserve the environment and maintain a lead in global citizenship.
Disney has many foundations, charitable programs, policies and regulations, which it abides by and allows transparency so that everyone all over the world can see what they do to give back or how they treat their employees. Transparency is a huge asset nowadays in many companies with the global citizenship frontier on the horizon and everyone picking companies based on how they treat the environment, how they manufacture their products and how they give back. Companies are becoming more and more vulnerable and open to the public, allowing for much more scrutiny and in depth looks at how it works internally.
Disney is a top leader in his platform and will remain one for many years to come. From its VoluntEARS program to its Paper Sourcing Policies and everything in between, Disney works hard to continually improve how it conserves energy and water, how it gives back to the communities, and how it strives to be one of the best companies to work for all while keeping the magic alive and making dreams come true.
INTRODUCTION
Disney. You have heard this word time and time again; in your daily routine, from your kids telling you to turn it on, all the way to every NFL Super Bowl winner saying “I’m going to Disney World!” when they win. Disney is more than just a word; it is a conglomerate of television, movies, theme parks, radio, and much more. Becoming such a known entity spreading throughout the world, Disney itself had to take a look inward and find a way to give back and become a company in which others strive to create an equal or greater impact on the lives and communities of those around it.
“Disney’s mission is to always deliver, with integrity, the most exceptional entertainment experiences for people of all ages. We hold our citizenship efforts to the same high standard. Ultimately, our goal is to be the most admired company in the world. We believe we can achieve this goal by conducting our business and creating our products in an ethical manner, and by promoting the happiness and well-being of kids and families by inspiring them to join us in creating a brighter tomorrow.”1 Disney’s vision is “to be one of the world’s largest producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world.”2
ECONOMIC
Speaking on Disney’s economic sphere, its use of doing business has remained quite consistent from when Walt was managing it back in 1957. Take a look at Figure 1; this map, which has been in the Disney archives, shows how things were to be handled and fundamental ways in which to do business.

Figure 1 – Illustration: @1957 Disney
When Walt created this illustration years ago, his strategic vision that he composed then has still been showing signs of improvement and successful growth. “Effective corporate theories like this provide managers with vision to navigate the surrounding strategic terrain over an extended period of time. They provide a conceptual tool and filter — one that can be repeatedly used to select, acquire, and assemble complementary bundles of assets, activities, and resources from the abundance available.”3 With a map