Creativity, Innovation, and Intrapreneurship
Creativity is defined as the mental ability to create or imagine new and meaningful ideas. On the other hand, innovation is the process of transforming creativity into products and services for the real world (Jones 366). There is a significant link between the two concepts. For example, one has to be creative to come up with an innovative idea. An intrapreneur is an individual who works with large organizations. They are provided with financial support to help them create new products and systems. They operate autonomously, meaning that they do not have to follow protocols. In addition, their work determines the success or failure of the company. For a company to succeed, it must pay attention to the three concepts. What this means is that the three are related. First, the intrapreneurs are the backbone of creativity. On its part, creativity leads to innovation and success of the company (Jones 366). Examples of intrapreneurs include scientists and researchers. In some cases, they are upset with the internal workings of an organization, opting to start their own companies.
Management of Conflicts in Organizations
Organizational conflict has negative impacts on business. Disputes are evident in situations where various stakeholders are pursuing different goals. In a conventional firm, shareholders are interested in dividends, whereas employees demand for a pay rise. It is crucial for the management to resolve any conflicts arising in the company. If left unchecked, the disputes can bring down an organization (Jones 392). They can destroy organizational culture, reducing the ability of the firm to control behavior. In addition, time that could have been used on important matters is wasted during negotiations. Jones argues that organizational power can be used to resolve conflicts (401). Distribution of power determines how disputes are managed. It is important to harness power in order to manage politics and exploit its benefits. Resources are allocated to tasks that are valuable to the firm. Power can be misused if it is given to a dominant group. The group may fail to take into consideration opposing views. As a result, the effectiveness of the company is compromised.
Sources of Conflicts at Walt Disney
One of the sources of disputes at Disney entails the different values held by the various stakeholders. Conflict occurs when people fail to understand each other (Jones 414). Disney’s CEO, Michael Eisner, had the powers to approve every decision made in the company. In the process, he stifled ideas that were not pleasing to him regardless of whether they were beneficial to the company or not. His leadership style led to another source of conflict. Poor communication was apparent under his stewardship. Bob Iger, who was mentored by Eisner, was afraid of proposing new ideas to his father figure. To achieve his future dreams of becoming the next CEO, he needed to be in good terms with the incumbent. The last element that brought about conflict in the firm is poor performance. Michael Eisner was not fully exploiting his potential. His inability or unwillingness to dedicate himself to the firm is evident in the outcomes of his leadership. The situation improved when Iger took over as the new CEO (Jones 414). The company’s stock improved because there was an improvement in the way conflicts were managed.
Strategies that Iger Applied to Solve Conflicts and Handle Politics
Considering that he had worked in Disney for a long time, Bob Iger understood the dynamics of most of the problems affecting the firm. He employed the ‘self-knowledge’ strategy of management and enhanced the effectiveness of the company’s operations. The approach was used to prioritize the most important tasks (Jones 414). Iger started by dismantling the Central Strategic Planning office. He also adopted the discussion strategy. Every idea was discussed before it was approved or dismissed. Managers at different levels in the firm were able to talk directly to the CEO. Revenues have improved since Iger took over.
Works Cited
Jones, Gareth. Organizational Theory, Design, and Change. 7th ed. 2012. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Print.