Walt Disney’s theme park model reflected the American culture and norms within society. However when the decision was made to move into Europe, some adaptation were done to make the theme park much more culturally integrated with the host country France.
Walt Disney reflects the American idealism of the ‘American Dream’. This is primarily focused on all things being perfect and without fault. This unique image Walt Disney portrayed and provided for the customers at Disneyland Resorts and parks have a highly controlled management systems and an ethnocentric style, to deliver the a high grade of service and product, which is part of their core competencies, for their competitive advantage. Disney’s entry strategy to France was also centred on control. Euro Disney had entered France using their organisational culture some variations to adapt to the French cultural mannerisms. Although both countries are westernised they both have very different national cultures.
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Mead (2005) stated that when a subsidiary is located in a different country the need to coordinate the organisational aims and direction, is high, if it is centralise. This is because in different countries the likelihood of becoming disengaged with the headquarters is high. Euro Disney follows a dependent subsidiary as the management team hired to control Euro Disney under direction of Walt Disney. The decisions made were central to Walt Disney to coordinate the hospitality and services. An example of the measures taken, were the creation of handbooks that gave strict instructions of the code of conduct and the rigorous standards. This direct mechanism system for control, provided clear expectations, and what was expected of. Furthermore training was provided to give basic knowledge and behaviours to staff while employed to Disney. Although this was appropriate for Disney USA the French may not find it as useful.
Hoelick (1995) suggested that French culture is acute to the implicit