Communication

Audit
Catherine Pundt

Introduction
Many companies face difficulties when it comes to
communication. Once a company is able to identify its
challenges, it will then be able to find a solution to the
problem. This will enable the company to communicate
more effectively and efficiently.

Communication [image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://bconsi.blogspot.com/2012/12/principles-of-effective-communication-inbusiness.html

After conducting a communication audit among Cast

Members at The Disney Store in Staten Island, New York,
it has been determined that the source in which
employees receive their information is an area of
opportunity.

Disney Store [image]. n.d. Retrieved from https://www.statenislandmall.com/en/directory/disney-store6665.html

Background
The first Disney Store opened in Glendale, California in 1987.
Over the next three years, The Walt Disney Company opened
50 more locations nationwide.
Despite strong sales, in 2004 Disney Consumer Products
(Disney Stores parent company) converted 313 of its 700
locations into a licensed operation.
In 2008, The Disney Store Brand was sold back to The Walt
Disney Company which then launched a re-branding of all
Disney Store locations. This operation was led by Steve Jobs,
Apple CEO.
Most Disney Stores are located in retail malls.
Reference:
About the Walt Disney Company. (n.d.). The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved from
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/

Survey Information
Survey [image]. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.jenniferward.org/2014/04/recording-feedbackpotential-of.html

The survey was administered in paper form at the

location.
The survey was available to all Cast Members for a
total of 7 consecutive days to ensure that each Cast
Member had an opportunity to participate, including
those who are only scheduled one day a week.
Out of 25 Cast Members, 11 participated in the
survey.

Sources of
Information

The survey indicated that

the least effective source of
receiving information was
from meetings. This can
suggest that the meeting
organizer (most likely the
Store Manager) is not
delivering the information in a
way that holds the employees
attention, or that they simply
Meeting [image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/miketempleman/2015/08
As
pointed
out
in
the
article
Effective
Management
Is Key
dont
have enough
meetings.
/08/5-tips-for-having-a-perfect-businessmeeting/#1dcb3aa82260
to
Successful Meetings, Almost everyone comes to a
meeting with expectations. Each person has a different
history with the group and different concerns. To be effective,
a manager must understand these differences and set up the
meeting so that they are accommodated (Picket, 2015). The
store manager should seek out additional training that will
guide them on how to run a more effective meeting.

Sources of
Information

The survey also indicated that receiving information from middle management
within The Disney Store is an area of opportunity. In this case middle
management can be defined as the Assistant Manager and Lead positions.
At The Disney Store, middle management serves as a bridge between the store
manager and lower level Cast Members. Not only is middle management
responsible for implementing communications from upper management, they
are also responsible for communicating that information to all employees.
Providing clear communication and instructions to employees of all levels helps
build better relationships within the business unit. This also contributes to the
overall success of all operations of the store (Ahearne, Lam, & Kraus, 2014).
As Alhaqbani, Reed, Reis, and Savage (2014) report in The impact of middle
management commitment on initiatives in public organisations, Increasing
middle managers awareness of the importance of their commitment to
improve initiatives can have an impact on employees commitment towards
improvement initiatives.

Age of the middleman [image]. (2015). Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-business-model-agemiddleman-satayan-mahajan

Conclusion
It takes practice, skills, and knowledge to be an
effective communicator. It is equally important for
Cast Members of The Disney Store in Staten Island,
NY to receive information from upper management
(the store manager) as it is from middle
management. Whether the information is being
delivered in a meeting, by a co-worker, or by faceto-face interaction, good communication among
Cast Members of all levels is key to driving a
successful business.

Effective Communication [image]. (2012).

Retrieved from
http://effectivecommunicationadvice.com/e
ffective-communication

References
Ahearne, M., Lam, S. K. and Kraus, F. (2014). Performance impact of
middle managers adaptive strategy implementation: The role of social
capital. Strategic
Management Journal, 35: pp. 68-87.
doi:10.1002/smj.2086
Alhaqbani, A., Reed, D. M., Savage, B.M. and Ries, J. (2016) The impact of
middle
management commitment on improvement initiatives in public
organisations. Business Process Management Journal, 22(5), pp. 924-938.
doi:10.1108/ bpmj-01-2016-0018
Pickett, R. B. (2014). Effective management is key to successful meetings.
Physician Executive, (40)3, 44-49
About the Walt Disney Company. (n.d.). The Walt Disney Company.
Retrieved from https://
thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/

References, (cont)
Images
Communication [image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://bconsi.blogspot.com/2012/12/principles-of-e
ffective-communication-in-business.html
Disney Store [image]. n.d. Retrieved from
https://www.statenislandmall.com/en/directory/disney-store
-6665.html
Survey [image]. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.jenniferward.org/2014/04/recording-feedback-pot
ential-of.html
Meeting [image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/miketempleman/2015/08/08/5-t
ips-for-having-a-perfect-business-meeting/#1dcb3aa82260
Age of the middleman [image]. (2015). Retrieved from
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-business-model-age-

Appendix
Receiving
information
from
others

Sending
information
to others

Sources of
Informatio
n

Timeline
ss

Channels
of
Informatio
n