When companies internationalize, the dimension of
individual national cultures needs to be considered in
conjunction with corporate culture. Theme parks deliberately set out to portray the cultures and fantasies of other
times and places, thereby compounding the issues affecting corporate and national cultures. Explores the tensions
that the corporate culture of Walt Disney Corporation
imposes on its French subsidiary, Euro Disney SCA, to
determine if the resultant conflict has contributed to its
poorer-than-expected performance. Using the three-level
construct of culture proposed by Schein an examination of
the corporate culture of Disney will be made with particular reference to its programme of internationalization and
the ultimate "clash" of its corporate culture with French
national culture. The strength of Disney's corporate culture
has led to conflict, and blinded the organization to the
differences in the surrounding local culture.