Brainwashed into Engagement

Employee loyalty and commitment have potential to benefit an organization. However, what happens when limits are pushed and levels of loyalty and commitment are built on the wrong foundations? Here, a deductive theory surrounding the process through which The Walt Disney Company builds “over-commitment” and loyalty is presented. Personal experience as a Disney employee, combined with review of literary sources, allows for the analysis of impact surrounding three types of organizational commitment (continuance, normative, and affective) in The Walt Disney Company. The inner-workings of the company’s processes to “brainwash” employees are displayed through fear tactics, encouraging gratitude in new employees, assigning the phrase “Cast Member” to all employees, relying on influential exposure to the brand early in the individual’s life, and employees’ deep connection with the company itself. The effects of withdrawal and “over-commitment” for employees is also analyzed and enclosed.