MEI Assignment 3

Stephen Hart
Ricardo Lam
Luiz Felipe Azevedo
Tariq Abati
Daniel Camino
Lucas Everaarz

1. Leadership at Pixar
- Threat from
competitors and the
complexity of the
environment.

- Standardization of skills
- Mutual adjustment between
working groups

- Vision;
- Flexibility;
- Team player;
- Honesty and integrity;
- Empowering.

- Creative culture
- Innovation in technologies
- High skilled professionals

Analysis of Pixar's leadership style:

McGregor's theory: transformational leadership, for its trust and mainly, and especially for its focus
on the future. Ed Catmull serves to motivate and encourage people to create their own thoughts and
ideas.
Behavioral approach to leadership (Ohio): Pixar has a behavior called people-oriented
(consideration). The leader helps support the acquisition of new ideas and disseminating knowledge
when employees need help.
Likerts leadership system: Pixar has a democratic leadership style, where all participate
democratically in decision-making; there is good communication in every way.
Theory of situational leadership (Hersey-Blanchard): Pixar fits the participative style as the leader
enables the employee to participate and contribute in the decision making thus the leader acts as a
facilitator of the task and communication.
The Leadership Grid: Pixar is more associated with the profile management team, since the tasks
are always met efficiently, with dedication and involvement of employees in an environment of trust
and respect.

2.

IMO

Framework

at

Pixar

Input:
-

Pixar's ability to take risk and the capability to recover in case of failure to elude severe
damages and learn from intelligent it. People are vital for the implementation of creative ideas

Pixar tends to focus too much on miniature details to make the character in realistic film
(photorealism application)

Pixar still want to go further, amplifying their capabilities by creating 3D movies provided in
future.

Pixar's dynamic culture and their ability to acquire talented animators always bring progress in
their performance capability.

Mediators:
-The employees do not need a formal permission to deal with their problems, they can approach
anyone of the organization for help.
-There is an incentive for employees to communicate more and interact more through informal
meetings in the cafeteria, post office, common areas strategically placed.
-The Pixar creates a flexible environment and a pleasant climate for its employees in order to always
be creating and developing new projects.

Outcomes:
The creation of a harmonized environment resulted in outstanding performance in the application of
technological usage and the creativity to tell a story in their animations that reaches out to different
type of peoples.
Pixar made a lucrative nine winning movies in a row which is amazing knowing the fact that they only
release a movie once in four years.
Pixars market offer is always ahead of its competitors through the ability of their cohesive interaction
and expertise.
keeps their staff involved in which ever task and make them feel important and included with their co
workers to share ideas, expertise and create something together that people will talk about after 10
years.

Means: Collaboration
G
R
O
U
P

Means: Brainstorming

Ends: New products and ideas

End: New products from in and outside.

Means: Seed funds to employees

Ends: Employee engagement/innovation
Means: Licencing
Ends: Use of new products/money made off
existing ideas.
Means: Inviting outside innovators
Ends: Growth

H
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E
R
A
R
C
H
I
E
L

Means: Senior Executive for each new product

line
Ends: Quality Control
Means: CEO signs off on new product release
Ends: CEO retains control of company.

Means: Well Defined needs

Ends: Easier to identify new ideas
Means: Outside collaboration
Ends: Rising growth

D
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V
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L
O
P
M
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N
T
R
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4. Relation to Research
1. An organization focus on innovation is positively related to the presence
of a development culture.
2. An organizational focus on innovation positively related to the presence of
a group culture, with the relationship being weaker than that of the
developmental culture.
3. An organizational focus on innovation is positively related to the presence
of rational culture, with the relationship being weaker than that of the
developmental cultural trait.

4. An organizational focus on innovation is negatively related to the presence

of a hierarchical culture.
5. The relationship of innovation to culture is stronger for innovation generation
than for innovation adaption. (Partially supported)
6. The relationship of innovation to organizational culture is stronger for radical
than for incremental innovations. (Not supported)