The case focuses on John Lasseter, who is the creative head of Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, both of which are owned by The Walt Disney Company. The case chronicles Lasseter’s interests in animation from a young age, the relationship he developed with the Disney organization, his developing interest in computer animation and consequent demise at Disney Studios, his subsequent award-winning success with computer animation at Pixar Studios, and his ascension to creative head of Disney’s Animation Studio and retention of his position as creative head of Pixar Animation Studios as a critical element of the Pixar-Disney merger.

The case provides a marvelous illustration of the many types of interpersonal power¾reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert¾that exist within an organization. The case also shows how power can be used to promote the well-being of the organization and its members or to benefit specific people’s interests at the expense of others’ interests. Herein, the two faces of power¾positive and negative¾come into play. Another linkage between the chapter material and the case occurs in the form of concerns about the ethical versus unethical use of power. Finally, the case can be used to explore the concepts of organizational politics and political behavior in organizations. Organizational politics often has a negative connotation, and some of the case facts lend themselves to reinforcing this negative connotation.

Questions

1. What forms of interpersonal power are evident in the case?
2. In what ways do the two faces of power appear in this case?
3. Does the firing of John Lasseter from Disney Studios and the events leading up to his firing demonstrate the ethical use of power? Explain your answer.
4. Did the firing of John Lasseter indicate the existence of political behavior in the Disney organization?
5. In his dual roles at the Pixar and Disney Studios, how does John Lasseter use power, influence, and organizational politics?
6. What useful lessons about power and politics in organizations are provided by John Lasseter’s remarkable career?