In the 16th century, an Italian diplomat named Niccolò Machiavelli created a literary work called “The Prince.” This writing was created by Machiavelli to give advice to the prince on how to rise to power and how to maintain it once obtained. It has been the guide of many great leaders in history. In today's corporate culture, the principles explained in “The Prince” can be seen used by many companies. A company can apply many of the principles introduced by Machiavelli. These practices can be seen in the way the Walt Disney Company operates. Disney uses Machiavelli's ideas of takeovers, changes in laws, and honoring promises. [Machiavelli's idea of acquisitions and Disney's acquisition of certain media properties] Machiavelli discusses that there are multiple forms of acquisition of new states, but the most notable form of acquisition is through "one's own weapons and value” (Machiavelli 19), which is difficult when it comes to “maintaining one's dominion” (Machiavelli 19. A prince uses his resources and skills to conquer new states, but encounters problems of respect and loyalty when he succeeds with their means. That said, once they have gained respect and loyalty, they remain in a secure and powerful position. To get to that state one must eliminate those “who were envious of their abilities” (Machiavelli 21). are today. They followed these principles of Machiavelli to become the giant company that they are. When the Walt Disney Company began its business, it was just a small cartoon company. Over time, Disney began to grow as a company, acquiring new properties and creating new ones, but it did not yet enjoy the respect it has today… half of the paper… labor productivity. Eisner promised more people the presidency, stating that if they worked hard enough, he would eventually reward them with the position. He would even go so far as to manipulate Jeffery Katzenberg, "who had been among his closest colleagues and friends for almost two decades" (Stewart) Eisner had become the fox, but he also needed to become the bear to ward off threats against him .[Transition to conclusion][Conclusion restating the thesis]Machiavelli has become an extremely influential figure in the world of business. It has led to the success of numerous companies in today's business world. In recent years, Disney has followed some of the Prince's advice. This can be seen with the acquisition of more media properties, with Disney not changing newly acquired properties, and with Eisner's leadership techniques.
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