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Warner Bros Discovery Stakeholder Analysis
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Warner Bros Discovery is one of the biggest players in the entertainment industry, it deals with films, television programs, media content and products across the world. One of the major stakeholders that has affected the company in the recent past to a very huge extent is the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). This union consists of approximately 160,000 members including actors, journalists, and media professionals from across the globe and is responsible for negotiating working environments and policies of many entertainment companies including Warner Bros Discovery (WorldVeritas, 2024).
SAG-AFTRA has controlled the Company’s business operations in the last one year, notably concerning working conditions and remunerations during the COVID-19 crisis. They demanded better safety measures implemented on the industry, proper wages as well as exercising the welfare of union members. This push meant that Warner Bros Discovery had to make major changes to its production timelines, production standards, and even equity on set for actors as well as workers (Handel, 2023). Some of the changes affected operation costs of the company while others helped in ensuring that productions were still ongoing even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effects of SAG-AFTRA on Warner Bros Discovery are a clear indication that stakeholders have the power to control the corporate affairs of a business. As noted by Lawrence and Weber (2020), “managers must pay attention to the effects of their decisions on stakeholders, as well as stakeholders’ effects on the company” (p. 8). Members and supporters with large organizational inducements, such as the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), can use their positions to force adjustments that will satisfy their requirements (WorldVeritas, 2024). Here, the union also made sure that conditions of working for its members were improved which shows how stakeholders can be so relevant in determining operations of a firm.
In conclusion, the intervention of SAG-AFTRA on Warner Bros Discovery demonstrates the need to sustain a good working relationship with the stake holder. In addressing the demands of the union, both the company and the workers benefited because Warner Bros Discovery was able to provide for the needs of its employees and at the same time avoid disruption in production. This specific case highlights the important roles played by stakeholder relations in the management of business activities.
References
Lawrence, A. & Weber. (2020). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy, 16th edition. McGraw Hill
Handel, C. (2023, November).
Hollywood Strikes cost Warner Bros.. Discovery subscribers in third quarter. Times Square Investment Journal.
WorldVeritas. (2024, September).
SAG-AFTRA: Understanding the union and its impact on the entertainment industry.
