Cirque du Soleil’s Global Human Resource Management Practices




Case Details Case Introduction 1 Case Introduction 2 Case Excerpts

Abstract

Cirque du Soleil (Cirque) is a Montreal-based entertainment company recognized the world over for high-quality, artistic entertainment. About 150 million spectators have seen a Cirque show since 1984 and as of 2014 it ran 20 shows globally across five continents. Cirque redefined the circus industry by blending creative craft, dance, and street performances with magnificent costumes, music, and lighting to develop opera-styled shows and excluding animals from its acts. From its modest beginnings as a small group of street performers, Cirque grew over the years into the world’s biggest theatrical performance company with over 4000 employees from over 50 different countries representing 25 nationalities.

It fostered a culture of risk-taking and creativity and considered people an important asset of the company. The case discusses the global human resources practices of Cirque including recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation, etc. The case also describes the culture at Cirque and how it managed the cultural diversity of its workforce. Cirque provided its employees with a creative environment that encouraged them to express their ideas, challenged their limits, and allowed them to grow both professionally and personally. Employees were offered competitive salaries, bonuses and promotions, group insurance, paid holidays, and free meals. Cirque also encouraged artistic creativity among its employees by giving them an opportunity to showcase their artistic skills by holding exhibitions and cultural arts events. However, some analysts felt that, going forward, one of the biggest issues for Cirque would be addressing challenges in its global HR practices and preserving its culture.

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Issues

The case is structured to achieve the following teaching objectives:

  • Study the global HR practices at Cirque and examine its key elements.
  • Understand the importance of talent/people in gaining a competitive edge.
  • Analyze the challenges before Cirque in maintaining its creative culture.
  • Explore ways in which Cirque could manage the cultural diversity of its workforce.
  • Understand how a company can put in place an effective global talent management system.

Contents
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND NOTE
SELECTION AND TRAINING
CULTURE AT CIRQUE
BENEFITS GALORE
COMMUNICATION
SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT
HEALTH AND SAFETY
BRIDGING CULTURES
CAREER TRANSITION
CHALLENGES
LOST ITS WAY?
EXHIBIT

Keywords

Global human resource management,Global talent management,Recruitment and selection,Training and development,Competency-based training,Compensation, Career transition,Managing cultural diversity,Organizational culture,Creative environment,Creative culture,Cross cultural training,Innovation culture,Competitive advantage

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