Abstract
Despite early financial hardships, Cirque du Soleil (French for Circus of the Sun) has remained one of the most successful theatrical producers in the history of the entertainment industry. What started as a troupe of street performers in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada named Les Echassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (French for the Wading Birds of Baie-Saint-Paul) has grown into a global entertainment business whose performances have been seen by over 100 million spectators in nearly 300 cities worldwide (Cirque du Soleil, 2013; Hoovers, 2013). In less than 30 years, the company had over 5,000 employees worldwide. As the company traveled across the US and Europe, the success of the organization grew, but not without managerial and organizational disputes, including "artistic rebellions" and partnership clashes (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2002). Furthermore, given that no global entertainment competitor is on par with Cirque du Soleil, the company has to make strategic decisions as it embarks on its third decade in business.