Organizations and management at the movies

Citation

Champoux, J.E. (2007), "Organizations and management at the movies", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 15 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoa.2007.34515caf.001

Organizations and management at the movies

Article Type: Film reviews From: International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Volume 15, Issue 3.

Many films perceived and described as classics contain scenes that work well for showing management and organizational behavior concepts. In this issue, I review film scenes from five films that show the following topical areas:

1. 1.

   personality, power, and leadership;

2. 2.

   organizational culture: values and basic assumptions;

3. 3.

   behavior modification;

4. 4.

   decision making and behavioral choice; and

5. 5.

   technology and the future.

This review includes scene position information to help you locate each film scene on a DVD.

Personality, power, and leadership: Citizen Kane (1941)

Two scenes at different places in Citizen Kane show various aspects of personality, power, and leadership. You can use these scenes separately or show them one after the other. The first set of scenes shows Charles Foster Kane (actor, Orson Welles) in his role as the new owner of The New York Daily Inquirer. The second set of scenes shows some continuing aspects of his Editor-in-Chief role.

Citizen Kane, a powerful and engaging film, follows the life of Charles Foster Kane from his childhood to his position as head of a publishing empire. The film was controversial at the time of its release because of the close resemblance of Kane to American publishing mogul, William Randolph Hearst. Orson Welles directed, starred, and co-wrote this film at age 25. It was also his film-acting debut. The film’s central themes include leadership, power, power relationships, and material consumption. It is also filled with innovative cinematic techniques such as camera angles, focusing techniques, scene sequencing, and voice track. As one film review notes, “… every scene counts … ” (Fox et al., 1998, p. 115). The American Film Institute (AFI) ranks this film as first in its early 2008 list of the Top 100 American films (http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=micro_100landing).

DVD Chapter 10, “The New York Daily Inquirer” begins with Mr. Bernstein (actor, Everett Sloane) talking to newspaper reporter Jerry Thompson (actor, William Alland). Bernstein is the retired General Manager of the Inquirer. He refers Bernstein to Jedediah Leland (actor, Joseph Cotton), Kane’s best friend. The film continues with the arrival of Kane and Leland for their first day at the Inquirer.

These scenes show Kane quickly taking control of the Inquirer’s management. His discussions with Herbert Carter (actor, Erskine Sanford), the former Editor-in-Chief, show his strong will, forceful personality, and directive leadership. Kane quickly lays out a new vision for the paper: news runs 24 hours a day, forcefully pursuing the Silverstone story, size of the headline, and quick organizational change that starts with Kane firing Carter.

The second set of scenes shows Kane’s continuing management of the newspaper. It appears earlier in the film in DVD Chapter 7, “Newspaper fun.” Start the chapter at 0:24:11 with a panning shot of men reading the Inquirer on a train. Walter Parks Thatcher (actor, George Coulouris) angrily recites some of the headlines. Kane’s mother had earlier assigned Thatcher as Kane’s guardian.

Kane’s strong, directive style clearly comes through in these scenes. He has a clear vision for the Inquirer that includes targeting powerful interests and representing the underdog. Kane’s vision includes some possible news fabrication and the ability or willingness to lose US$1 million a year.

Organizational culture: values and basic assumptions: The Godfather (1972)

Basic assumptions are one of the three levels at which one can view an organization’s culture (Schein, 2004, Ch. 2). They are least visible to a new employee and often unconscious to veteran employees. Describing and illustrating basic assumptions in a classroom context with an effective film scene greatly enhances student understanding. The opening scene from The Godfather does this extremely well[1].

Based on Mario Puzo’s novel, this film takes a powerful look at a Mafia family led by Don Vito Corleone (actor, Marlon Brando). It is an intense film that roams through its characters’ personal lives and shows the fiercely violent side of organized crime. The film suggests stunning parallels between managing a gangster organization and managing an organization of any other type. The Godfather has memorable scenes and memorable performances, especially those of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan (Craddock, 2006, p. 375). In early 2008, the AFI ranked this film as number two of the top 100 American films (http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=micro_100landing).

This scene starts with Bonasera (actor, Salvatore Corsitto), the undertaker’s voice-over, “I believe in America.” It follows the opening titles with a close-up of his face as he continues to speak (DVD Chapter 1, “I believe in America”; or start at 0:00:48). This scene ends after Don Corleone says to Tom Hagen (actor, Robert Duvall), “I mean, we’re not murderers in spite of what this undertaker says.” Don Corleone sniffs his lapel flower. The film cuts to the wedding reception.

Don Corleone’s behavior, comments, and observations say much about the basic assumptions of this organization’s culture. Basic assumptions include a form of values that guide people’s behavior in an organization. They usually are not obvious and people learn them over time while interacting within the culture.

Basic assumptions appear in the dialogue that begins, “We’ve known each other many years, but this is the first time you ever came to me for counsel or for help. I can’t remember the last time that you invited me to your house for a cup of coffee even though my wife is godmother to your only child.” Some key phrases include, “But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even think to call me ‘Godfather’ … And if, by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies. And then they would fear you.”

He alludes to basic assumptions in his statements about offering respect, friendship, calling him “Godfather,” and inviting him to the undertaker’s house for a cup of coffee. You can reinforce these basic assumptions by rerunning this segment of the film scene. It starts at 0:03:56 and ends at 0:06:03.

Behavior modification: One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Behavior shaping and performance management are each part of typical organizational behavior courses. Introduce those and related topics before showing the recommended scenes from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Ask students to identify examples in the scenes of key concepts that you emphasize.

Head Nurse Ratched (actress, Louise Fletcher) meets her match in new mental patient Randle Patrick McMurphy (actor, Jack Nicholson). In a brilliant adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel, superb performances, and Miloš Forman’s clever direction, create an engaging experience from start to finish. The strong emotional content from the various inmates adds to the film’s quality and creates many cinematic moments. I have chosen two scenes that show some aspects of behavior modification and the resulting performance levels.

DVD Chapter 5, “Basketball lesson.” and DVD Chapter 17, “Teamwork.” show behavior shaping and performance management at two different points in Chief Bromden’s (actor, Will Sampson) basketball playing development. Both chapters have some adult language (i.e., R-rated).

The first scenes appear early in the film. These scenes open with a view of the hospital’s recreation yard. McMurphy enters the yard. He approaches Chief and tells him that he will show him how to play basketball. McMurphy’s training approach follows many recommendations from behavior modification such as specifying the target and incrementally developing performance toward that target (Luthans and Kreitner, 1985).

The first set of scenes show the following parts of behavior modification. Ask students to carefully note what they see while you run the scenes in class.

1. 1.

   Clearly specify the desired behavioral goal: “… put the ball in the hole.”

2. 2.

   Clearly indicate the start of the desired behavior: “Now, that’s your spot. Don’t move. Never move. That’s your spot, you understand?”

3. 3.

   Shape the behavior in the desired direction: “Raise the ball up in the air, Chief. Raise it up.”

4. 4.

   Positively reinforce desired behavior: “Up! That’s it! That’s it! Up, all the way up. All the way up. That’s a baby, all right.”

5. 5.

   Incrementally add behaviors that are required to reach the goal: “Now, jump up in the air, and put it in the basket, Chief. Jump up and dunk it in.” McMurphy gives a behavioral demonstration by jumping.

6. 6.

   When Chief does not understand about putting the ball in the basket, McMurphy enlists the help of Bancini (actor, Josip Elic) to behaviorally demonstrate desired behavior.

The first scenes end with McMurphy yelling at Chief to put the ball in the basket. You can guide a discussion about which items students noted in the scenes. Also ask students who have not seen the film to predict Chief’s performance in the basketball game shown in the second set of scenes.

The second set of scenes begins with McMurphy putting Chief into place under a basket. He reminds him of the desired behavior while pointing at the basket: “Right there is the spot. Remember? Raise the hands, in the basket.” Chief shows his understanding by raising his hands. After the first successful basket, everyone cheers for the Chief, positively reinforcing his successful behavior. Another successful basket results in a second round of positive reinforcement. You can note to students that Chief appears positive about the results; he smiles and runs to the other basket to continue the game. The scenes end with McMurphy exclaiming, “What a ball club!”

Decision making and behavioral choice: On the Waterfront (1954)

Two sets of back-to-back sequences from On the Waterfront show a decision-making process and the effects of the decision. Stunning performances by Marlon Brando as New York dockworker Terry Malloy, Lee J. Cobb as corrupt union leader Johnny Friendly, Karl Malden as Father Barry, and Eva Marie Saint’s film debut as Edie Doyle create a gripping film that endures to this day. The film takes a harsh look at dockworker life and its organization and management. A winner of many awards, including eight Oscars, On the Waterfront ranks high in the AFI’s Top 100 American films (Craddock, 2006, p. 667; Maltin, 2007, p. 1020).

DVD Chapter 23, “Waiting for Big John,” follows the murder of Charley “the Gent” Malloy (Rod Steiger), Terry Malloy’s older brother. Charley Malloy was a major figure within Johnny Friendly’s Dockworker’s Union Local 374. Terry goes to the local’s major hangout, intending to kill Johnny Friendly. He earlier cut his left arm while breaking a door’s window so he and Edie could escape an oncoming truck.

This sequence shows several aspects of decision making and concepts of the decision-making process. You can use these scenes following a discussion of the decision-making process. That process includes a decision goal, decision alternatives, choices among alternatives, choice criteria, and decision results (Huber, 1980; Koopman and Pool, 1990). Father Barry outlines each element for Terry Malloy in a 1.5 minute sequence after he arrives in the bar (start: 1:24:01; stop: 1:25:30)

• •

  Decision goal: “Do you wanna hurt Johnny Friendly? … Do you really wanna finish him?”

• •

  Decision alternatives: kill him or “You fight him in the courtroom tomorrow with the truth, as you know the truth.”

• •

  Choices: killing or court appearance.

• •

  Choice criteria: killing does not show bravery: “Firing lead into another man’s flesh isn’t being brave!”

• •

  Show bravery with courtroom testimony.

A silent, thoughtful Terry Malloy comes to his decision. DVD Chapter 24, “Crime Commission hearing” shows the decision results, which includes shunning by his friends. Terry Malloy returns to Edie Doyle’s apartment.

Technology and the Future: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Some films lend themselves to acting as “virtual time machines” by casting us into a simulated future state. When 2001: A Space Odyssey came out in 1968, it presented an image of a future state at the beginning of the next century. It is a visual masterpiece of the future that is either confusing or a delight in what it conveys. This film is based on The Sentinel, an Arthur C. Clarke science fiction short story. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Stanley Kubrick, the film’s director. It features HAL the computer who tries to take control of a mission to Jupiter. The film has stunning futuristic visual effects. 2010: The Year We Make Contact is the 1984 sequel that continues the story (Craddock, 2006, p. 939).

Two sets of scenes early in the film give a view of technology and the future with positive overtones. Chapter 6, “To the moon” runs 5 minutes and 35 seconds. Chapter 10, “Off to Clavius” runs 7 minutes and 20 seconds. You can use one or both chapters and still stay within the legal limit of classroom film usage. The following describes and analyzes each chapter and gives you guidelines on their use. An important design feature of these chapters is the absence of dialogue and the presence of engaging music. Ask for student reactions to what they see and hear. Compare their observations to what I note for each chapter.

“To the moon” follows the film’s opening that shows the apes’ evolution, a film segment entitled “The dawn of civilization.” One ape (presumably the group’s leader) tosses a bone in the air which transforms into the shuttle approaching the lunar space station, a rotating wheel-like structure. It is carrying Dr Heywood R. Floyd (actor, William Sylvester) to the space station where he will take another shuttle to Clavius. The scenes highlight weightlessness in space by showing Floyd’s floating left arm and his floating pen, A close-up of the flight attendant’s right foot shows “GRIP SHOES” that help her walk in a weightless environment. The background music gives a buoyant feeling to technology and the future.

The “Off to Clavius” scenes continue the emphasis on technology and the future. They show Dr Floyd traveling to Clavius on board the Aires-1B lunar shuttle. These scenes feature an entire meal based on liquid versions of various foods. A zero gravity toilet has extensive instructions for its use. They are unreadable in the film but you can see their detail at www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/trivia Scroll down or search for “Zero Gravity Toilet Instructions.” The flight attendant’s (actress, Edwina Carroll) awkward walking style is a function of her gripping shoes that even let her walk inverted to reach the cockpit. The background music again adds to a positive feeling about technology and the future.

Portions of this section adapted from Champoux (2001).