9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Fatima Audu

Park University Industrial & Organizational Psychology PS424 Instructor Mahoney, John J April 3, 2010

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Introduction The film is centered on the friendship between three women who work in the business offices of a large corporation known as Consolidated. Judy Bernly is a naive new employee, a recent divorcee whose husband left her for his secretary. On her first day, Judy meets Violet Newstead the supervisor of her department, and a longtime employee of Consolidated. Violet trains Judy and introduces her to the department executive, Franklin Hart, Jr. who immediately reveals himself to be arrogant womanizer. Judy soon learns that Violet has been passed over consistently by those who could promote her and wonders why since she is such a hard worker. The third woman in the trio is Doralee Rhodes who is Hart's personal secretary. Despite the fact that Doralee is a happily married woman, and Hart is also married, Hart continually makes inappropriate advances toward her. Hart has also been lying to his colleagues that he's been sleeping with her which causes the office to gossip and the women in the office treat her rudely as a result Some time passes, and Violet is once again passed over for an important promotion, even though her ideas are good enough that Hart passes one off as his own and takes all the praise for it. Hart bluntly tells Violet that the company would rather have a man in the position, and Violet becomes enraged, storming off on her own, but not before she reveals to Doralee that her affair with Hart is common knowledge. Doralee, who has been confused and upset about the way she's treated by her coworkers, snaps and also rages at Hart, threatening to use her gun on him the next time he makes an indecent proposal. Judy witnesses a fellow secretary lose her job over a minor infraction and she, too, becomes enraged. The three women go to a local bar to drown their sorrows and think of ways to get back at the company and those who have oppressed them. The movie 9 to 5 analysis the internal and external factors in an organization's success. External factors like socialization and culture are discussed in light of

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Hofsted's four dimensions. The movie gives a great overview of perception and stereotypes , and the importance of leadership in the organization is highlighted. The relationships between communication, power, politics and ethics are reviewed. Motivation Identifying specific personality types can be crucial running a successful organization. Personality can drive factors such as attitude, which in turn is determined largely by an individual's thoughts, feelings the person experiences, and behaviors the person engages in. As such, both personality type, and the attitude that it can foster, can be crucial in job satisfaction, employee productivity, and ultimately the success of an organization as a whole (Colorado University). Motivation is an important internal factor that can influence organizational behavior. A poorly motivated employee or manager can often produce poorly, reduce workplace morale, and ultimately harm an organization's bottom line. As such, an understanding of motivation can be as important as understanding personality. Further, personality can influence motivation, and motivation can even influence personality. An understanding of attribution theory is helpful in understanding the root human factors that underlie motivation in the workplace. Attribution theory attempts to understand how individuals understand causality, and can help to explain the individual behaviors of motivated individuals, unmotivated individuals. Unmotivated people often doubt their personal abilities, assume that any successes can be attributed to luck or external variables, and fail to attribute successes to personal attributes like personality, skill or work ethic. As such, an unmotivated person is not enthusiastic about work because they feel that work outcomes are not related to their individual efforts (Tucker-Ladd). As such, understanding attribution theory can

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

help a successful manager to get to some of the root causes of poor motivation among employees. The movie 9 to 5 illustrates how Harts gossip about Doralee causes the office to stereotype her as a home wreaker and bring down her motivation. Perception and stereotypes can often play a large role in the interactions between individuals, groups, and organizations. These perceptions can result in poor working relationships, poor communication, and thus impact productivity and the organization's success. As such, it is important to try to counteract stereotypes, whether positive or negative, and replace them with factual perceptions based on observation and analysis. Leadership There was clearly a break down in leadership when it came to Violet being passed over for promotion based on her gender. Effective leadership is the backbone of many different successful organizations. A good leader can increase innovation, improve employee and manager satisfaction and commitment, and enhance the organization's productivity (Johns & Saks, 2001). As the study of organizational behavior progressed, it moved to an understanding of effective organizations as a product largely of effective leadership and bureaucratic actions. Today, the study of organizational behavior and leadership tends to focus on the needs of the individual, as well as models of systems behavior. In this new understanding, the role of the leader is certainly important, but it is seen within a heuristic model of the organization as a combination of individual, the organizational system, and leadership factors (Wertheim). As portrayed in 9 to 5 conflict within organizations can be greatly counterproductive, leading to employee dissatisfaction, poor performance, poor communication, and ultimately hurt the organization's bottom line. A great deal of conflict within the organization comes from poor

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

communication, whether this occurs between employees, or between employees and managers. Further, it is important to ensure that employees can communicate effectively with 'higher' levels of management. Violet worked constantly but could not advance due to the superiors she worked for. Interpersonal conflicts result when an individual, group, or even an organization impedes the goals of another. It often results in the development of antagonistic attitudes and behaviors. Conflict can result from disagreements about facts, procedures, goals, and even 'territorial' issues. Conflict is managed in a number of ways, including avoidance, competition, compromise, and collaboration (Johns and Saks). The resolution of conflict involves a number of factors. Ultimately, successful conflict management focuses on creating a win-win situation where both parties achieve their goals. A free exchange of information is important, and differences should be considered as opportunities for change. Occasionally, an outside party is important in achieving conflict resolution, and may mediate the conflict (helping parties come to a decision) or arbitrate (offering a final solution that is binding to both parties) (Johns and Saks). Organizational Change In order to correct the problems in the company portrayed in the movie 9 to 5, changes needed to be made within the organization. Organizational change usually refers to "planned, organization-wide change" (McNamara), including restructuring, mergers, changing mission, and new programs (McNamara). Resistance to organizational change is often strong but in order for the company to be a good working environment these changes need to happen. In changing the organization as a whole or in part, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of both human factors or organizational behavior, as well as an understanding of how the organization works as a system. Successful organizational change addresses a wide

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

variety of factors, including organizational culture, changing the values and beliefs of members of the organization, and changing the behavior of members of the organization. Top management is important in initiating organizational change, while a team effort is crucial in carrying out such change (McNamara). Increasing and sustaining communication and education on equal opportunity, sexual harassment, is the most effective way to manage change within an organization that has ethnic problems. The reasons for change should be explained, as well as the methods for carrying out change (McNamara). Conclusion In conclusion, organizational behavior is a broad and complex field. Organizational behavior takes into consideration a range of human behavior, including internal and external factors. Human personality and motivation impact the behavior of an organization, as to factors like leadership, culture, and socialization. Further, the organization is often studied within a system, or bureaucratic process that focuses on the interrelationship between parts of the organization, rather than internal or external human factors. While it is possible to study the organization as a system, it is important to note that human factors underlie almost all aspects of the behavior of an organization, from organizational change, to power, politics, and ethics, to the management of conflict within an organization. As such, the study of organizational behavior is simply the study of human factors within the framework of an organization.

References

9 to 5 Movie Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Bing, John W. Hofstede's Dimensions: A High-Level Analytical Tool for Working Internationally. ITAP International. 18 March 2004. http://www.itapintl.com/hofstedesdimensions.htm Johns, G., & Saks, A. M. (2001). Organizational behaviour: Understanding and managing life at work (5th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

McNamara, Carter MBA, PhD. Overview of Organizational Change. The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits, 2233 University Avenue West, Suite 360, St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 (651) 647-1216. 17 March 2004. http://www.mapnp.org/library/org_chng/org_chng.htm Tucker-Ladd, Clayton. Psychological Self Help. Chapter 4, MOTIVATION: Attribution Theory and Achievement. 18 March 2004. http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap4/chap4k.htm Wertheim, Edward G. Historical Background of Organizational Behavior. 18 March 2004. http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/introd/history.htm Organizational Behavior. 18 March 2004. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_behavior