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Movies and Management Education

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Dr. Shirshendhu Ganguli
Marketing, Strategy and General Management
 
Movies and Management education have a relation for long. This is not only because movies have more visual impact than a theoretical lecture and also helps to comprehend the management concepts more easily. But I am not talking of the movies being used as a supplement for the lecture sessions, i.e., not as a pedagogical tool. I am talking of the management concepts being integrated within the movies. Movies impact the students more when compared to the lectures. It is mixture of emotion, fiction and reality which has high impact on the viewer. It helps the students to think critically and help in learning several managerial concepts like Leadership, Strategy, Marketing, Human Resources Management, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management etc.
Interest is an important factor for any sort of learning to happen. Generally, students respond better to watching movies than to reading which helps in keeping them engaged and interested, and so prevent them from getting easily distracted. This is especially effective for those who are not at all good readers and will prefer videos over the written books or verbal lectures. Movies resonate a lasting impression which sticks with a person, often for the lifetime. You will see that occasionally people mimicking or telling lines from the movies to express themselves.  There are several inspiring movies which teaches how to become a good Manager. Following are the movies, which can teach several types of management concepts.
  1. Lakshya - Analysing a situation and then use the resources in hand to achieve his / her goal. To win a battle – e.g., a startup, one needs to plan well, be persistent, and keep yourself motivated to succeed.
  2. Rocket Singh - The movie teaches the Sales Management concept in a very easy manner. It shows how to persuade, negotiate, and engage with the people around. Another management concept which can be learned from this movie is Customer Satisfaction. A customer is satisfied only when he / she has received the right product and right customer service.
  3. Dangal – The movie showcases how talent acquisition is done if you are an HR professional. The manager needs to understand that every time one cannot hire a perfect candidate. One needs to identify candidate’s strength and weaknesses first and then empower them to achieve their goals.’
  4. Lagaan – The movie talks about true leadership skills along with team building concepts. A good team should be built with diverse members from different backgrounds. Also, a true leader should be unbiased and should have the eye to identify correct talent to build a multifunctional team.
  5. Corporate - The Movie exposes several facts of the corporate world, what happens in the boardrooms and how corruption has become intrinsic part of the business culture. Another learning from the movie is how ethics is important at workplace. It asks several questions - which way you want to be and lead your organisation, Ethical or Unethical way? Companies know what is right and what is wrong but to taste success and in the pressure of intense competition, they forget the values and follow unethical practises.
  6. Chak de India – It is all about leadership. Initially the hero was opposed by many while conveying his vision to the team members, but the leader is sure of what he is doing. The management learnings from this movie is about identifying the competencies of team members and utilising in the best possible manner. Leadership qualities, Collaboration and team building are the few management concepts which comes out in the Movie very clearly. The movie also shows how leader has to convey aggression and motivate the team with passion and intelligence.
  7. 3 Idiots – The movie talks about flaws in the education system of India. The famous dialogue in the movie – “Bachcha Kabil Bano, Kamyabi Jhak Marke Piche aaygi”. One should try to achieve excellence and success will happen automatically. One needs to find out what is your motivation and the passion behind it.
  8. Guru – It is necessary to work hard to make your dream a reality. And to achieve the goal you need to be confident. A person should not give up before trying. It is important to beat the fear and work on your dream. Managers need to connect with the people they work with and make sure their word counts. Foresightedness is something which one can develop over time when you plan for the future.
  9. Badmaash Company – It talks about how to build a successful business using ethical ways as well as finding a niche market and build your business in that.
  10. Band Baaja Baraat - The film talks about how you can make your passion your work that you will enjoy. Also, in order to fight in a competitive market, first learn about your customer and then do the correct pitch to close the deal. If you want to start your venture, i.e., you want to be an entrepreneur, this is the movie for you.
  11. Swades - It is a film on Social Entrepreneurship. It showcases the issues that development throws up at grass root levels. The best management lesson learnt from this movie is about Me to We concept. It is the team work which lighted the bulb in the movie. It can be used by start-up companies and other entrepreneurs to develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural or environmental issues.
  12. Hichki – It talks about the transformative potential of education. Good education is not something like a private benefit. It is a public good which can drive societal transformation. Also, the movie shows different unconventional methods of imparting education by a protagonist.
There are several Hollywood movies, which can also impart lot of management concepts among the students.
  • Good Will Hunting – The movie talks of being true to yourself, the importance of solid friendships, and using your gifts even in the face of fear and self-doubt.
  • Theory of Everything - The themes in this film include endurance and perseverance in the face of hardships. It can be a good lesson for a salesperson.
  • The Social Network - This movie will challenge your ethics, make you question why and how you use social media, and create discussions around privacy and internet safety.
  • Life of Pi – The movie will teach how to survive among all sorts of adversities and can be a lesson for companies going through turbulent times.
  • Ghostbusters – One needs to dream as an entrepreneur and then try to make the dream a reality.
  • The Godfather – One of the best movies to learn about the different facets of management strategy. It showcases ethics, decision making, planning, organizing, team building, culture, motivation influencing and controlling and leadership.
The list is endless. These are some of the movies, which showcases several management concepts. There are several other movies. If we go on discussing, the discussion is never going to end. So, I am going to end with an interesting movie called “Ek Ruka Hua Faisla” (Remake of 12 Angry Men). The movie discusses several important management concepts viz. Listening effectiveness (listening to the customers), Conflict management, Stereotyping or prejudice, Perception & Attitude, Halo effect, Customer (Employee) profiling, Group dynamics and effectiveness, Ethics, Rational & logical approach, Leadership and its influence etc. So, in the end, happy watching of movies and learning from them.
 
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