CIA-4

MANAGING CONFLICTS AND NEGOTIATIONS

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Dr. Deepti Sinha

March 2023
The movie “The Social Network” report

SUBMITTED BY:
Tiju John Thomas: 22221056
Vishal Kumar Barnwal: 22221058
Fiza Nazneen: 22221060
Rashmi Rathi: 22221065
Sinu Singh: 22221075

3MBA

1
 INDEX
Sr. Table of Content Page
No. No.
1. Abstract 3
2. Introduction 4-5
3. Challenges in the Movie 6
4. Relevance of the Movie 7
5. Relevance & Adequacy of facts and 8-9
data
6. Objective Alignment 10
7. Achievement of Purpose 11
8. Merits/ Demerits 12
9. Demerits 13
10. Message behind the Movie 14
11. Lessons Learnt 15
12. Conclusion 16
13. References 17

2
 ABSTRACT
The social and political issues surrounding Facebook's establishment are followed
in the biographical drama film "The Social Network." This led to the creation of
Facebook, which quickly took off globally and made Zuckerberg wealthy.

But despite Zuckerberg's success, there is controversy around it because he is

being sued by former business partners and accused of stealing the idea for
Facebook from other Harvard classmates. The film also examines Zuckerberg's
difficult relationships with his former friend Sean Parker and Facebook co-founder
Eduardo Saverin.

3
 INTRODUCTION

"The Social Network" is a 2010 biographical drama film based on the non-fiction
book "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich, directed by David Fincher
& written by Aaron Sorkin. The movie depicts the creation of Facebook by Mark
Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, from a socially awkward computer science
student at Harvard University to becoming the youngest billionaire in history.

It explores themes of power, elitism, & the cost of ambition while jumping back
& forth in time between the legal proceedings & the events leading up to the
creation of Facebook. It was critically acclaimed, receiving eight Academy Award
nominations, winning three for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, &
Best Film Editing, and is an influential film that provides a fascinating insight into
the creation of one of the most significant technological innovations of our time.

The film begins with Mark's girlfriend breaking up with him, which prompts him
to create a website called Facemash where users can rate the attractiveness of
female students. He then gets approached by the Winklevoss twins to create a
dating website, but instead creates a social networking site called The Facebook
with the help of his friend Eduardo Saverin.

4
The Facebook grows rapidly & catches the attention of Napster founder Sean
Parker, who convinces Mark to move to Silicon Valley. Eduardo becomes
increasingly concerned about Sean's influence & is eventually forced out of the
company. It ends with Mark refreshing Erica's Facebook page, the Winklevoss
twins receiving a $65 million settlement, & Mark becoming the youngest
billionaire in the world with half a billion users on Facebook.

5
 CHALLENGES IN THE MOVIE

Idea theft: According to the main character Mark Zuckerberg, other Harvard
students were the source of the inspiration for Facebook. This results in a court
dispute and hurts Facebook's reputation.

Betrayal & shattered friendships: It shows how Mark & Eduardo, his erstwhile
friend and business partner, fell out. Disagreements over Facebook's ownership
and direction are the cause of the conflict.

Handling legal complexities: As it started gaining popularity, it was contended

with a number of legal issues, such as disputes involving intellectual property,
privacy issues, & infringement of other websites' terms of service.

Handling explosive growth: It depicts the difficulties in managing a business that

is developing quickly, including handling staff, managing media attention, &
entering new markets.

Personal struggles: The film also shows the loneliness, insecurity, and social
anxiety that the main protagonists experience on a daily basis.

6
 RELEVANCE OF THE MOVIE
The movie has a high relevance and adequate representation of the context of
negotiation as it portrays negotiation as a critical factor in the success of Facebook
and its co-founders. The movie highlights several important aspects of negotiation
that are relevant to both business and legal negotiations.
Firstly, it emphasizes the importance of effective communication in negotiation.
Throughout the film, Mark Zuckerberg and his co-founders use persuasive
language and strategic positioning to achieve their objectives. They also use active
listening skills to understand the perspectives of their negotiation partners and
identify areas of common ground.
It demonstrates the role of creative problem-solving in negotiation. The team
uses creative strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve its goals, such as
creating a new company structure that allows Zuckerberg to maintain control over
Facebook. Most importantly, the movie also highlights the role of legal
negotiation in the business world. The legal disputes depicted in the film
emphasize the importance of understanding the legal framework of negotiations
and using legal negotiation tactics to achieve success.
It also highlights the role of power dynamics and leverage in negotiations. It is
an educational and philosophical film that is socially relevant. The film tackles
the challenges of adopting new ideas and new technologies, as well as the
emotional imbalances that arise when success happens quickly. It is based on the
true tale of the social networking website Facebook and the lawsuits it had to deal
with.
7
 RELEVANCE & ADEQUACY OF FACTS & DATA

By using his position as Facebook's founder & CEO to assert his goals for the business,
Zuckerberg demonstrates his ability to negotiate. Even when they have doubts or
disagreements, he frequently persuades his investors & partners to support his plans.
Conflicts with his partners, particularly Saverin, who feels left out of crucial decisions
and not given the credit and compensation he deserves, arise as a result of these
negotiations.

It does not specifically show any instances of Zuckerberg or other characters presenting
quantitative evidence/ arguments to support their positions during the negotiations.
Instead, the characters' emotional & strategic battles of will are largely how negotiations
are portrayed, with each side attempting to outwit the other & gain the upper hand. This
strategy places a strong emphasis on the interpersonal dynamics of negotiation as well
as the value of emotional intelligence & strategic thought in achieving desired results.

Some facts and the timeline of events in the movie are

➔ Development of Facemash: Contrary to what is depicted, Mark did not develop

the Facemash out of a desire for personal vengeance against his ex-girlfriend Erica.

➔ In contrast to how they were actually involved, the movie exaggerates their
contribution to the founding of Facebook. The Winklevoss twins did make a proposal
for a social networking site, but they had little to do with Facebook’s development, and
the site they suggested was very different from what Facebook eventually became.

8
➔ It simplifies & condenses the court cases that resulted from the creation of
Facebook. There were numerous lawsuits and legal challenges that took place over a
period of several years.

Following are some dialogues from the movie:

➔ “You know, you really don't need a forensics team to get to the bottom
of this. If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invented
Facebook." - Mark Zuckerberg

➔ “Girls wanna go with guys who go to Harvard.”- Divya

➔ "Did you realize at the time that you were signing your own death
certificate?"- Deposition Lawyer

➔ “They came to me with an idea; I had a better one.”- Mark Zuckerberg

➔ “Screw it, let’s gut him.”- The Winklevoss Twins

9
 OBJECTIVE ALIGNMENT
In terms of negotiations, objective alignment refers to the process of ensuring that
the parties involved in the negotiation have a shared understanding of what they
are trying to achieve and how they plan to achieve it. Without this, negotiations
are likely to break down and lead to conflict. To avoid this, negotiators must take
the time to clearly articulate their goals and work to find common ground with
their counterparts.
Here, objective alignment is a critical component of the negotiations between
Mark Zuckerberg and his co-founders, Eduardo Saverin and the Winklevoss twins.
At the beginning of the film, Zuckerberg is portrayed as a brilliant but socially
awkward student who has developed a new social networking site called
"Thefacebook." Saverin and the Winklevoss twins approach Zuckerberg with the
idea of working together to expand the site's reach and profitability.
However, as the negotiations progress, it becomes clear that there is a significant
gap in objective alignment between the parties. Saverin and the Winklevoss twins
are interested in making money and gaining social status. While Zuckerberg is
more focused on creating a revolutionary platform that will change the way people
connect and share information online. This misalignment eventually led to a
breakdown in negotiations, as the two became increasingly frustrated with
Zuckerberg's refusal to prioritize their financial goals. Ultimately, this
disagreement led to a lawsuit and the eventual dissolution of this partnership.

10
 ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PURPOSE
The movie has successfully achieved the following purposes:

1. Ability to illustrate the importance of clear communication, transparency, &

trust in negotiations.
2. Emphasizes how crucial it is to understand both one's own objectives &
priorities as well as those of the other party in order to get what is needed.
3. Illustrates how miscommunication may cause serious issues in negotiations,
resulting in disagreements and court cases.
4. Shows the Facebook co-founders and their legal team carefully planning and
preparing before discussions in order to get the best result.
5. Serves as a warning to the audience about the importance of effective
negotiation skills in the context of entrepreneurship & business. It shows that even
in the fast-paced world of tech startups, successful negotiations require careful
planning, clear communication, and a commitment to finding mutually beneficial
solutions.

11
 MERITS:
● Looks at how social media has altered individuals' communication with one
another. It shows social media's ability to bring people together.
● It showed the actual picture of an entrepreneur and his journey to transform a
simple idea into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
● The movie is successfully able to identify complicated issues, including
friendship, betrayal, ambition, the power of a male-dominated society and power
in general, diversity, gender disparity, and inclusion.
● The movie was able to maintain the audience’s interest by engaging in
skillfully crafted storytelling. The story is made deeper and more intricate by the
narrative framework of the movie, which weaves together various timelines.
● Excellent performances by the cast of the movie, which stars Jesse Eisenberg
as Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as his friend and fellow founder Eduardo
Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as businessman Sean Parker. Each of them was
able to give their character complexity and differentiation.
● Soundtrack and cinematography are excellent, and contribute to the story's
tone and atmosphere. The music in the movie is highly noteworthy.

12
 DEMERITS:
● Criticized for its lack of diversity, both in terms of the characters & how the
IT sector is portrayed.
● Many claims that the film reinforces the stereotype of the white man tech
pioneer while minimizing the contributions of women & people of color.
● criticized for its negative portrayal of women, particularly Zuckerberg's ex-
girlfriend, Erica Albright, who is desperate for revenge. Some have argued that the
movie reinforces negative stereotypes about women in tech.
● criticized for its errors and accuracy concerns, with some accusing it of taking
a lot of liberties with the truth.
● Those who know Zuckerberg disagree with the movie's portrayal of him as
being driven by a desire for vengeance against his ex-girlfriend.
● Little emphasis is given to the experiences of women or other minority groups
in the movie, which primarily concentrates on the viewpoint of the male actors
involved.
● The film does not include much background information on the larger societal
and cultural causes that led to Facebook's emergence. It also takeoff the political
& financial consequences of Facebook's rise.

13
 MESSAGE BEHIND THE MOVIE

The main message is the power of innovation and disruptive technologies, the
importance of collaboration and communication in achieving success, and the
need for responsible decision-making in entrepreneurship. The changing
communication patterns and their effects on relationships are themes from the
movie that the modern world can relate to. Additionally, it highlights how the
arrival of money gives rise to ego and greed.

The moral principles represented in the film include bravery, responsibility, belief,
and self-confidence. Mark's confidence was on display when he founded Facemash
in response to his resentment of Erica Albright. Mark felt certain that he could
survive without Erica. The message behind "The Social Network" is that success
and innovation come at a cost & that ambition & betrayal can have profound
consequences. It portrays the dark side of entrepreneurship and the human cost of
creating one of the most influential companies in the world.

14
 LESSONS LEARNT
❖ The importance of effective communication in negotiation is emphasized.
❖ Strategic thinking and Creative problem-solving are crucial.
❖ Highlights the role of power dynamics and leverage in negotiations.
❖ The legal disputes depicted in the movie emphasize the importance of
understanding the legal framework of negotiations.
❖ It emphasized that negotiation is an ongoing process that requires continual
attention and adjustment.
❖ One must always be highly motivated and must be passionate about his work.
❖ As a team, trust is highly crucial, for if there are any conflicts amongst the
team members, everyone must be able to listen and understand others' points of
view to be able to reach any final decision before interpreting one another.
❖ Another key skill learned is to set long-term goals besides planning for
investment and profits.

15
 CONCLUSION:
The founding and early years of Facebook are chronicled in the film "The Social
Network," with a focus on human interactions and legal challenges. The co-founder and
CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is presented as a bright but clumsy computer
engineer who gets involved in legal disputes with ex-colleagues and business partners.
In addition to exploring themes of ambition, power, and treachery, the movie also gives
a subtle picture of the characters' deep feelings and motivations. Also, it sheds light on
the tech industry's culture as well as the moral and legal issues that come up when a
disruptive new technology is introduced. It is recognized as a well-crafted and
fascinating drama. A lot of people have appreciated the cast's performances, especially
Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield's portrayal of
Eduardo Saverin.

However, it is important to note that "The Social Network" is a dramatized version of

real events and should not be taken as a fully accurate representation of negotiation in
the business world. The movie may oversimplify certain aspects of negotiation or
exaggerate the significance of certain tactics or strategies. Additionally, the movie
focuses on a specific case study and may not be applicable to all types of negotiations.
In Conclusion, while "The Social Network" is an adequate representation of negotiation
in the context of business and legal negotiations, it should be viewed as a dramatized
version of real events and should not be relied upon as a comprehensive guide to
negotiation tactics and strategies.

16
 REFERENCES
1. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/film-studies/the-social-network-movie-
analysis-film-studies-
essay.php#:~:text=Based%20on%20the%20real%20life,occur%20when%20succ
ess%20happens%20overnight.
2. https://edubirdie.com/examples/mark-zuckerbergs-leadership-shown-in-the-
movie-the-social-
network/#:~:text=In%20one%20of%20the%20scenes,and%20what%20they%20
should%20do.
3. https://www.npr.org/2010/10/01/130265529/the-social-network-is-a-great-
movie-but-dont-overload-the-allegory
4. https://www.cram.com/essay/Summary-And-Analysis-Of-The-Social-
Network/FCBB59MYVU
5. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-
networking.asp#:~:text=The%20benefits%20of%20social%20networks,instantly
%20to%20individuals%20and%20institutions.
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Network
7. https://www.rootsofaction.com/disadvantages-of-social-networking
8. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/plotsummary
9. https://www.gradesaver.com/the-social-network/study-guide/quotes

17