GSM 5101

(ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR)
Lecturer : Puan Dahlia Zawawi, Ph.D.

Assignment : Reaction Paper – Paired

Date : 18th October 2010

Completed by :
Ram Kumar Tangavelu GM 04124
Azlimi binti Mazlan GM 04077

Trimester July 2010/2011

 Movie Analysis based on
Organizational Behavior
Concepts and Theories

WALL STREET :
MONEY NEVER
SLEEPS
 Synopsis
Ambitious young investment banker
Jacob Moore (Shia LaBeouf) discovers that
greed is still the name of the game when he
forges a fragile alliance with onetime Wall
Street hotshot Gordon Gekko (Michael
Douglas) shortly after Gekko is released
from prison. Having served eight years for
securities fraud, money laundering, and
racketeering, Gekko emerges from prison to
find that his daughter, Winnie (Carey
Mulligan), prefers to remain estranged, and
that his former Wall Street cohorts are still
raking in the cash. Flash-forward to 2008,
and Winnie is dating a proprietary trader
named Jake Moore (LaBeouf), who
expresses a passion for green energy while
working for his mentor Louis Zabel (Frank
Langella), of Keller Zabel Investments.
 Synopsis (cont.)
Despite heading up one of the most prominent
investment firms in the country, Louis Zabel is
forced to personally fight for the future of Keller
Zabel before the Federal Reserve after the
company's stock takes a hit due to persistent
rumors that it's being dragged down by debt.
Denied a bailout from the government, Keller
Zabel soon falls victim to a hostile takeover lead
by powerful investment bank partner Bretton
James (Josh Brolin), of Churchill Schwartz. His
job on the line and his mentor out of the picture,
Jake discovers that Gordon Gekko is out
promoting his new book "Is Greed Good?" and
decides to attend a lecture being given by the
author at Fordham University. According to
Gekko, greed is now sanctioned by the
government, and the U.S. economy is on the
verge of collapse as a direct result of leveraged
debt and wild conjecture. When Jake goes behind
Winnie's back to try and repair her relationship
with her father, Gekko reveals his compelling
theories on the likely reasons for Zabel's downfall.
Later, as Jake begins plotting to avenge his
mentor, Gekko starts to reveal his true colors.
Crews & Roles
Directors Michael Douglas ... Gordon Gekko
Oliver Stone
Shia LaBeouf ... Jake Moore
Writers
Allan Loeb, Screenwriter
Stephen Schiff, Screenplay Josh Brolin ... Bretton James

Stanley Weiser, Source Material

Oliver Stone, Source Material Carey Mulligan ... Winnie Gekko
 
Producers
Eli Wallach ... Jules Steinhardt
Celia D. Costas, Executive Producer
Alessandro Camon, Executive Producer
Alex Young, Executive Producer Susan Sarandon ... Jake's Mother
Edward R. Pressman, Producer
Eric Kopeloff ,Producer
Frank Langella ... Louis Zabel

Editors
Julie Monroe, Editor
David Brenner, Editor
Cast & Their Roles
 Concept 1: Influence Tactics and
Organizational Politics
Sub-element of Power & Influence

 Definition: Influence
Influence refers to any behavior that
Tolerance of
attempts to change someone’s attitudes or Politics

behavior (power in motion)

 Definition: Organizational Politics Scarce
Resources
Acts or behaviors that others perceive as
self-serving tactics for personal gain at the Complex and
Ambiguous
expense of others (or organization) Decisions

Organizational
Change
Supporting
Example: Influence Tactics and
Organizational Politics
 Bretton James implemented his political strategy to bring
down “Keller Zabel Investments”. Keller Zabel’s stock value
sunken and cause economic disaster. Banker’s association
collectively considering resolution to this burning issue
perhaps by jointly contributing capital to save Keller Zabel.
 However, Bretton uses his influence tactics and
organizational politics skill to persuade others to support his
points and decision. He presents some logical arguments
and facts in the meeting to change others behaviour (Jack,
Julie), for example the point on moral hazard and the fact
that the amount could vary from $10B to $200B.
 Finally Bretton achieves his personal gain agenda to buy
over Keller Zabel with just $3 per share (worth $75)
Concept 2: Self-ConceptSub-element of individual behavior, personality & values

 Definition: Self Concept

 Individual’s believe in their self (who am I). Individual’s self-
evaluations that answers the question “how do I feel about
myself?”
1. Self-enhancement
Co
 Tendency to promote and protect positive self-view. Posses better
personal adjustment & ignore inconsistent input mpl
2. Self-verification exity
 Verify & maintain existing self-concept (good or bad)
 Prefers information that is consistent with their self-concept Con
3. Self-evaluation siste
 Self-evaluating through self-esteem, self-efficacy as well as locus of
control ncy
 Less influential & more persistent
4.

Social self
Group membership to define their self
Cla
 The contra of personal identity rity
Example: Self-Concept
 At the beginning of the movie, Jake Moore attends an
executive meeting on a new proposal to invest in a oil and
gas project. The idea being presented to about 10 key
employees in the organization.
 The presenter demonstrate a high degree of Self-
enhancement and Self-Verification. He show extreme
confidence, very protective and only willing to hear feedback
that is consistent to his self-concept
 On the other hand, Jake Moore reflects his self-evaluation
behavior. He is not influenced with the firm presentation and
did not agree with the presenter’s proposal, instead he
suggested green energy idea. This behavior clearly shows
his self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Concept 3: Self-fulfilling Prophecy
(Perception)
 Self-fulfilling occurs when expectations
about another person cause that person
to act in a way that consistence with
those expectation
 Example from the movie:

When Gekko behave the same as

before he was in jail in front of his
daughter (Winnie) even though the
boyfriend (Jake) said that her father
(Gekko) has changed.
Concept 4: Conflict
 Conflict happens when the person do
not know his or her interest are being
opposed or negatively affected by
another party.
Conflict
perceptions
Sources of Manifest Conflict
conflict conflict outcomes

Conflict
emotions
Concept 4: Conflict
 In the movie, there is an incompatible goal whereby
one of the shareholders in the Bank of New York
wants the owner (Louis Zabel) to sell his share at
$2 per share but he resist to do that.
 Then, they argue about the price. The owner wants
to sell the share for $6 per share.
 From the conflict, both parties come to the
conclusion after they do some negotiation and the
price that the powerful shareholder (Bretton James)
wants to buy is only $3 per share.
Concept 5: Needs Hierarchy Model
Sub-element of Drives and Needs (Motivation)

 Needs hierarchy model is about the idea of a

person’s need that can be strengthen
through reinforcement, learning and social
conditions.
 Need for Achievement (nAch): After Gekko
released from prison, he published a book “Is
Greed Good” that tells people about success
and how to gain money. With that, he being
recognized by people.
Concept 5: Needs Hierarchy Model
 Need for Affiliation (nAff): When a group of
people from China come to the meeting with
New York Bank employees, one of the
employee (Jake) try to avoid conflict
whereby he mentioned about other idea that
the Beijing people can invest in the Bank.
 Need for Power (nPow): Once Gekko gain all
the recognition from other people, he starts
to control the market share of the banks in
US.
Concept 6: Organizational Change –
Customer Driven Change

 Organizational change, OC is a process that take place in an

organization in many possible perspective such as
structural, strategy, practices, culture etc.
 In OB we are recommended to view OC process using
Lewin’s Force Field Analysis which explains how the change
process works. Two main elements studied in this area are
 Driving forces: A force that push organizations toward a new state of
affairs. Possible sources are competitors, customer trend changes,
technology changes etc.
 Restraining forces: Resistance to change
 One important need for change the creates urgency for
change is “Customer driven change”
Example: Organizational Change –
Customer Driven Change
 There was a group of foreign investors from Beijing with a sum amount
of $15billion considering to invest in Churchill Schwartz.
 Jake is eager to put forward his fusion energy project. The rest of the
key employees of Churchill Schwartz demonstrates resistance to
change and decides to present their original solar energy with thin film
technology.
 The solar energy project presentation did not attract the clients
because they claim it is a same old idea that can be found in many
other firms and there is no long term prospect.
 Bretton quickly suggest his old oil & gas project which also couldn’t
satisfy the client’s expectation
 Finally Jake explained his all new fusion energy & its technology which
truly amazed the China investors. (change)
 The conclusion here, dissatisfied clients represent a compelling driving
force for change because of the adverse consequences (loosing the
$15B investment).
 CONCLUSION

We could conclude that almost every movies do contain

some sort of behavior elements that we could relate to
our Organizational Behavior course contents. Being
sensitive on OB concepts and theories while watching a
movie could enhance our understanding and analyze
various application in various scenario.
 OB
References
Websites:
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) – IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027718/

WALL STREET: Money Never Sleeps

IN
http://www.wallstreetmoneyneversleeps.com/

Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps | Movie Review Malaysia

http://moviereviewmalaysia.com/wall-street-money-never-sleeps/

Textbook:
McShane, S. L. & Von Glinow, M. A. (2010). Organizational Behavior,
Emerging Knowledge and Practice for the Real World. (5th ed.).
New York : McGraw-Hill/Irwin.