After finishing our group project of analyzing OB issues in movies, I am still amazed by the fact that OB applies b
asically everywhere in our daily lives. However, an another amazing movie popped up on my screen, the Devil Wears Prada. As Jiangxin Zhu introduced in her blog, the movie tells us the story about a newly graduate girl called Andrea and how she deals with her cynical boss Miranda. As the movie highlights Andrea’s personality and value changes, I am more impressed by Miranda, the devil.
asically everywhere in our daily lives. However, an another amazing movie popped up on my screen, the Devil Wears Prada. As Jiangxin Zhu introduced in her blog, the movie tells us the story about a newly graduate girl called Andrea and how she deals with her cynical boss Miranda. As the movie highlights Andrea’s personality and value changes, I am more impressed by Miranda, the devil. Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of an influential fashion magazine “Runway”, is extremely picky and savage. However, a position as Miranda’s junior assistant is described as a job that “a million girls would die for “. Why would people in Runway want to work for such a “devil” boss? In my opinion, this is because Miranda perfectly demonstrates the magic of referent power.
Referent power develops through building up an admiration of someone and having a desire of living like this person. In this movie, employees work in Runway consider Miranda as an idol because of her ability to create such a legendary magazine. Moreover, famous fashion designers also respect Miranda because of her unique insights at fashion. In another word, Miranda is the legend that people die for living a life like Miranda Priestly’s.
As the referent power is formed, employees are motivated to work hard. However, the crucial point of developing a referent power is that this power may change people’s motivation type from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation. In this movie, employees are intrinsically motivated to seek better performances since they want to be a person like Miranda. In my opinion, the power of intrinsic motivation is much stronger than the power of extrinsic motivation. This is because extrinsic motivation normally based on some financial or monetary rewards, and people may be demotivated once they do not receive the rewards anymore. On the contrary, intrinsic motivation constantly motivates individuals to behave better since it is people’s own desires push them to work hard. For example, Miranda’s second assistant, Emily Blunt, is intrinsically motivated to work hard since it has been always her dream to work in fashion industry and go to Paris fashion week with Miranda.
To sum up, although Miranda is described as a “devil” creature that people love and hate, she shows us the effectiveness of developing a referent power and how this power may significantly influence employees’ behaviours.
Citations:
L.Weisberger. (October 6, 2003). The Devil Wears Prada.
Photos:
O.P.L. Moore (June 29, 2006).Film Review: “The Devil Wears Prada”.http://www.popcornreel.com/htm/devilw.htm
Wikipedia. The Devil Wears Prada (film). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Wears_Prada_(film)