UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A Study of the Organization through the Lens of Popular Films of the Western World

Lomas, EJ; Broughton, V; (2018) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A Study of the Organization through the Lens of Popular Films of the Western World. Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations , 19 pp. 45-66. Green open access

[thumbnail of Vol_19_submission_lomas_broughton_ucl_finalsubmission_November2017_Accepted.pdf]
Preview
Text
Vol_19_submission_lomas_broughton_ucl_finalsubmission_November2017_Accepted.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

This chapter examined portrayals of the morality of organizations using the lens of Western films. The work explored six decades of film, analyzing the organizational contexts and their agents, in order to understand filmmakers’ and audiences’ perceptions of organizational settings. In order to examine the organization as an entity within film, this chapter provided a content analysis of plot summaries from a purposefully selected body of top grossing box office films spanning 60 years. The plot summaries constituted a strong basis for identifying the characteristics of the organization as they are largely descriptive in nature and as such do not offer any evaluation or analysis of the film. Any assumptions about the character of organizations (or their members/employees) are unconscious, and as such they constitute a verbal description of what competent observers would say has occurred within the film. The plots were coded to reveal perceptions of positive, neutral, or negative organizational contexts and actions. This approach exposed the filmmakers symbolic placing of the organization in order to provide backdrops for the narrative. The plot analysis revealed that throughout the decades there has been a sophisticated portrayal in film of the role of the organization and the agents therein. A generally negative view of organizational contexts was demonstrated, with only religion and education shown as positive within the films selected. It was recognized that there would be value in extending this research to analyze a larger body of works. The selection criteria resulted in a wide but not comprehensive corpus of film genres. The body of works was sufficient to reveal the complexity of attitudes to organizational values and delivery which has evolved through time. Different selection criteria and more substantial narrative text could serve to confirm these results. Further implications for future research were discussed. While in the real-life sphere, there has been an emphasis on organizational standards and “corporate governance” delivering ethical exemplars, the film contexts highlight the complexities of delivering trusted organizations. The reality that there remains the potential for organizational corruption is well understood by the general public and clearly depicted within the film world. The conceptual contribution is original as limited work has been conducted on the organizational context in films. This work revealed the possibility of using this approach to further develop a greater understanding of perceptions of organizations.

Type: Article
Title: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A Study of the Organization through the Lens of Popular Films of the Western World
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1108/S1529-209620180000019004
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Moral exemplar, organization, popular films; moral agents
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Dept of Information Studies
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10038720
Downloads since deposit
214Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item