OB Group Project
Movie Analysis
Group 3
Abhinaba Shannigrahi B24112
Anushka Chaturvedi B24118
Harsh Goyal B24129
Sanya Goel B24150
Sreebin P P B24159
Tushar Surana B24161
What is the movie about?
70-year-old retired widower
Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) seizes
an opportunity to become a senior
intern at an online fashion site.
Ben soon becomes popular with his
younger co-workers, including Jules
Ostin (Anne Hathaway), the boss and
founder of the company.
Whittaker's charm, wisdom and sense
of humor help him develop a special
bond and growing friendship with
Jules.
The Characters
Ben Whittaker Jules Ostin Becky
THE INTERN CEO CEO’s Assistant
A retired man in his 70s Joining a startup as an intern as part
of their senior intern program
The Company is headed by a young women in her thirties.
The film is an inversion of conventional roles and dynamics
Personality Analysis
Ben Whittaker
80% 95% 80% 90% 30%
Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism
Ben is organized, responsible, kind, empathetic, and considerate
showing high agreeableness
No Signs of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy.
Jules Ostin
85% 90% 70% 65% 85%
Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism
She is highly organized, responsible, and driven, but struggles with stress
and emotional stability.
No Signs of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy.
Motivational Theories (1/3)
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
Hygiene Factors: Jules’s stress and dissatisfaction stem from
the immense pressure and long hours, which are hygiene
factors. The lack of work-life balance and constant scrutiny
from the board are sources of dissatisfaction.
Motivators: Despite the challenges, Jules finds intrinsic
satisfaction in leading her company and seeing its success,
which are motivators according to Herzberg. Her passion for
innovation and impact on the fashion industry drives her.
www.reallygreatsite.com
Motivational Theories (2/3)
Theory X & Y: McGregor’s Theory X assumes that employees are inherently lazy and
need strict supervision, while Theory Y views employees as self-motivated and capable
of self-direction.
Theory X: Jules's initial skepticism towards Ben’s ability
as an older intern can be seen as a subtle nod to Theory
X, where she might subconsciously assume that his age
would make him less productive.
Theory Y: Jules’s leadership style evolves, showing more
trust in her employees, especially in Ben, as she
recognizes his intrinsic motivation and competence. This
reflects Theory Y, where she allows Ben to take on more
responsibility.
www.reallygreatsite.com
Motivational Theories (3/3)
Equity Theory: Expectancy Theory:
Initially, Ben is seen as an outsider due to When Jules is considering hiring a CEO
his age and the unconventional role of a to help run the company, her team’s
senior intern. However, as he consistently expectancy is that this decision might
contributes valuable insights and lead to better company performance
demonstrates a strong work ethic, his (expectancy), which could result in
younger colleagues begin to see him as more stability and growth for everyone
an equal. They start including him in (instrumentality). But their differing
discussions, seeking his advice, and values on whether this outcome is
treating him with the respect that desirable (valence) create tensions.
matches his input.
Perception
Perception of Old Age
The plot of the story is a retired man going back to work as an intern
Initial perception of Jules (CEO of the company) towards Ben (The old Intern.)
-- Old School, Not accepting the New family structure, Slow Learner --
-- Getting liked by everyone, Lerans fast, Fitting well within the startup --
Perception about Women leaders
Initial perception of towards Ben (The old Intern.) Jules (CEO of the company)
-- Tough, Non-Forgiving, Choosing career over family, Well organized --
-- Sensitive, Family oriented, Messy, Accpeting others --
Stress Management
Beck- The Assistant
Breaks down after realizing that she is not getting the
appreciation
Obsession for perfection
Ben - The Intern
Handles all situations calmly
Excellent example of Job Crafting - He is not assigned
any work, but still going forward with finding pain points
for others and helping out.
Jules-The CEO
Overtly creates the impression she is calm
Internally struggles to handle everything
Emotional Dissonance
Emotions and Moods
Ben’s Enthusiasm and Positivity (Mood Stability):
When Ben first joins the company, he maintains a positive and
eager attitude, despite being older and in a completely different
environment. His steady mood and calm demeanor act as a
stabilizing influence on the younger employees, making them
feel comfortable and motivated. His consistent positivity also
demonstrates how an individual’s mood can impact a team’s
atmosphere.
Jules’ Stress and Emotional Exhaustion (Emotional
Regulation):
Jules often experiences stress and emotional exhaustion due to
balancing her roles as a CEO, wife, and mother. In scenes where
she’s overwhelmed—such as when she realizes the company’s
board is considering hiring a CEO—her emotions affect her
decision-making and interactions with employees. Her struggle
to regulate her emotions under pressure is a key example of
how moods can influence leadership effectiveness.
Emotions and Moods
Interpersonal Dynamics in the Office (Emotional
Contagion):
Ben’s calm and empathetic nature rubs off on his
coworkers. For example, in one scene, a tense colleague,
Davis, becomes more relaxed and confident after a
conversation with Ben. This highlights the concept of
emotional contagion, where one person’s mood
influences the emotional state of others, fostering a
supportive and collaborative work environment.
Jules’ Frustration and Relief (Emotional Labor):
Jules often needs to hide her true emotions and put on a
composed face in front of her employees, even when she’s
stressed. In meetings or discussions, she masks her
frustration to appear confident, demonstrating the
emotional labor that leaders often perform to maintain
a professional atmosphere.
Values and Attributes
Ben Whittaker
Generosity: Strongly values helping others, often going out of his
way to support his colleagues and friends.
Responsibility: Places high importance on being reliable and
accountable, always fulfilling his commitments.
Empathy: Highly attuned to others' feelings and needs, making
him an effective mentor and listener.
Adaptability: Willing to learn and embrace new experiences,
even in an unfamiliar, modern work environment.
Jules Ostin
Independence: Strongly values autonomy, often preferring to
handle tasks herself, which sometimes leads to difficulty in
delegation.
Leadership: Has a clear and compelling vision for her company,
inspiring her team.
Perfectionism: Strives for excellence in all she does, sometimes
to the point of being overly critical of herself and others.
Resilience: Despite immense stress, Jules demonstrates
resilience in navigating the challenges of running a startup.
Learning
Social Learning
Learning via observations of individuals around us.
Ben navigates his new tech-savvy environment by observing and learning from younger colleagues.
Ben notices that one of his younger colleagues has a cluttered workspace, which is affecting his
productivity. Ben subtly begins to tidy up his own desk while the younger colleague watches and
later begins follow Ben’s example.
Through Ben’s actions of writing a “handwritten thank you” note, Jules learns the value of personal
touches in communication.
Experiential Learning
Learning via immersion and experience.
Through direct engagement and reflection, Ben learns about the startup culture by being
actively involved in it.
Jules learns from her experiences by reflecting on the toll that her leadership style and
workload are taking on her.
Ben helps Jules in her personal crisis by offering her support and sharing his own life
experiences to help her navigate her feelings.
In the humorous break-in scene , the team learns to work and collaborate under pressure.
Group Dynamics
Formation of the group(Forming)
The group dynamics begin with the formation of a diverse team, including Ben Whittaker, the senior intern,
and a much younger workforce led by Jules Ostin.
Initial Resistance(Storming)
Ben traditional approach to professional workspace contradicts the modern relaxed approach of the younger
generation.
Acceptance and Integration (Norming)
The group begins to accept and integrate Ben into their team. The group begins to accept Ben’s idea and he
becomes a positive influence in the workplace.
Effective Collaboration (Performing)
The team begins to collaborate and perform from solving personal crisis to executing business plans
effectively.
Reflection and Transition(Adjourning)
Ben’s internship comes to an end . However Ben’s impact and legacy lingers on. His skills and values continue
to shape the company’s culture.
Group Dynamics
Informal Leadership:
Although Ben is formally an intern, he assumes the role of an informal leader. People started approaching
him for advice and guidance. This illustrates the concept of informal leadership, where influence comes from
personal qualities rather than formal authority.
Collaboration across generations:
A key dynamic in the movie is the collaboration between different generations within the group. Ben’s
traditional, methodical approach complements the younger team members’ energy and tech-savviness,
leading to a more well-rounded team.
Support system within the group:
The team, particularly Jules and Ben, develop a strong support system for each other. Ben supports Jules
through her personal and professional challenges, while Jules, in turn, values Ben’s contributions and
integrates him into the team.
Influence of organization culture on group dynamics:
Organizational culture plays a significant role in shaping group dynamics.The startup’s informal, fast-paced
culture initially creates challenges for Ben, but as he adapts, he influences the culture by introducing
elements of professionalism and stability.
Power and Conflict
Functional Conflict Dysfunctional Conflict
This scene shows a functional conflict where Jules This scene features a dysfunctional conflict where
and her team debate the pros and cons of hiring Jules indirectly confronts her husband Matt about
a CEO. The discussion is tense but constructive, his affair. The confrontation has undertones of
leading to a better understanding of the situation emotions highlighting the strain on their
and ultimately helping Jules consider the idea relationship. This type of conflict is dysfunctional
more seriously. The conflict here is functional because it harms their relationship and creates
because it encourages the team to think critically additional stress for Jules, affecting both her
and consider different perspectives, which is personal and professional life negatively.
beneficial for the organization.
Leadership Theories & Styles : Jules
The success of About the Fit is significantly influenced by its executive team. Jules Ostin built the
organisation from the ground, and within 18 months it has 216 employees and a large warehouse from
where the organisation does its deliveries. Open communication is a principle that is apparent
throughout the organisation; starting from the office layout Jules’s leadership style. This choice by the
executive has helped build a cohesive workplace where everyone feels involved in the executive’s final
decisions. The style exemplifies participative leadership, with Jules being the main proponent.
How is Participative Leadership Style Exhibited?
A good example in the film is when they discuss the layout of the company’s website. Employees
and the executive discuss the issue and share decision-making within the group. Participative
leadership ensures that employees accept policies more readily and morale remains at a high level.
Employee retention is also higher in such organisations, and because creativity is encouraged, the
company’s innovation scale is higher. By encouraging openness, Jules created a dynamic
organisation with a great future.
Leading By Example : The Jules Way
Jules leadership style also has hints of leading by example. She is always early to work and does not leave until
late. She challenges herself every day and involves herself in a variety of activities at the workplace. Rather than
simply instructing, a leader by example works how he or she wants others to work.
There is a time in the movie when a bridal team receives charcoal grey dresses while they had ordered pink
dresses. Many organisations would have left their customer care team deal with the problem. However, Jules is
personally involved in making sure that the bridal team receives the right dresses. The commitment in customer
service is apparent when the team celebrates when the bridal team posts a photo with the pink dresses.
The Right
Decision Making
Decision-making is a major function of management in
an organisation. In the case of About the Fit, most of the
decision-making responsibilities are left with Jules.
While she wants it this way, she is overwhelmed by work
and has little time to cater to her responsibilities as a
wife and mother. Jules’ decision-making is exemplary. By
occupying the niche between the manufacturer and the
consumer and maintaining this model she ensures the
survival of the business. The decision by her fellow
executives to hire senior citizens as interns is an
interesting proposition. While Jules is not too keen on
the agreement, her fellow executives encourage her to
take an intern who turns out to be Ben Whittaker. The
other executives reasoned that Jules had to lead by
example. By taking on an intern, she would encourage
other organisational leaders to do the same.
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