Ethical Lessons Learned From Films
Ethics
For the purposes of this paper, the subject is the Responsibility Project and ethical issues found in films on the website. The short film chosen for this paper is called "The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Birds Barbershop. Birds Barbershop is a chain of barbershops that were started by two childhood friends in Texas. They describe their barbershop as a throwback to a classic era with a modern twist on getting one's haircut. Above all, they value the input of their employees & customers, wishing to keep the barbershop experience simple and to provide utility to the public.
This short film is important for a number of reasons. The barbershops were started by two friends. This is a nice example for people who want to start their own businesses; Birds is an example of when working with friends works out for the better. The two men were displeased, lost, and dissatisfied with their careers prior to starting Birds. This is also important to show students and professionals because it shows that people can choose. Life has choices. We do not have to remain in jobs that bore us or demean us or that are unfulfilling. We can choose to...
These guys who run these shops are happy and they are concerned with the happiness of their employees, which are significant to consider with respect to business practice and business ethics. The most important issues in the film are communication with employees, strong execution of a simple idea, and enjoying one's business.
There are pressures and stereotypes that influence organizational ethics in general as well as in the specific case of Birds Barbershop. The organizational ethics from the former careers of the owners definitely influenced their subsequent ethical approach with Birds. They actually went out of their way to conduct their organizational ethics with the opposite perspective of their former employers. The owners of Birds did not want their employees to be faceless and lost in the numbers. The owners of Birds did not want their employees' voices to go unheard. Essentially, the owners left their former careers to practice business in a way that is profitable but antithetical to the organizational ethics and social pressures in the industries from which they came. Social…
