The Responsibility Project: ethics and short films resource

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 be our own bosses; we can choose our own professions, be successful, and more importantly, happy. 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 pressures can influence organizational ethics positively or negatively, regardless of the pressures themselves are positive or negative. For example, there could be social pressures to run a green business, which is a positive pressure, but an organization could respond poorly, or in efforts to go green but cut costs, end up using products or making sacrifices that are dangerous to the employees and/or the customers, which is a negative influence though the pressure came with positive intentions. The influence of social pressures depends on the philosophy of the executive management, as well as the organizational culture generally.

The prominent issues in the film certainly influence organizational and individual decisions, as narrated and illustrated by the owners of Birds Barbershops. Their personal and professional experiences influence their individual decisions to start a business and run it a certain way -- a way that conforms to their ideas about what makes a good, strong organization. Experience seems to be a key factor in this film as well that has great influence upon individual and organizational decisions. The experience of the owners in the prior careers made them want to try something new. The experience of the customer is on the minds of the owners and the stylists/barbers at all times. The experience and the quality of life for the employees is additionally a priority for the owners. In these ways, experience, as a primary issue of the film, influences the decisions at Birds on the individual and organizational levels.