This paper examines workplace personality, motivation, and management through an analysis of Andrea Sachs, the protagonist of the film The Devil Wears Prada. Using Rousseau's psychological contract framework, the discussion explores how Andrea's affective personality shapes her motivation and performance despite a hostile work environment. The paper identifies managerial actions — including trust-building, increased responsibilities, and rewards — that enhance employee motivation, as well as those that diminish it. It also contrasts conventional assumptions about motivation with the reality that challenging environments can drive certain personality types to higher performance. The analysis concludes with a reflection on how individual personality differences require varied managerial approaches to sustain motivation effectively.
This discussion addresses the intricacies of workplace conduct as organizational behavior theory presents and explains them. The paper explores the character of Andrea Sachs, portrayed by Anne Hathaway in the film The Devil Wears Prada, using her behaviors and experiences to explain the way different individuals operate and perform in a work environment. Through an analysis of Andrea Sachs, the discussion also establishes the nature of managerial conduct that would prove appropriate in improving Andrea's level of motivation.
This report is worth reading given the choice of character and the depth of analysis it provides. Beyond selecting a character whose traits are open to numerous interpretations — as the film presents splendidly — the discussion extensively establishes the character's experiences and behaviors in relation to relevant theory. The reader is therefore able to draw clear connections between the character, her traits, the psychological needs for motivation, and the managerial skills significant in motivating her at different organizational levels. In exploring these issues, the paper presents quotes and examples to describe the character and the reasoning behind her selection. A discussion of various managerial actions related to increasing and decreasing the character's motivation follows, along with a comparison of personal views on motivation and a concluding summary.
As depicted in The Devil Wears Prada, Andrea Sachs is a fresh university graduate with an unquenchable desire to establish herself in the career world. Her determination to break into and succeed in journalism is unmistakable. Although her limited knowledge of fashion initially hinders her, it does not stop her from seeking employment at a fashion magazine, where she lands a position as a junior personal assistant — a role many would covet. Despite the challenges she encounters, especially from her demanding boss Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep), Andrea does not give up. This perseverance earns her tangible recognition from Miranda, who gradually extends more and more responsibility to her. Andrea's endurance through humiliating and extraordinary treatment — all in hopes of eventually securing a position as a writer or reporter — clearly reflects her relentless determination.
Although Andrea is determined to achieve her career goals, she considers herself thoughtful of others and incapable of stepping on them to climb the career ladder. The film, however, presents Andrea as a character who unconsciously does what she most detests in her pursuit of a writing or reporting role. This side of her is revealed when she expresses discontent over the fact that Miranda ensured Nigel — who was next in line for a significant opportunity — was edged out of a key position to secure Miranda's own standing. Andrea claims she could never do to anyone what Miranda did to Nigel. Miranda, however, reminds her that she is not so different. The fact that Andrea worked so hard to maintain her position after threats of dismissal was, according to Miranda, proof of this. Miranda argues that Andrea's responses to difficult situations were ultimately driven by self-preservation, regardless of who she displaced in the process. One example is her agreement to take Emily's place on the trip to the fall fashion shows in Paris — a trip Emily rightfully deserved.
It is therefore surprising when Andrea ultimately appears to abandon her hope of becoming a writer or reporter for Runway Magazine. She eventually discards her mobile phone and leaves the firm for good.
The choice of Andrea Sachs for this analysis rested on several factors. First, the character allows for a wide range of behavioral interpretation in a workplace context. Her close working relationship with her boss makes it possible to identify the kinds of relationships she developed and the lengths to which she went to earn Miranda's approval. Additionally, the character's evident determination to succeed in journalism — and her many attempts and acts of endurance in pursuit of that goal — creates an opportunity to discover what drove her, how those factors affected her professional and personal life, and the ultimate outcome of all her experiences.
Andrea's personality in the workplace is best described as affective, given her individual resolve to remain at her workplace despite mounting challenges and humiliations. Although undesirable organizational conditions have the capacity to decrease motivation and lead to negative outcomes, this is not universally true. Much depends on the personalities of the individuals involved and their specific motivational drivers. For individuals with affective personalities, challenging situations can serve as motivation, enhancing their capacity to perform and achieve workplace success.
Rather than buckling under increasing workplace difficulties, Andrea performs better and better over time. She shows a strong desire for learning in a new and challenging environment and maintains a positive attitude in the face of hostility from colleagues, supervisors, and the broader circumstances surrounding her. Moreover, she tends to perceive the challenges she faces positively, which enhances her performance and capacity to succeed within the organization. Despite Miranda's frequently demeaning treatment, Andrea remains loyal and continuously strives to please her boss.
Like other individuals with affective personalities in the workplace, Andrea demonstrates deep commitment to her career and works to adjust to new challenges as they arise. She does not appear troubled by her limited experience in the fashion industry. Instead, she embraces the challenge of entering this new world with the expectation of succeeding and achieving her goals. She also does not look down on her role as a personal assistant; rather, she uses it as a starting point and a stepping stone toward eventually becoming a reporter or writer. Every experience becomes a learning opportunity, and the mortifications that sometimes accompany those experiences are, for the most part, set aside. For example, Andrea does not take offense when her colleagues ridicule her for her unfashionable clothing. Instead, she meets the challenge by investing in accessories that conform to the organization's fashion standards. Although the job consumes most of her time — straining her relationship with her boyfriend — she persists in her goal for as long as she can, only stepping back when she concludes that all her efforts were ultimately not worth making.
The psychological contract approach comprehensively explains the aspects of motivation relevant to this character. As scholar Denise Rousseau explained, individual motivation often emanates from within the organization and from the prospects it holds or appears to hold for employees. According to this approach, the terms of exchange between an employee and the organization provide the foundation upon which individuals become motivated. The perceptions of both employer and employee, their relationship, and the mutual promises — real or implied — that each advances toward the other greatly determine the motivational factors for both parties. Andrea, though amid considerable difficulty, appears to derive much of her motivation from the implicit promises that the organization and her supervisor seem to offer her.
When Andrea learns that strong performance and the ability to please and gain Miranda's trust would position her as a candidate for success and promotion, she becomes motivated to perform to the best of her ability. Because of this, she makes it her personal mission to please Miranda and overcome the many challenges she faces during her time at the organization — even at the cost of her personal relationships. Her dedication to her career means she spends progressively less time with her boyfriend, creating ongoing conflict between them. Her reluctance to address this eventually costs her the relationship. At work, she agrees to take Emily's place on the Paris trip, unconcerned with the effect this decision might have on her already strained relationship with Emily.
In addition to the promises the organization seemed to offer, Andrea's individual desire and expectation for success motivated her. Although no concrete promises were made about her eventually becoming a reporter or writer for Runway Magazine, her natural expectation of earning such a reward through hard work pushed her to perform more aggressively. In the conventional sense, individuals hope to advance within organizations as a result of sustained effort and performance. Such promotions, however, are tied to attributes like hard work and responsibility. This is likely the mindset Andrea held as she undertook everything she did in her role as junior assistant. She expected that her diligence and early sacrifices would eventually be rewarded with a promotion to reporter or writer within the fashion magazine.
"Trust, rewards, and challenges as motivators"
"Absence of rewards and false comfort reduce performance"
"Prior assumptions contrasted with analytical findings"
As presented in this report, motivation in the workplace is a necessary element that takes different forms depending on a variety of factors. One such factor is personality, as illustrated by Andrea — a character who exhibits an affective personality in the workplace. The personality traits associated with the capacity to survive undesirable workplace conditions and derive motivation from those very difficulties introduce a new dimension to the understanding of workplace motivation. With respect to the character's personality and her associated motivational factors, various managerial actions have the potential either to increase or to reduce her level of motivation. This discussion has also broadened my own perspective on workplace motivation, which was previously one-dimensional. Recognizing that individual differences in personality require differentiated managerial strategies is essential for any manager seeking to sustain and improve employee performance effectively.
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