Critique of a Speech in Glengarry Glen Ross
Question
Example of Introduction
People, who want to succeed in business, often ignore ethical norms, which are perceived as a barrier to achieving the desired results. Negligence in meeting ethical norms is particularly obvious in an American movie called Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). This paper is focused on a famous speech in Glengarry, which he delivers in front of his employees. The chosen episode is an example of the unethical behavior of subordinates as a result of a leader’s failure to motivate the personnel.
Example of Body Paragraphs
Various business ethical concerns emerge within the movie. Baldwin is disrespectful to the employees and insults them. It is always important to follow ethical norms and treat all employees with respect. In the movie clip, it is clear that Baldwin wants the salespersons to make more sales for the organization. However, the language that he uses to educate the salespersons is insulting and sounds disrespectful to them. He does not allow them to ask questions during his commanding speech. It creates an impression of the oppressive business leader who does not listen to his employees. The way that he chooses to address the workers does not help him to communicate the message to the employees.
In the movie clip, we can also see an unethical attitude towards staff members. Humiliation, envy, anger, despair, and a prospect of becoming unemployed – that is the motivation they receive from their superiors. Obscene and abusive language raised voices and disrespect even for the older employees can hardly be called a right method of motivation. Norms of ethical behavior of managers are a set of rules, based on the knowledge and skills of ethics, include the respect of the leader to his subordinates and the external environment. In his professional and human behavior, the leader should be an example for his subordinates.
Another business ethical issue is the threats to the employees to fire them if they will fail to reach the sales target. Baldwin uses these threats to get the attention of the people and instill fear into them. It is always important to ensure that the employees do not suffer from pressure and threats from their employers. Happy employees are always motivated to work better. However, the threats to fire the employees make them feel unwanted in the business. Therefore, it is unethical to threaten salespersons in the organization.
Even though the movie clip shows that Baldwin wants the salespersons to be aggressive with their clients, the humiliation of the employees makes his attempts to communicate his message ineffective. During his speech, Baldwin regularly brags about his cars and salary to make the employees feel miserable rather than motivate them. Baldwin needs to educate the employees without bragging about his cars and wealth, which have a negative influence on the salespersons in the office.
In today’s world, these problems have appeared due to the development of markets and increased competition. Modern entrepreneurs care mainly about their profits, rather than morals and reputation. Following ethical norms is necessary for the growth of the efficiency of the economic system, in particular, for the effective functioning of the company. If an entrepreneur is not honest with partners and tries to get some benefits lying to them, sooner or later, they will refuse to cooperate with him and will discourage other people from doing so.
Example of Conclusion
In conclusion, the movie clip from Glengary Glen Ross reveals the unethical business communication of Baldwin with the salespersons in the organization. The management depends on the salespersons that have to work hard to reach success in the market. It is unethical to insult subordinates, demean, and disrespect the employees. Effective communication within the organization requires common ground and respect for the employees too. Therefore, the movie clip indicates that the arrogance of Baldwin is unethical.