Analysis Of The Aspects Of Human Resources In The Workplace Depicted In The Devil Wears Prada

Whether it’s a salesman or a fashion magazine, in order to have a successful business one must have what it takes to run it. The movie The Devil Wears Prada is about a naïve, yet a very smart young woman who strives to become a journalist. Andrea “Andy” Sachs has to accept a job that is nothing like her lifestyle under the impression that after a year of being an assistant to Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief the fashion magazine Runway, she would be able to pursue a journalistic opportunity. When Andy is interviewed for the job “a million girls would kill for” at Runway magazine, she realizes she has to make sacrifices in life in order to obtain what she truly wants. Her journalism career also starts to slowly become just a dream because she realizes her position at Runway magazine is primarily to fulfill Miranda’s personal needs. Andy has no sense of fashion, therefore Emily, the other assistant that works for Miranda, is always making fun of her. When she first started working at Runway magazine, Andy did not think like the other girls. She would call her coworkers “clackers” for the sounds their stilettos made when they walked. She did not believe that being obsessed with the way she dressed or look mattered, but as time passed, her devotion to her career led her to become one of them and she changed her appearance.

Abuse of Power

Abuse of power is very common in many jobs. Powerlessness and low relative status are core determinants of victimization and general assaults on one’s dignity at work. Although power can be a very problematic issue in organizations, it is necessary in order to get things done. It is very common that individuals in organizations can possess many motives to abuse of their power because of its importance in affecting action and acquiring rewards. Abuse of power can have both positive and negative sides. It can help individuals have positive outcomes in the work environment by improving job performance, but it can also make supervisors “use their power to mistreat subordinates” (Spector, 2012, p. 329). People who have power want to show others that they can do anything without it being questioned. Having power can be an exhilarating feeling for some leaders because once they have it, they want more. The abuse of power throughout the movie The Devil Wears Prada was the most noticeable issue. Miranda never showed compassion toward her employees, to her, they simply had to do whatever she wanted whenever she asked. It did not matter if they were busy or had other plans. When she called, they were expected to pick up the phone and go do what they were asked. She would also always refer to Andy as “Emily,” her other assistance. Andy tried to tell her a thousand times that her name was not Emily, but she would never listen because she was her boss. Miranda once gave Andy an impossible task; to obtain the manuscript of Harry Potter prior to being published. Andy was about to quit her job because Miranda gave her two choices: get the Harry Potter manuscript for her daughters or never return to her job. Miranda abuses of her power because she thinks there is no other person that could run that job position like her. No one could argue with her because she had convinced everyone that she was right all the time and there was no other right way.

Miranda showed little sympathy toward her employees because she knew they could do better and achieve all of their goals. They did not seem to see their own potential the same way she did. She abused her power because she believed all of her employees were capable of more, especially Andy. Miranda’s abuse of power showed she was not a great leader because she failed to realize that this power she had could have been taken away as easily as it was granted. Miranda could have shown less abuse of power by giving credit to other people for their new ideas, putting them first and owning up to her mistakes. By doing that, she would have gained the trust of her employees and their job satisfaction would have been higher. Sometimes an individual learns more from a bad boss than one will ever learn from a great one.

Emotions at Work

Jobs are a very important component of life. They provide the required resources needed in order to fulfill the necessities of life (Spector, 2012). Emotions at work can be both negative and positive. Accomplishing goals at work can have a positive outcome, whereas having an argument with a coworker can lead to feeling angry. It is important to deal with negative emotions such as feeling worried or irritated at work because it can make others feel those same emotions. Feeling happy in the workplace is very important because it helps employees want to succeed and achieve new goals. The benefits of feeling good also extend to the work domain, a positive effect is linked to outcomes such as better task performance and more prosocial behavior (Dalal, 2005). When Andy got accepted at Runway magazine, she did not think her job would have an impact on her emotions. Miranda often made her employees feel sad and stressed because she had very high expectations. Andy believes Miranda “is not happy unless everyone around her is panic, nauseous or suicidal.” When Andy’s father went to New York to visit her from Ohio, Miranda kept calling Andy because her flight from Miami was canceled. Andy was feeling very nervous and stressed because it was impossible to reschedule a flight. She thought she was going to get fired because she was not able to do what Miranda had asked. When Miranda tells Andy she’s very disappointed in her, she decides to change her appearance and attitude in order to get the acceptance of Miranda and her co-workers. She finds herself wanting to belong in the fashion industry because of the pressure she is constantly in. Andy whines to Nigel, the art director, about how Miranda shows no sign of appreciation, but instead of getting the sympathy she was looking for, she gets a wakeup call. Miranda’s attitude changes towards Andy when she sees she is finally adjusting to the Runway norms. After Andy changed her appearance, her emotions at work were positive and she started being more confident and less stressed. Miranda started to become more appreciative of all the hard work Andy was doing, and she started to treat Emily like she treated Andy at the beginning. When Andy first started working for Miranda, she did not know how to handle her emotions very well, but as time passed, she learned that hating her job was not going to get her anywhere. If Andy would have allowed her emotions to take over her career, Miranda and her co-workers would have continued to be treating her unfairly. Dealing with emotions at work can be very difficult but, knowing what causes negative emotions can help start a strategy to interrupt that cycle. Learning how to manage these feelings can help enhance workplace productivity because less complaining is good for everyone.

Employee Training

Training is a systematic approach to developing and enhancing the capacities an individual has. It helps them gain employment skills, abilities and knowledge for the purpose of increasing organizational effectiveness (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). Employee training is required every time someone accepts a job. In order to be successful at a job, one must have the required tools and knowledge. An employer provides training designed to give new employees the ability to perform their job. New employees have to learn to do the job, whereas experienced employees have to learn to adapt to the new job changes and new atmosphere. In order to have an effective organizational program, five steps are required. The five steps in the training process are: conduct training needs assessment, set objectives, design training, deliver training and evaluate training. In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, Andrea had to be trained by Emily in order to be part of the Runway magazine team. When Andy first started working for Miranda, she had no idea what fashion was, but as time passed, she learned more and more. She had to make adjustments to adapt to the work environment because Miranda possessed a management style that was uncertain, i.e., “Where’s that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday?” Efficient mentorship helps an employee climb up the organizational ladder. Nigel helped Andy become more comfortable when he would talk about Runway magazine as an organization. He helped her become more confident and get Miranda’s approval. She also started to perform fairly well despite all of the complications because he proved to be a great mentor. He took someone who got accepted at Stanford law school to become a writer and coached her into becoming an executive. In order for employees to be successful at a job, they have to be trained the right way. Emily did not train or provide Andy with the right skills and knowledge necessary in order to make Miranda happy. If an employee does not provide the right resources or research to a new employee, they will not succeed at their job.

The Devil Wears Prada was a mixture of all aspects of human resources in the workplace. This movie teaches valuable lessons that can help in the pursuit of one’s career. As a recent graduate, one will not always get the perfect job right away, it might take several jobs to prepare for the ideal one. When Andy first started working for Miranda she struggled significantly because instead of embracing it, she approached her job thinking that it was only going to be temporary and that she will be moving on to a better position. Although Miranda’s abuse of power was very big in the movie and the environment was terribly toxic, Andy improved her employee performance throughout the movie thanks to her determination. In conclusion, no employee should be treated less, simply because someone has a greater job position than them. Life is about taking risks and although they can be scary, it helps to know what one is capable of. But, hating the job instead of taking action is a terrible mistake. Being treated unfairly can lead to having a lot of emotions that can affect the work environment. No one wants to be surrounded negative people. Thinking negatively goes nowhere and it gets to the point where everything is viewed in a negative light. Communication can help build a good relationship with the leader and the rest of the co-workers that will help boost job satisfaction.