Animated Films as a Teaching Resource

JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT EDUCATION / February 2001Champoux / ANIMATED FILMS AS A TEACHING RESOURCE

REVIEW OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

ANIMATED FILMS ASA TEACHING RESOURCE

Joseph E. ChampouxUniversity of New Mexico

Animated films have created

a place where natural law has no authority, where ducks may have tantrums andrabbits may be witty, where a cat can break into a hundred little cats and mergeinto one again, where mice and men fly without wings and dogs explode andbirds run faster than jets. (Kanfer, 1997, p. 15)

Anything can happen in an animated film. Wile E. Coyote can chase the RoadRunner, smash into a wall, and reemerge in seconds to pursue his prey again.Realistic? Perhaps not, but such scenes are entertaining, funny, and a richteaching resource.

Previous issues of this journal have carried many examples of using film inteaching, but they focused on live-action films. Gallos (1993) proposed sev-eral films for teaching reframing. Harrington and Griffin (1990) proposedAliens (1986) for teaching power and leadership. Ross (1996) described andanalyzed The Age of Innocence (1993). Comer and Cooper (1998) analyzedDisclosure from a gender relations and sexual harassment perspective.

I propose that we add animated film to our teaching resources. As describedlater, animated films have characteristics that let them show organizationalbehavior and management concepts in unique ways.

79

Author’s Note: Please address all correspondence to Joseph E. Champoux, The Robert O. Ander-son Schools of Management, University of New Mexico, 1924 Las Lomas NE, Albuquerque,New Mexico 87131; (phone) 505-277-3237; (fax) 505-277-7108; (e-mail) [email protected].

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This article describes several aspects of animated films and gives a briefhistory of this film genre. It argues that animated films are a rich teachingresource for use in organizational behavior and management courses. Thearticle includes examples from several animated films, all linked to manage-ment and organizational behavior concepts.

Animated Film

Animated film captivated early film critics because of the unique viewerexperience offered by such films (Peet, 1929; White, 1931). Peet wrote in1929:

Unhampered by any such classical limitations as dramatic unities, or even suchcustomary necessities as the laws of gravity, common sense, and possibility, theanimated drawing is the only artistic medium ever discovered which is reallyfree. . . . Your imagination is immediately propelled up, down, across, around,through and in between its own legs; it is lifted dizzily to a high trapeze for aworkout in a gymnasium which recognizes no physical limitations whatever.(p. 341)

Film animation has several forms (Crafton, 1996; Hoffer, 1981, chap. 4).Frame-by-frame photography of hand drawn or hand painted images knownas cel-animation was a dominant form beginning in the 1920s. Each imagediffered slightly from the previous one. These slight differences appeared asmovement when projected on a screen.

Computer animation has grown as an important cinema art form sincethe mid-1960s. Artists create part or all of the animated images with com-puter software and output those images to color monitors, film, or videotape(Bendazzi, 1994, chap. 27). Toy Story (1995) was the first feature length ani-mated film completely created with computers. Casper (1995) was the firstfilm in which computers created all images of the lead character (Kanfer,1997; Konigsberg, 1997, pp. 71-72). Growth in computer animation contin-ued into the late 1990s with the release of Antz (1998) and A Bug’s Life (1998).

Drawing from Walt Disney’s qualifications of a good animator, we can seesome unique aspects of the illusions created in animated films (Kanfer, 1997,pp. 84-85). Caricature of action was a key qualification. The need to exagger-ate and show the funny side of animal and human action created strongviewer effects. Such efforts focused on the effect of such viewer illusionswith a clear understanding of what causes laughter.

An animated film director has tight control of all aspects of presentation,including defining images, defining a character’s personality, staging scenes,

80 JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT EDUCATION / February 2001



timing actions, color saturation and tonality, music, and so forth (Adamson,1974). The list is almost endless, with the history of animation showing theextraordinary creativity of people in this industry (Barrier, 1999; Bendazzi,1994; Kanfer, 1997; Klein, 1993). Perhaps all of these characteristics werereasons film critic Roger Ebert (1998) noted in his review of Mulan (1998):“Animation often finds a direct line to my imagination: It’s pure story, char-acter, movement and form, without the distractions of reality or the biograph-ical baggage of the actors” (p. E5).

These unique features of animated films help them work as an effectiveteaching tool. The following are the main reasons for this assertion:

• The visualization of animation can create strong, lasting images of concepts.• Animation offers alternatives to live-action scenes that can increase the variety

that one brings to the classroom.• Strong caricature in animated film can powerfully show concepts.• Exaggeration in animated film helps link abstract concepts to visual symbols.• Borrowing from Roger Ebert’s observations, animation can help us link con-

cepts directly to the minds of our students.

Teaching With Animated Film

A common misconception about animated films held by some of my stu-dents and colleagues views all animated films as silly Saturday morning car-toons. Cinema scholars consider it a serious artistic medium (Barrier, 1999;Bendazzi, 1994). Students would likely want some assurance that theyshould seriously view any animated scenes you use. For these reasons, I givemy students some background about each film and the selected scenes. Thefilm and scene descriptions that appear later have this information.

You can use animated scenes before or after presenting theories and con-cepts (Champoux, 1999a). I show scenes that I select for visual symbolismbefore discussing any material. The scenes from Antz described later are anexample of such symbolism.

Viewing scenes after presenting theories and concepts lets you use thescenes as a video case. Give students the needed theoretical and conceptualbackground and then show the scenes. Students can offer an individual analy-sis of the scenes, or they can work in groups.

Full-length animated films work well as homework assignments. Stu-dents can usually rent the film inexpensively. You can give such assignmentsas part of regular course work or as an extra credit assignment. I have success-fully done it both ways. Films such as Toy Story (1995), Antz (1998), The Lit-tle Mermaid (1989), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) work well in thisapplication.

Champoux / ANIMATED FILMS AS A TEACHING RESOURCE 81



Prepared discussion questions help move students to a discussion of thescenes. You can give students copies of the questions, project them onto ascreen, or describe them orally. I suggest presenting the questions both beforeand after showing the scenes. The film scene descriptions that appear later allhave related discussion questions.

Selected Animated Film Scenes

The remaining sections describe animated film scenes that show differentorganizational behavior and management concepts. The concepts selectedrepresent some major content in organizational behavior and managementcourses.

I briefly describe the film, selected scenes, and give some discussionquestions. Estimated start point, end point, and running time appear inparentheses.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic planning and resulting strategies focus an organization and itsmanagers on long-term goals. The strategy typically describes the allocationof resources to reach these goals. An organization’s strategy is not static. Itmust change in response to changes in the external environment (Mintzberg,1987a, 1987b).

Wile E. Coyote has a single long-term goal: Catch the Road Runner and eathim. Wile E. never develops a successful strategy and related tactics. Every-thing backfires and ensnares or harms him. The Road Runner always escapeswith flair.

Coyote and Road Runner cartoons offer entertaining demonstrations ofstrategy and tactics. Although these cartoons show their failure, my studentsfind them amusing and associate several incidents with concepts of strategy,strategic planning, and tactics. The cartoons are short, usually about 7 min-utes long, fast paced, and painted in vivid colors. They are faster paced thanlive-action films, giving a gripping portrayal of strategic thinking.

Chariots of Fur (color, 1996, 39 minutes,no rating, Warner Home Video)

This collection of Coyote and Road Runner cartoons includes the debut ofChariots of Fur (1996), the first new Road Runner cartoon in 30 years. ChuckJones, the Road Runner’s creator, directed it and produced it with his daugh-




ter Linda Jones Clough. When compared to the other cartoons in the collec-tion, one can see this one’s contemporary character by the modern referencesmade. For example, early in this cartoon, Coyote encounters a sign in the roadthat reads “Warning The Surgeon General has determined that chasing RoadRunners is hazardous to your health.”

Scenes (Start: 0:03:54; Stop: 0:10:32;Running Time [RT]: 6 minutes)

The scenes start with the title screen reading “Chariots of Fur.” They endas the iris closes on Wile E. Coyote jumping down the road chased by one ofhis lightning bolts.

Questions

• Does Wile E. Coyote carefully define his strategy for catching the Road Runner?• Does Coyote fully understand an important part of his external environment—

the Road Runner?• Does he carefully adapt his strategy and tactics to the changing circumstances

he faces?

Analysis

This updated cartoon shows Wile E. Coyote in another pursuit of the desir-able Road Runner. Coyote never develops a well-defined strategy based on ananalysis of his external environment—the Road Runner. The Road Runnershows his flexibility, speed, endurance, skills, and tactics that help him suc-ceed. Coyote does not adapt to his changing environment and the informationhe gets about the Road Runner.

The opening “Free Bird Seed” tactic backfires because of the Road Run-ner’s flexibility; he is in two places at once. Later, Coyote tries the cactusdecoy, but the Road Runner easily changes course around it. The cartooncloses with the lightning bolt weapon. Coyote tests its effectiveness, some-thing he does not typically do. Road Runner shows his flexibility, speed, andendurance by outrunning the lightning bolt, which eventually finds Coyote.

Coyote is an example of a manager moving forward in a headstrong waywithout a clear plan. He does little careful analysis or clear analytical plan-ning. Wile E. deals with events as they happen instead of outlining contingen-cies and preparing for them in advance. Road Runner is an example of a com-petitor with the skills and tactics to outwit Wile E. Coyote. He always staysfocused on his future.




THE WORLD OF WORK, LEADERSHIP,PERCEPTION, AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Giving students a visual image of the world of work can act as a useful con-text for a management or organizational behavior course. Issues such as themeaning of work, work attitudes, and supervisory behavior are easily dis-cussed in oral or written form. Developing a visual image of these issuescomes easier from film, especially the strong visualization of animated film.

The opening scenes of Antz offer some striking visual images of the worldof work and commentary about it. Showing these scenes at the beginning of acourse can engagingly set a context of the world of work to which you canoften refer. This film is rich enough in scenes that you can assign the entirefilm for group analysis or individual homework assignments. I comment onsome scenes later in this section.

Antz (color, 1998, 1 hour 23 minutes,PG, DreamWorks Home Entertainment)

Z (Woody Allen) is an insignificant worker ant in a massive ant colony.1

He is trying to find his role in life and to pursue Princess Bala (Sharon Stone).Everything changes after he trades places with his soldier ant friend Weaver(Sylvester Stallone). A termite war and the pursuit of the evil General Mandi-ble (Gene Hackman) takes Z’s life to unexpected places. This DreamWorksproduction is a wonderful example of modern computer animation.

Scenes (Start: 0:04:11; Stop: 0:11:21; RT: 7 minutes)

These scenes start after the opening credits with a shot of the New Yorkskyline. Z says in the voice-over, “All my life I’ve lived and worked in the bigcity.” They end as General Mandible and Colonel Cutter (Christopher Walken)leave to meet the queen. Mandible says, “Our very next stop, Cutter.”

Questions

• What are the major work-related issues raised in these scenes?• Do you see these issues in your work experiences?• What is your preferred “world of work”?

Analysis

Z symbolically represents any worker who does not feel his or her jobmeaningfully contributes to oneself and the larger organization. The ant col-




ony asks its members to give up their individuality and contribute to thegreater good. Azteca (Jennifer Lopez) has a positive view that Z finds hard tounderstand. The foreman (Grant Shaud) symbolically represents supervisorsin the world of work who do not understand human motivation.

The General Mandible part of these scenes (start: 0:09:50; stop: 0:11:26;RT: 2 minutes) can work well on its own. Mandible has the leadership traits ofdominance, self-confidence, intelligence, and energy. He lacks honesty andintegrity. His behavior is strongly production centered and high in initiatingstructure. He sets high performance goals and expects high performance. Forexample, Mandible says to the foreman, “You are going to finish this tunnelon schedule, come hell or high water.”

Another set of scenes (start: 0:51:04; stop: 0:56:59; RT: 6 min) symboli-cally shows some parts of human perceptual processes. Z and Bala have dis-covered part of “Insectopia.” They find a human picnic with cans of soda,sandwiches, and the like. They also have an encounter with a boy walkingthrough the picnic. Every object appears gigantic to them. The objects are theperceptual targets. Their size emphasizes an aspect of an object that affectsone’s detection and recognition threshold. These wonderfully entertaining,vivid scenes should create powerful images in your student’s minds aboutthese abstract concepts.

The film’s closing scenes show problem solving (start: 1:13:37; stop:1:20:07; RT: 7 min). The problem is how to escape from the flooding colony.Z has the innovative idea of building a giant ladder from the ants to reach themegaroom’s roof. They escape safely in a dramatic close to the film.

THEORY X AND THEORY Y

Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y (McGregor, 1960) has beena prominent part of organizational behavior and management teaching sincethe 1960s. Managers who hold Theory X assumptions believe people do notlike to work, have little ambition, and avoid responsibility. Managers whohold Theory Y assumptions believe that work is a natural part of people’s lives,people will seek responsibility, and they can commit to work goals withoutexternal control. Those who hold Theory X assumptions typically behave in adominant, controlling way. Those who hold Theory Y assumptions rely onself-motivation to reach work goals.

The film Babe has an early scene that shows Theory X and Theory Y assump-tions.2 The scenes make visual points about these assumptions and relatedbehavior better than any number of words.




These scenes also work well for showing aspects of workforce diversityand performance. A discussion of this use of these and other scenes fromBabe appears elsewhere (Champoux, 1999b).

Babe (color, 1995, 1 hour 32 minutes,G, Universal Studios Home Video)

This charming Australian film featuring an eccentric, quiet farmer whotrains a pig he won at the fair to herd his sheep.3 His eccentricity turns todetermination when he enters the pig in the Australian National SheepdogChampionships. Academy Award winning visual effects include a seamlessmixture of animatronic doubles, computer images, and live animals.4


The scenes start with Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) opening his newmotor-powered gate and calling his dogs. Hoggett says, “Come Rex. ComeFly. Come Pig.” The scenes end as a horse-drawn wagon goes down a hill.Babe (Christine Cavanaugh) and Fly (Miriam Margoles) are talking. Fly saysto Babe, “No, no, now. I think you better leave that to me.” The sheep refer tothe dogs as “wolves.”

Questions

• Are Babe’s methods of herding sheep different from those used by sheep dogs?If so, what are the differences?

• Do Rex (Hugo Weaving) and Fly behave according to Theory X or Theory Yassumptions? What are examples of their behavior?

• Which assumptions guide Babe’s behavior? What are examples of hisbehavior?

Analysis

Rex and Fly behaved according to a clear set of Theory X assumptions.They assumed the sheep were inferior to sheep dogs. The sheep are dumb sothe dogs must use aggressive, dominant behavior to herd them. Babe startswith the same set of assumptions but quickly learns that they do not fit hisbasic philosophy. He believes that winning the sheep’s cooperation and treat-ing them with respect (Theory Y) will get the herding job done. The resultingsheep behavior also differs under the different assumptions. Rex and Fly’sTheory X behavior resulted in a disorderly herd; Babe’s Theory Y behaviorresulted in an orderly herd.




DIVERSITY SYMBOLISM

The term workforce diversity refers to differences in workforce composi-tion based on factors such as marital status, religion, sex, and ethnicity.Increases in workforce diversity are likely well into the 21st century. Majormanagement issues center on dimensions of diversity, managing diversity,managing for diversity, and valuing diversity (Fernandez, 1991; Hayles &Russell, 1997; Jackson, 1992).

The rich, vivid colors of animated film, and its compact character, offerchances for strong symbolism of concepts. A short scene from The LittleMermaid combines upbeat music with animated symbols that you can link todifferent aspects of diversity.


These scenes start with Sebastian the Crab (Samuel E. Wright) saying toAriel, “Ariel, listen to me.” He then begins the Academy Award winningsong Under the Sea. The scenes end with Sebastian sitting on a formationsaying, “Somebody’s got to nail that girl’s fins to the floor.” The movie cutsto someone calling Sebastian.

Questions

• What are the symbols of diversity in these scenes?• Does Sebastian argue for the acceptance or rejection of diversity?• Is there any symbolic portrayal of diversity and performance?

Analysis

These scenes show diversity among the sea life as engaging visual sym-bolism. There are almost unlimited differences in sizes, shapes, and functionsof these creatures. The creatures differ from each other, but they contribute tolife under the sea. Although different, the creatures accept and respect theirdifferences. The end of the scenes shows especially vivid symbolism ofdiversity.

Sebastian argues for accepting the differences among sea life. He stronglyurges Ariel to reject the surface creatures and stay under the sea. The scenesalso show examples of diversity and performance. Different sea creaturesplayed different instruments but all contributed to the total musicalperformance.




LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP EFFECTS

A stunning sequence toward the end of A Bug’s Life shows emergent lead-ership and leadership effects on a group. Other scenes from the film show theabsence and presence of diversity, a topic treated elsewhere (Champoux,1999b). All scenes are short enough for classroom use. You also can assignthe entire film as an outside-of-class activity.

A Bug’s Life (color, 1998, 1 hour 35 minutes,G, Walt Disney Home Video)

A group of freeloading grasshoppers dominate an ant colony.5 Hopper(Kevin Spacey), the grasshoppers’ leader, perceives ants as an inferior spe-cies put on earth to serve grasshoppers. The otherwise conformist colonyincludes Flik (Dave Folly), a nonconformist, innovative ant. He tries todefend the colony with a group of warrior bugs he recruits in the city. Thesebugs were laid-off troupers from a flea circus, a fact unknown to Flik. Intro-ducing the heterogeneous bugs to the ant colony leads to mayhem, humor,and, finally, success.


These scenes start after the burning bird machine crashes. Hopper grabsDot (Harden Pacesetter) as she runs out of the machine. They end after theants and their friends put Hopper into the cannon. Flik salutes him and says,“Happy landing, Hopper.” The movie cuts to a rain storm.

Questions

• Who are the leaders in these scenes?• Are leaders always in formal organizational positions, or can they emerge

within a group because of their behavior?• What are the effects of leadership on the ant colony?

Analysis

Hopper tries to put the ants in their secondary place of serving the grass-hoppers. He refers to them as “mindless, soil shoving losers.” Flik’s impas-sioned speech convinces the ants of their self-worth. He tells Hopper abouttheir accomplishments, something the ants had not thought of before.

Flik emerges as a leader among the ants. Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), with a more formal position in the colony, also reasserts herself.The ant colony, and the recently arrived other bugs, become cohesive with a




strong focus on defeating the grasshoppers. The animation shows the spreadof this cohesiveness as a wave of arm linking through the crowd.

STEREOTYPES

A stereotype is an image held by an observer of another person or group.The stereotype is a mental image formed from knowledge about a socialgroup derived from any source. Stereotypes let people quickly form impres-sions of others during the process of social perception. They can act as a sim-plifying device helping people process vast amounts of social information. Amajor drawback of a stereotype is an assumption of homogeneity among mem-bers of a particular group. This presumed homogeneity can slow an observer’sappreciation of the fine differences among people of all groups (Brehm &Kassin, 1990, pp. 146-154; Mackie & Hamilton, 1993). Disney’s The LittleMermaid has a scene that visually shows the meaning of a stereotype.


These scenes start with Sebastian the Crab jumping from a shirt hangingon a clothesline into the window of the castle’s kitchen. He sees seafood inpreparation and becomes alarmed. The movie cuts briefly to the dining roomwhere Ariel enters in her new clothes. It returns to Sebastian’s adventure atthe hands of Chef Louis (René Auberjonois). The scenes end as Grimsby(Ben Wright) looks at his empty plate with surprise.

Questions

• What is your impression of Chef Louis?• To what do you attribute his behavior?• Is this an accurate portrayal of a French chef or a caricature based on stereotype?

Analysis

Louis the French chef sings “Les Poissons” (“The Fish”) while preparingthe seafood. Louis prepares the food with love and gusto, his large body mov-ing about the kitchen, knives flailing, mustache twitching. He speaks Englishwith a strong French accent. After he picks up Sebastian, Louis peppers hisEnglish with some exclamatory French idioms: “Tout à l’heure!” (In a littlewhile!); “Sacrebleu!” (Good grief!); “Quel dommage” (What a shame!). Hebecomes excitable and angry when Sebastian escapes.

These scenes show a stereotype of a French chef carried to an extreme inan animated caricature. There are likely many differences among French




chefs. Not all French people insert French idioms when speaking English nordo all French people act with such anger. Although an animated character,Louis is likable while singing “Les Poissons” and less lovable in his quest tocook Sebastian. Of course, you decide about both the accuracy of the stereo-type and the attributions of his behavior.

PERSONALITY

Personality is a set of traits, characteristics, and predispositions of a per-son. These characteristics usually mature at about age 30. They come frommany sources, including inherited qualities and a person’s social environ-ment. The collection of traits and predispositions affects how the personadjusts to different environmental and behavioral demands (Kenrick, Mon-tello, & MacFarlane, 1985; McCrae & Costa, 1994; Snyder & Ickes, 1985).

Personality psychologists characterize personality by personality dimen-sions or as personality types. They strongly agree that five dimensions describehuman personality (Digman, 1990; McCrae, 1989; Wiggins & Pincus, 1992).The following are the Big-5 personality dimensions with bipolar adjectivesdescribing the low and high ends of each dimension.

Extroversion: reserved - talkativeEmotional stability: anxious - secureAgreeableness: cold - caringConscientiousness: careless - organizedOpenness to experience: unimaginative - imaginative

Personality types that many find useful to describe personality include theType A personality and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI). Type Apersonalities have a strong sense of time urgency, engage in many activities atonce, and have aggressive qualities. They are high achievers who continuallypursue difficult goals (Friedman & Booth-Kewley, 1988).

The MBTI is a popular personality assessment device based on Jung’s(1921/1971) personality theory. This device assigns people to one of 16 per-sonality types based on four bipolar dimensions: extroverted (E) - introverted(I); sensing (S) - intuitive (N); thinking (T) - feeling (F); perceiving (P) - judg-ing (J). Extroverts look outward; introverts turn inward. Sensers use data;intuitives use hunches. Thinkers are objective; feelers are subjective. Per-ceivers are flexible; judgers want closure. The letters in parentheses formtype indicators. An ESTJ, for example, is an extroverted, sensing, thinking,and judging type.6

Some scenes from Who Framed Roger Rabbit show each of these aspectsof personality. The police have charged Roger Rabbit with murder. He seeks




the help of private detective Eddie Valiant. This scene is a strong visual sym-bol of personality and personality characteristics. Students will have littletrouble identifying the personality characteristics or types just described.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (color, 1988,1 hour 44 minutes, PG, Touchstone Home Video)

This four-time Academy Award winning film combines animation andlive action to present a 1940s Hollywood in which the cartoon characters(’toons) have a life of their own. Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer) hires’toon-hating detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) to find Roger’s unfaith-ful wife Jessica (Kathleen Turner). While investigating, Valiant stumblesonto a conspiracy to destroy all ’toons.


These scenes start after Eddie Valiant enters his office and closes the door.It ends after Valiant says to Roger, “What’s all this ‘we’ stuff. They just wantthe rabbit.” Gun shots blast off the door knob, and the weasels enter.

Questions

• Which Big-5 personality dimensions best describe Roger?• Is he a Type A personality? Why?• Which dimensions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® best describe Roger’s

personality?

Analysis

Roger shows typical aggressive and hurried Type A personality character-istics and several Big-5 personality dimensions. He is high on extroversion,agreeableness, and openness to experience. Roger shows insecurity and anx-iousness, implying that he is low on emotional stability.

An MBTI analysis shows him high in extroversion, intuition, feeling, andperceiving, making him an EIFP. His fast, outgoing behavior represents extro-version. His speculation about what will happen to him represents intuition.Feeling shows in his love for Jessica and appreciation of Eddie Valiant’sbackground. Perceiving shows in his outrageous spontaneity and curiosity.

METAMORPHOSIS IN SOCIALIZATION

Organizational behavior textbooks often describe the organizationalsocialization process as happening in a series of related stages. The metamor-




phosis stage is the last stage in which a person experiences change in self-image. This change can be small, such as arriving at work on time. It also canbe a large transformation, such as what new recruits experience toward theend of basic military training.

Although instructors can describe the large change that is possible in themetamorphosis stage, students will benefit from a visual portrayal. Scenesfrom live-action films such as An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Full MetalJacket (1987), or G.I. Jane (1997) offer such visualization, but they are harshand can jar some viewers. I suggest a Snow White scene as a less harsh way ofshowing the meaning of metamorphosis. These scenes show the transforma-tion of the queen into the old woman peddler who wants to give Snow White apoisoned apple. This scene visually symbolizes the meaning of metamorpho-sis in socialization.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (color, 1937,1 hour 24 minutes, G, Walt Disney Home Video)

Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film adapts the famous broth-ers Grimm fairy tale. The studio developed new animation techniques to getsmooth character movement. To achieve further realism, Disney hired liveactors as models. Marge Belcher (later Marge Champion), a local dancer,modeled for Snow White (Connors & Craddock, 1999, p. 823; Culhane,1986, chap. 8; Kanfer, 1997, pp. 101-108).

The jealous queen (Lucille La Verne), Snow White’s stepmother, fearsSnow White’s beauty. She transforms herself into an old hag and convincesSnow White to eat a poisoned apple. Snow White falls into the “sleepingdeath” that only a handsome Prince Charming’s kiss can end. Her sevendwarf friends try to protect her in their forest house and stand watch over hersleep.


These scenes start with the queen descending the stairs to her evil labora-tory. She has just learned that Snow White is alive and now wants to develop away of killing her. They end after the queen’s transformation into the oldwoman peddler. She leers at the camera, the screen goes black, and the filmcuts to the seven dwarfs’ house where everyone is singing.

Questions

• Does the transformation of the queen to the old hag symbolically show the resultof the metamorphosis stage of socialization?




• Can metamorphosis in organizational socialization reach such extreme resultsin a real setting?

• What types of organizations feature such powerful socialization processes?

Analysis

The transformation of the queen into the old woman peddler is unmistak-able, although not done by an organizational socialization process. She goesfrom a tall, regal, middle-aged woman in royal attire to a hump-backed oldwoman in tattered black clothes. Her chiseled face becomes haggard; herfinely shaped nose becomes hooked. The queen’s smooth, shapely handsbecome gnarled and sharply pointed. Her voice, now an old hag’s cackle,even scares her raven. These scenes are obvious animation caricature butserve well as a visual symbol of the results of the metamorphosis stage oforganizational socialization.

MOTIVATION AND NEEDS

Motivation is an internal psychological process that energizes and pointsthe behavior of a person toward some goal. Typical college management andorganizational behavior textbooks describe the need-based motivation theo-ries, such as those of Murray or Maslow.

Central to these theories is the hypothetical concept of need (Murray,1938, p. 60). I often jest with my students that I have not seen any needs run-ning around loose, but we believe they play a role in motivation. I have longsearched for a way to visually portray needs.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has some scenes that metaphori-cally show motivation, needs, and motivated behavior. Tigger does whatTiggers do best—bounce, bounce, bounce, a highly motivated behavior. Hisbouncing annoys Rabbit who will do almost anything to stop him.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (color, 1977,1 hour 23 minutes, G, Buena Vista Home Video)

Disney’s animated presentation of A. A. Milne’s charming characters fol-lows them through a series of adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh,Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and the others offer engaging performances. The rec-ommended scenes are a visual symbol of motivation and needs.


These scenes start with Pooh and Piglet seeing something (Tigger) in atree. Pooh says, “Look. Look, Piglet. There’s something in that tree over




there.” They end after Tigger’s bouncing, and he says, “I’m the only one.”Tigger roars. The film cuts to an image of a storybook showing the words“Chapter X, In Which.”

Questions

• What needs, in a figurative sense, is Tigger trying to satisfy?• What needs motivate Rabbit?• Observe the changes in Tigger’s behavior after his needs are frustrated. Did

Tigger change again after he satisfied his basic need?

Analysis

Tigger is stuck in a tall tree with his friend Roo.7 Christopher Robin andhis friends find Tigger and encourage him to climb down. Tiggers cannotclimb, they can only bounce. Rabbit has always believed that Tigger wasovermotivated and would become a better person if he did not bounce. Hefinally promises to never bounce again, if he can get out of the tree. Rabbittries to hold him to his promise after he gets down. Tigger quickly becomesdespondent from not satisfying his “bouncing need.” Christopher Robin andhis friends agree that the old bouncing Tigger is better than the new non-bouncing one. A highly motivated, bouncing Tigger shows everyone whatTiggers do best.

MOTIVATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, AND INNOVATION

Toy Story has a set of scenes that show motivation, problem solving, andinnovation. You can use these scenes in a continuous showing, starting withthe first scene described below. You also can split the scenes so the first focusesonly on motivation and esteem needs, whereas the second focuses on prob-lem solving and innovation. I describe them separately to emphasize theirseparate use.

Toy Story (color, 1995, 1 hour 21 minutes,G, Walt Disney Home Video)

This captivating and emotionally deep story tells us what we have alwayssuspected: Toys have a life and social organization of their own when humansare not present.

Andy’s (John Morris) favorite toy is Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks). Hereceives a new toy as a birthday gift, Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger (TimAllen). Buzz’s presence disrupts the established social order, especiallyWoody’s senior status among the toys. Concern about remaining as Andy’s




favorite induces conflict between Woody, Buzz, and the other toys. The ten-sion increases because Buzz thinks he is a real space ranger, not a toy. Watchfor the early scene of Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) calling the hockey pucka hockey puck. This was the first feature length film to use only computeranimation.


These scenes start with an outside shot of Sid’s house during a thunder-storm. Woody needs Buzz’s help to get out of a box. Buzz has seen a televi-sion commercial advertising him as a toy, giving him his first sense of notbeing a real space ranger. The scenes end after Sid’s alarm clock rings.

Questions

• Do Woody and Buzz need each other to solve the problem of getting out of Sid’sroom?

• What is Buzz’s level of self-esteem at this point?• How does Woody motivate Buzz?

Analysis

Woody is trapped under a box held down by Sid’s tool box. Sid (Orik VonDetten), a near psychopath, is mean to his toys. Woody needs Buzz Lightyear’shelp to get out of the box. Buzz has low self-esteem because he has learned heis not a real space ranger but only a toy. He is unmotivated to do anything andsimply sits slumped on Sid’s bedroom floor.

Woody focuses on Buzz’s esteem needs by telling him that toys serveimportant roles. He describes Buzz’s desirable qualities as a toy, such as glow-ing in the dark and his helmet’s “whoosh” sound. Woody concludes, “You area cool toy!” He focused on the self-esteem part of Buzz’s esteem needs untilBuzz began to feel good about himself again.

Buzz recovers his self-esteem and becomes motivated to help. He exertsextraordinary effort to get Woody out of the box. Woody’s escape could nothave happened without the collaboration and cooperation of Buzz. Such col-laborative behavior becomes the highlight of the rest of the film.


The second set of scenes starts with Woody crawling out from under Sid’stool box. He runs to the door to hold it closed with his arm. They end afterWoody and Buzz wink at each other while sitting in Andy’s lap. The moviefades to Andy’s new house with jingling bells and falling snow.




Questions

• What problem are Woody and Buzz trying to solve?• Do Woody and Buzz need each other to solve the problem?• What innovations did they create to solve their problem?

Analysis

The problem facing Woody and Buzz has three parts: (a) getting out ofSid’s room without getting bitten by his dog Scud; (b) releasing Buzz beforeSid launches him on a rocket; and (c) catching up with Andy’s family, whoare moving to their new home.

Woody first gets the cooperation of Sid’s bizarre toys. They all hate Sidbecause of his meanness toward them. The toys agree to help, and they developa series of innovations based on their unique qualities. Woody and the toysturn Sid on himself, and he runs into the house. Woody and Buzz then go on awild chase for the moving van, creating innovations along the way: first, theradio-controlled car; second, the spectacular rocket launch of Buzz, whichculminates in Woody and Buzz’s landing in the family car. Notice that theydrop RC the race car into the van before going on to the family car. The col-laborative behavior included saving all of Andy’s toys.

Toy Story also works well as a full-length film for student analysis ashomework. The film includes observations and examples on social interac-tion, social status, conflict, cooperative behavior, superordinate goals, andthe concepts I described above. Caution your students to not excuse this filmas simply a children’s cartoon. It is a complex and richly crafted film aboutmany aspects of modern living.

SOCIALIZATION, POWER, AND LEADERSHIP

The Lion King has scenes at different places that show socialization, power,and leadership. I describe two scenes that can work well in the classroom.This film is so rich that it will work well as an individual or group homeworkassignment.

The Lion King (Color, 1994, 1 hour 28 minutes,G, Walt Disney Home Video)

Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), a young lion cub, is the rightful succes-sor to his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) as king of the jungle. Simba’senvious Uncle Scar (Timothy Irons) plots to take over the throne, leading to atragic result. Scar convinces Simba he is responsible for the tragedy. Simbalives in exile with his new friends Pumbaa (Ernie Sabela) the warthog and




Timon (Nathan Lane) the manic meerkat. They teach him a carefree lifestyleuntil Simba realizes he should return to Pride Rock to reclaim the throne.


These scenes start with an aerial shot of Simba lying on the desert floor.The vultures have arrived. Pumbaa and Timon gallop into the vultures, scar-ing them off. The scenes end as the iris closes and the movie cuts to Scarlounging and eating. Zasu the dodo bird (Rowan Atkinson) is in a cage.

Questions

• Do Pumbaa and Timon socialize Simba to their values and lifestyle?• What do they do to affect Simba’s values and behavior?• Does Simba pass through the metamorphosis stage of socialization?

Analysis

Pumbaa and Timon try to socialize Simba to their values and lifestyle. Thevalues strongly center on the motto hakuna matata, “no worries.” Simba atfirst shows reluctance to accept Pumbaa and Timon. He begins to showacceptance as he starts singing “Hakuna Matata.” The strongest indication ofhis acceptance appears after he chokes down his first bug. He says, “Slimy,yet satisfying,” repeating what Timon said earlier. The metamorphosisappears as the three walk across a log and young Simba transforms into adultSimba (Matthew Broderick).


The second set of scenes starts with a shot of the sun and Simba returningto Pride Rock to challenge Scar. They end as Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) holdsthe new lion cub for all the kingdom to see. The film cuts to a title screen thatreads “The Lion King.”

Questions

• What are Scar’s bases of power?• What are Simba’s bases of power?• What are the leadership qualities of Scar and Simba?

Analysis

Scar has legitimate power as king of the jungle, although the others do notaccept him. The hyenas supported him in the beginning of these scenes. Scar




even says the hyenas believe he is the king. He also feels he can do anythinghe wants as king.

As the scenes unfold, we begin to see Simba’s power base building and theacknowledgement of the lionesses that he is king. After learning that Scarkilled his father, Simba rallies himself to fight Scar. The hyenas turn on Scarafter they learn his true beliefs about them. This part of the scene shows theimportance of integrity in leadership. Scar lacks integrity and fails in the lead-ership role.

Simba becomes king, gaining the legitimate power of that role. He alsohas referent power (charisma) that stirs the kingdom to follow him. The clos-ing scenes have strong symbolism of the meaning of leadership transforma-tion. Simba’s kingdom goes from ruins to a rich, lush valley.

Conclusions

One hundred years of animated cinema offer a rich teaching resource foreducators and trainers. Animation’s captivating characteristics have enter-taining and dramatic examples of many concepts in management and organi-zational behavior. This article reviewed some animation history and dis-cussed several examples of cinema animation. The discussions includeddescriptions and analyses of selected animated film scenes.

The extraordinary visualization of animation can create strong, lastingimages of concepts. Animation offers alternatives to live-action scenes thatcan increase the variety that one brings to the classroom. Animated filmsoften offer less harsh and jarring portrayals of some concepts. Snow White,for example, shows metamorphosis in a less harsh way than do scenes fromG.I. Jane.

There are many more animated films and film scenes than those describedhere. Experiment with your favorite animated films. Review them from a dif-ferent perspective. What can they offer as a teaching resource for manage-ment and organizational behavior concepts?

Watch for new animated films and assess them for useful scenes. Disney’sanimated Tarzan became available on videotape February 2000. The Kingand I and The Prince of Egypt appeared on videotape during 1999.

Vary the way in which you use scenes (Champoux, 1999a). I earlier sug-gested a before or after approach. You also can repeat scenes for added effect.Interspersing animated film scenes with live-action film scenes can bringvariety and vitality to the classroom.




Notes

1. The use of Antz was suggested by Greg McNeil, undergraduate student, The Robert O. An-derson School of Management, University of New Mexico, fall 1998.

2. I thank Dr. Diana Bilimoria, editor of Journal of Management Education, for suggestingthis use of these scenes.

3. Film and scene descriptions originally appeared in Champoux (1999b). Used with permis-sion. The questions and analysis are original.

4. Film and scene descriptions, and a small part of the analysis, originally appeared inChampoux (1999b). Used with permission. The questions and most of the analysis are original.

5. Film and scene descriptions originally appeared in Champoux (1999b). Used with permis-sion. The questions and analysis are original.

6. Taken from Champoux, J. E. (2000, p. 87). Used with permission.7. Yvette A. Castro, engineering graduate student, University of New Mexico, was the first to

nudge me toward Winnie the Pooh as a source of film scenes in spring 1998. She also contributedto this analysis.

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Animated Films as a Teaching Resource