Devil Wears Prada

1. In the movie “ The Devil Wears Prada,” a differentiation between in-group and out-group behavior is clearly defined. Andrea is an aspiring journalist who gets a job as second assistant to Miranda at a high fashion magazine. This would be a dream job for someone who is in to fashion, but Andrea could care less about fashion, as apparent by her attire (per the looks she was getting from Miranda and her peers while at work). Though she does not “fit in” and does not want to, she is willing to suffer because she understands this job is just a stepping-stone for her chosen career. Emily is part of the in-group because she has the expectation to be included in the preferred tasks.

2. Miranda exemplifies the autocratic leader. Just before Andy’s employees scramble to have everything just perfect before the “Dragon Lady” appears for fear of reprimand the instant she sees anything she dislikes. At this point, the leader influences the follower through fierce glares, barking orders, and body language. As the follower, Andy is trying to make a good impression so that she will get the job, as she believes this job to be a stepping-stone to her chosen career.

During the first few weeks, Andy develops a collaborative relationship with Emily, trying to learn Miranda’s behaviors and expectations so that she can anticipate what she wants. This would include being on call twenty-four hours a day and doing impossible tasks such as acquiring an unpublished copy of Harry Potter’s manuscript or booking a flight out of a hurricane. Though she questions her ability to fulfill these tasks, Andy is gaining respect for Miranda as a leader, which strengthens the leader follower exchange.

Along the way, Andy changes her plain style and behaviors to gain acceptance at work. Once she looks and acts like her peers, Andy is soon accepted as an equal and soon surpasses the expectations of her peers at the office and soon surpasses the expectations of Miranda. This is confirmed near the end when the viewer sees Miranda smile, which was pointed out earlier in the movie that this is a rare occurrence and only happens when she approves of something.

3. According to the LMX theory, the leaders impressions of the follower, as is the follower’s impressions of the leader, are important to a positive working relationship. The ability of a mentor to give career, social, or personal advice is based on trust. For instance, in the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” Miranda plays an authoritative role and at times may even be perceived as the enemy, but she actually emerges as the mentor and guides Andy’s growth. At first it seems as though Andy does not learn anything by doing all the menial tasks assigned and the relationship does not appear to grow. But once Andy learned to adapt both leader and follower learned to trust one another. Andy’s experience seems as if it were a right of passage.