Shawshank Redemption Under the 4 Frames of Organizational Views

I. Problema

“Shawshank Redemption”
Brief Summary:
Andy Dufresne a young and successful banker is sent to Shawshank Prison for the murder of his wife and secret lover. When he first arrives in prison he is very isolated and lonely. With time he realizes there is something deep within every man, that no other can touch, that will help him get through this phase in his life. This element is Hope.

Andy becomes friends with prison 'fixer' Red and becomes influential within the prison, with both guards and inmates. Andy epitomizes why it is crucial to have dreams. His spirit and determination, leads him to plan one of the most elaborate prison breaks in Shawshank and filled with courage and desire he completes his daring escape.

Political Issues
The 2 biggest political issues we see in this movie is the relationship between the guards and the prisoners, and the warden stand on Andy’s meaning to him.

The only way to have an easier sentence and have good relationships with the guards is the use of buying them and having them be quiet and silent or noisy and violent when necessary. This is seeing in the movie when guards walk by and ignore acts of rape or violence, or when they act upon their own instincts to punish or abuse another prisoner, to make a statement.

This helps create a reputation among not only the guards; but the prisoners. With some of them, knowing how to use the guards to their benefit and that allows them to create factions for other motives.

The relationship Andy established with Red (Morgan Freeman) can also be viewed as a political movement towards neutrality, and avoid being casted in a specific prison group, faction or movement.

The way the Warden treats Andy during the whole movie is a use of extreme political power. Authority based on state powers which is used for individual benefits and be subdued when necessary. Using Andy when needed and punishing him when he gets out of line. Creating the relationship of power and authority.

Symbolic Issues
It’s hard to pinpoint what the administrative characters symbolize, since most of them play to their roles exactly to what we expect from them. The warden for example plays a rough, violent, political figure which is seeing by the way he runs the prison. The guards are the typical peons in a chess game, where they don’t ask why things happen, they just obey their orders.

Personally I believe that 4 characters make up the individual in the movie. We might see ourselves in any of these characters.

Red (Morgan Freeman)
The Best Friend. The man who knows the ins and out of the prison. It’s been there for a long time and has created a neutral or conformist position on the issues that arise. Viewed as the person nobody can hate; because of his easy going attitude and willingness to help the ones that seek him.

Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore)
The grandfather of the group. Silent but participate, his opinion holds good power because he has become institutionalized by the prison, by age. When let free from prison, we can’t deal with the outside burdens and feels disconnected from the present world. He kills himself and we see him as retired old man, without family of friends, with no motive to live. A depressed old man.

Andy Dufrasne (Tim Robbins)
The hero of the movie. Manages to be likeable; but strong enough to convey a stand against abusive authority. Playing your cards in a well thought out game to reach the conclusion you need. Andy not only escapes from prison; but also shines the light on the corrupt system the prison was having.

Tommy Williams (Gil Bellows)
The loose gun. That person we see on our lives that we can’t get through to. Could be a son, a brother or a close friend. Even though we know the bad things, we believe there is still hope to save him and have him change. When he is murdered in the movie, we think to our selves, It was too late for him. He already dug up his tomb. There’s always someone in our lives that we wish we could save.
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II. Some Unconscious Aspects of Organizations
Help create a Psychological Frame from this Article

From reading the lecture, I won’t bother in recreating each aspect of the stories. Instead I will try to create and explain the postulates, that I believe, make up the psychological frame. Also I’ll link personal examples to the postulates.

1. Organizations are always linked to the person who creates them From hiring the first employees and creating the standards of supervision. Companies will always remember the person who created them. Some companies create Principles or Values, to linger the essence of the first “settler”. a. Personal example: The Company Mars Inc. known mostly for Chocolate and PetCare food, has been always a private, family owned company. As soon as new employees are hired, they are treated as “associates” and taught the 5 family principles, to longer stretch the Mars Philosophy of work.

2. Human Aspect will be translated from founder to organization Any aspect or specific personality the founder has, will be shown on either company view or work style. Not only Unconscious Aspects talks about this translation happening; but also Perfection or Bust, talks about an Obsessive Compulsive Company. b. Personal Example: An accounting company founded by a man that likes to commit to a lot of contracts, without evaluating the resources on hand. A compulsive man that reacts before analyzing and then becomes harsh upon reviewing results. 3. Change in governing factors are related to change in employees, and might be temporary Even though must companies maintain a certain style of work and certain way to act upon the public eye; these aspects might change or evolve with time. Most companies are viewed by the people who employ the company at that moment. That’s why opinions may vary from time to time, depending on who holds management. c. Personal Example: P&G has been viewed as a conservative company, by others in the industry. A public company, result oriented in which whoever works there, must be extremely efficient and intelligent to achieve a position. Other General Manager have tried to create a more liberal and laid back style of work; but have been put out by upper management; but during those times, the companies style and opinion was different. 4. Development of employees is more of an indoctrination The training of the job, will come tied to the ideology of the company. Created by the founder of the company. This way, the work style and culture is propagated by the same employees and on hand-training. d. Personal Example: Both P&G and Mars Inc., create online assessment, where the company’s history and culture is explained in detail. Helping the employee or associate get acquainted with the company’s culture.