Case Lens on Professionalism
Synopsis
This Case Lens on Professionalism is based on Hollywood movie, Flying Home can be used to introduce the participants to the idea of Professionalism and what it takes to be a professional. Being professional or professionalism, when discussed in the backdrop of Flying Home’s protagonist/lead character, Colin Montgomery (Colin), can offer several insights regarding professionalism and being a thoroughbred professional. While the movie, based on a true story, shows two different behavior/attitudinal values of Colin’s – the one professional who gets results at any cost and the other professional who restores what he gets at the cost of his promising career. While there are several other connects that can be made to analyze how personal values influence professional behavior, this Case Lens, with the help of accompanying questions, can be a great cue to discuss the influence of personal values on professional behavior.
Prerequisite Exercise
• The students/participants need to mandatorily watch the movie Flying Home and ET Cases’ – Case Lens on Professionalism
• In order not to violate the IPR laws, every participant must be encouraged to buy a DVD of Flying Home movie. The temptation of either exhibiting the movie in the classroom or the students/participants downloading the movie from any hosting sites should be desisted, lest we set unwarranted precedents in violating mandatory IPRs
Classroom Orchestration
This Case Lens (the video introducing this Case Lens and the accompanying five questions) can be orchestrated in the classroom in the following suggested flow:
• Asking the students/participants to view the movie 2-3 days before the scheduled classroom discussion
• Playing the Case Lens video in the classroom
• Ideally, the class should be divided into 5 Learning Teams and ask them to prepare for all the questions. After giving them about 15 minutes, the classroom discussion/analysis should be attempted. Either this can happen by asking one of the teams randomly to present their analysis or each team should be allowed to lead a discussion for each of the questions.
• Each question would take varying times (the suggested timings are given in Exhibit (TN)-I) and it is highly recommended that the last 5 minutes should be spent on debriefing and synthesizing. The debriefing segment should be used to synthesize the expected learning outcomes of this Case Lens
Case Positioning and Setting
This Case Lens can be used for either of the following;
• MBA Programs – HRM Course – Career Management Module – To understand the characteristics of a professional and to understand the accompanying features of professionalism
• Executive Development Programs/MDPs – To sensitize the participants to the importance of personal values and its influence on professional behavior and in shaping a thoroughbred professional
Expected Learning Outcomes
• Understand the underlying characteristics of a professional and to discuss on all the accompanying features of professionalism
• Discuss and debate on how personal values (with varying degree of influence by a few influencers) can shape a professional
Assignment Questions
I. Who according to you is a Professional? Like a Doctor, an Engineer, a Pilot, a Musician, a Lawyer, are Auto Drivers, Priests or Pujaris professionals too? What are the characteristics of a Professional?
II. What is that, you most liked about Flying Home movie? Of all the lead characters in the movie – Colin Montgomery, Colin Montgomery’s parents, Sheik Abdullah Nayed, Jos Pauwels, Isabelle, The Reverend, Martha – Which one do you relate to and why? What specific lessons do you think one can learn from each of these characters?
III..............
Preamble to the Case Lens Discussion
The purpose of this Case Lens is to help understand what professionalism is and how personal values influence professional behavior. Assuming that the students/participants would have watched the movie before the classroom discussion, this Case Lens poses a series of questions on how important are results for a thoroughbred professional.
There can be several questions coming out of the discussion (Annexure I and Annexure II for classroom discussion dashboard) on this Case Lens. The faculty/facilitator should encourage as many questions as possible, for, asking right questions is in itself a skill for any thriving professional. Accordingly, Exhibit (TN)-II captures the questions (definitely not exhaustive) that were raised during the classroom discussion as well as the authors’ teaching plan discussions...............
Case Analysis
Presentation by Learning Team 1
I. Who according to you is a Professional? Like a Doctor, an Engineer, a Pilot, a Musician, a Lawyer, are Auto Drivers, Priests or Pujaris professionals too? What are the characteristics of a Professional?
Participants of Learning Team 1 began the discussion by defining a professional in simple terms as someone with expertise.
More clarification that can be brought out at this stage, which can aid understanding who is a professional, is to understand the difference between a job and a career.
The participants should be followed up with the seeming differences between all the seven economic activities stated in the Case Lens video...........
Exhibits
Exhibit (TN)-I: The Case Lens’ Classroom Orchestration
Exhibit (TN)-II: Discussion Questions
Exhibit (TN)-III: Differences between Various Occupations – as listed in the Case Lens
Exhibit (TN)-IV: Characteristics of a Professional
Exhibit (TN)-V: Colin Montgomery’s Professionalism – Fish Bone Analysis
Exhibit (TN)-VI: Flying Home’s Lead Characters and Possible Lessons
Exhibit (TN)-VII: Colin Montgomery getting into Flanders – An Analysis
Exhibit (TN)-VIII: Colin Montgomery First Visit to Flanders – Personal Values vs Professional Behavior
Exhibit (TN)-IX: Colin’s Re-visit to Flanders – Personal Values influencing Professional Behavior
Exhibit (TN)-X: Organizational Expectations vs Personal Values
Exhibit (TN)-XI: Checklist for a Thorough Professional Based on the Movie
