Return to Previous Page

CASE LENS ON ADAPTABILITY IN THE BACKDROP OF HOLLYWOOD MOVIE, THE INTERN*

CASE LENS, ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
ET Cases, 3.34 Minutes
AUTHOR(S) : Y. Bala Bharathi and Dr. Nagendra V. Chowdary

Teaching Note Preview

Case Lens on ADAPTABILITY

 

Synopsis

This Case Lens on Adaptability has been prepared with the objective of sensitizing the participants/students to the importance of adaptability. Much acclaimed Hollywood movie, The Intern, was chosen to demonstrate this important trait. The protagonist, Ben Whittaker (Ben), played by the award-winning Robert De Niro, amply demonstrates his willingness to adapt with ease and success. Adaptability, career adaptability as some experts call it, is an important and sought-after trait in the dynamic corporate world. Most importantly, this Case Lens, with the help of accompanying questions, can be a powerful visual cue for the causes and effects of adaptability.

Prerequisite Exercise

The students/participants need to mandatorily watch the movie, The Intern. Honoring all the expected IPR issues, every participant must be encouraged to buy a DVD of The Intern 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:

  • 1. Asking the students/participants to view the movie 2-3 days before the classroom discussion
  • 2. Case Lens video screening in the classroom
  • 3. Ideally, the class should be divided into five Learning Teams and ask them to prepare for all the questions. After giving them about 15 minutes, the classroom discussion/analysis should be attempted. This can happen either 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
  • 4. 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 Lens Positioning and Setting

This Case Lens, as a pedagogical tool, can be used in either of the following:

  • • MBA Programs – Organizational Behavior Course – Career Management Module – To understand the importance of adaptability and design the ways and means for an effective adaptability
  • • Executive Development Programs/MDPs – To sensitize the participants to the importance of adaptability irrespective of age and most importantly, the causes and  effects of an effective adaptability outlook

 

Expected Learning Outcomes

At the end of this Case Lens discussion/analysis, each of the participants/students should be able to understand/appreciate:

  • • The need and importance of adaptability both in personal and professional realms and analyze the nuances of adaptability, i.e., adapting oneself to the new/different situations and new/different people
  • • When to adapt and when to seek out other forms
  • • The relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability


 Assignment Questions

The assignment questions, as outlined in the Case Lens video, are:

I You would have formed an opinion on Ben’s character after having watched this movie. What are the three important things that are worth learning from Ben’s character?

II We are looking at this wonderful movie through the lens of adaptability. There are several instances through which Ben demonstrated his adaptability to situations and to the people. What are all the instances of Ben’s adaptability in the movie?

III.....................

Preamble to the Case Lens Discussion

One of the often-cited life skills is adaptability and there are enough and more examples of those who could go farther in their personal lives and professional careers by adapting themselves to any different situation or a person. Of course, with the caveat of self-restraint, when there is a visible clash of value system. The purpose of this Case Lens is to understand the importance of adaptability in one’s personal life and professional career.

Assuming that the students/participants would have watched the movie before the classroom discussion, this Case Lens poses a series of questions which enable an understanding on how a willful and volunteered adaptability can make a meaningful difference not just to the self but also to those all around, as was demonstrated by the septuagenarian, Robert De Niro.............

Case Lens: Classroom Discussion and Analysis

You would have formed an opinion on Ben’s character after having watched this movie. What are the few important things that are worth learning from Ben’s character?

Needless to say, each participant/student would have his/her impactful insights from the movie. Some of the insights shared by the participants during the classroom discussion were:

• Learning to work with someone who is very younger to him, i.e., Jules Ostin (Jules)
• Retirement is only for age, not for the work
• His involvement and eagerness to give credit (remember, the way he acknowledges Becky’s work, 01:03:29)
• How to adapt oneself?
• ................

Exhibits

Exhibit (TN)-I: The Case Lens’ Classroom Orchestration

Exhibit (TN)-II: Discussion Questions

Exhibit (TN)-III: Adapting to Situations vs Adapting to Persons

Exhibit (TN)-IV: Instances of Ben’s Adaptability

Exhibit (TN)-V : Adaptability vs Involvement : Ben’s Involvement Instances

Exhibit (TN)-VI: Theoretical Model on Proactive Personality, Career Adaptability and Career Success

Exhibit (TN)-VII: When to Adapt?

Exhibit (TN)-VIII: Ben’s Expectations from Senior Internship Program at ATF

$18.28
Rs 0
Product code: OB-7-0046, OB-7-0046AA

Abstract


This Case Lens on Adaptability, prepared in the backdrop of Hollywood blockbuster, The Intern, attempts to sensitize the participants to the nuances of adaptability, especially corporate adaptability. One of the most sought-after and wished-for traits expected of any career-professional is adaptability. Adaptability, in simple terms is an ability (and most importantly, the willingness) to deal effectively with new situations and new people. There are enough and more examples of those who could go farther in their personal lives and professional careers by adapting themselves to a different situation or a person. Of course, with the caveat of self-restraint, when there is a visible clash of value system. The purpose of this Case Lens is to understand the importance of adaptability in one’s personal life and professional career. Either be sticky and get stuck or adapt and ascend.

Every thriving corporate professional would have been adept at adaptability. The Intern, in the backdrop of which this Case Lens has been prepared, showcases several instances of how the protagonist/the lead character (played by Robert De Niro) adapts himself easily and successfully with the new situations and new people. The Intern is a simple story of how a septuagenarian, senior intern for an e-commerce company ATF gets metamorphasized into a mentor for ATF’s Founder & CEO, Jules Ostin with his exemplary demonstration of adaptability. When to adapt and when not to adapt? Why is career adaptability important for any professional? Is there any relationship between adaptability and age?



Pedagogical Objectives

  • To understand the importance of adaptability both in personal and professional realms and to analyze the nuances of adaptability through the lens of The Intern’s protagonist, Ben Whittakar
  • To discuss and debate on when to adapt and when to seek out other forms
  • To analyze the relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability

Case Lens Positioning and Setting

This Case Lens, as a pedagogical tool, can be used in either of the following:

  • MBA Programs – Organizational Behavior Course – Career Management Module – To understand the importance of adaptability and design the ways and means for an effective adaptability
  • Executive Development Programs/MDPs – To sensitize the participants to the importance of adaptability irrespective of age and most importantly the causes and effects of an effective adaptability outlook


*It should be noted that participants/ students are expected to see the movie before they participate in a classroom discussion/analysis of any of the CASELENS’ products



This Case Pack Includes:
- Abstract
- Case Lens
- Teaching Note (**ONLY for Academicians)
$18.28
Rs 0

Related products




Request for an Inspection Copy

(Strictly for Review Purpose, Not to be Used for Classroom Discussion/Trainings)