"12 Angry Men"

Essay # 74812

Business > Management
Communication > Interpersonal
Film > Analysis, Criticism, Etc.

"12 Angry Men"

A discussion on the contemporary relevance of Sidney Lumet's 1957 classic "12 Angry Men."

2,572 words () | 7 sources | MLA | 2006 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Sidney Lumet's depiction of jury-room drama does not fail to deliver the excitement, tension, suspense and a few laughs. In particular, it looks at how the conflict, so brilliantly played out in the film, has significant contemporary relevance on many levels of analysis. It analyzes how it invites viewers to reevaluate their own behavior and to reflect upon the processes that take place in organizations of all kinds.

Outline
Abstract
"12 Angry Men" in the Context of Organizational Behavior
The Group Development Process
Group Norms
Threats to Group Effectiveness
Conflict Management
12 Angry Men vs. SCO
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"One can argue that the jury never reached the perfect condition of group cohesiveness, characteristic of the Norming stage. "The climate of open communication, strong cooperation, and lots of helping behavior" attributive to the performing stage were not always obvious (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2006, p. 311). However, as more jurors produced important pieces of evidence, their contributions became more valuable, disputes were handled more constructively and with a greater sense of accomplishment. There were two distinct moments were the jurors stood together in solidarity: once, against the "explosive speech... of ugly revelation" by the bigot, and again, against the outbreak of fury by Juror #3 (Ellsworth, 2003)."