Hey don't worry, I am not going to discuss here Abraham Maslow's theory. Tell me, given a chance, would you like to watch a movie - Human Resources. If at all you would, what would you expect from such a movie.
Rented this DVD from Seattle Public Library and watched it (actually read it coz it was a French movie with subtitles in English. )
A very straight story. Franck, a guy doing his MBA in HR joins a Manufacturing Comapny as a summer intern. He belongs to a lower middle class familiy. Father and sister are working in the same factory. Father has been working as a shop floor worker for last 30 years. His job definition is simple - make 700 spot welds per hour, six days a week. He likes his job in fact he loves it. This job is everything for him.
One day Franck,- young, enthusiatics & influential MBA enters into the factory with lots of MBA ishtyle strategic planning and process improvement fundas. He initiates a summer project in the company to evaluate 35 person hours week hoping to improve the profitability by restructuring the workforce. The top management likes this idea but changes it a lil bit, replaces restructuring workforce with retrenchment.
His project becomes successful (?). Result- he gets a job offer and his father, along with other 30 workers, gets a ditch.
This forces the son and father to ponder their relationship and their ultimate expectations from their own careers while realizing their individual lives. The emotional hub of Human Resources is the ensuing clash between Frank and his father over the nature and meaning of work. The old man loves his job and doesn't have a clue as to why his son thinks it is important for him to have more leisure time every week in the form of a 35 hrs/week job. And Frank can't understand why his father doesn't cherish the idea of a less monotonous job and more input from the employees on working conditions.
Finally, Frank also changes his mind and strikes a battle against Management. The movie just ends there without any fuss while keeping many stunning questions unanswered.
Why do we all work?
Do we work for job security or job satisfacton?
Can we isolate our lives from our jobs?
