Worker Motivation in the Film Glengarry Glen Ross

Objective

The objective of this exercise is to gain an understanding of cognitive theories of motivation by analyzing the actions of characters in a movie.

Procedure

Watch the movie Glengarry Glen Ross. Before watching, take notes on goal-setting, expectancy, and equity theories of motivation. Watch the movie with your notes on the theories, pausing as necessary to jot down events in the movie that are relevant to the theories. (Note: This movie contains adult language.)

Product

Select two of the theories and begin your 3-5 page paper by describing them. Then, considering the theories one at a time, analyze events which transpired in the movie in light of those theories. Each component of the theories you select should be related to at least one event in the movie. Thus, the movie events will serve as examples of the components of each theory.

GlenGarry Glen Ross. Rated R. Directed by James Foley. Screenplay adapted by David Mamet from his 1984 Pulitzer Prize winning play.

Jack Lemmon	Shel Levine
Ed Harris	Dave Moss
Kevin Spacey	John Williamson
Al Pacino	Ricky Roma
Alan Arkin	George Aaronow
Alec Baldwin	Blake