Introduction
The TV show selected for this assignment is The Office. It is a mockumentary that portrays the daily lives of several employees and a manager in a small, marginally unsuccessful branch of the Dunder Mifflin paper company (The Office (TV Series 2005–2013) – IMDb, n.d.). The show is characterized by its distinctively inappropriate workplace behaviors, each being a satirized version of some of the fundamental issues employees and supervisors face. Some notable characters in the series are Michael Scott (the manager of the branch), Pam Beesly, Jim Halpert, and Dwight Schrute (the employees).
Behavior in The Office Show
As a supervisor, Michael Scott is largely conflict-avoidant, which is explained chiefly by his strive to earn love and popularity. For instance, he tends to physically hide in his office whenever an issue requiring him to step up arises, hindering his performance as a conflict mitigator or manager (Daniels, 2005-2013). Regardless, I learned from Michael that supervising could be a process of finding and using the best abilities of every person on the team, even if he did it due to incompetence.
Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert are the characters that are socially adaptive and relatively reserved. Throughout the series, they gradually overcome shyness as a communication barrier: for instance, Pam has learned to speak up in meetings and ask for a promotion. In contrast, Dwight Schrute is an incredibly career-driven character; his assertive behavior is beneficial in situations where direct communication is needed. However, his lack of interpersonal ethics or social awareness hinders his progress. These interactions taught me that appropriately voicing one’s thoughts and concerns is valued in a workplace.
The show’s message is that there is no single morally perfect or universally right approach to solving issues, overcoming difficulties, or addressing others. Every character in the show has a combination of good and bad traits, which shine through in different circumstances. And thus, everyone deserves some empathy and understanding since everybody is simply trying to live their best lives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, by creating a satirical yet relatable image of the daily problems, The Office successfully shows how one should not behave. However, I think the satire also demonstrates that under certain circumstances, all people may show their best or worst sides, adding humor and depth to the message. Overall, this show effectively conveys the memorandum of understanding, adapting to the collective, and making the best out of the given circumstances.
References
Daniels, G. (Producer) & Dutton, E.P. (Director). (2005-2013). The Office [TV series]. In B. Silverman, G. Daniels, R. Gervais, S. Merchant, H. Klein, K. Kwapis, P. Lieberstein, J. Celotta, B.J. Novak, M. Kaling, B. Forrester, D. Sterling (Executive Producers). NBC Universal Television Studio.
The Office (TV Series 2005–2013)—IMDb. (n.d.). Web.