Understanding the Behavioral Paradox of the Companies’ by Using "The Corporation" Documentary

Films are widely used in business education to illuminate management concepts. Since films can provide a version of how theories and concepts can actually be put into practice, they have more lasting impression. On the other hand; ethical issue are complicated and they involve many processes and influences that are diverse and interlinked. That’s why it is difficult for students to understand potential conflicts of interest if they lack business experience or frame of reference. In this study, “The Corporation”, a documentary film by March Achbar, Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan, which has received awards in film festivals around the world, has been used for analysis to illustrate the behavioral paradox of corporations. Film analysis has been used as an educational tool in order to teach organizational behavior and management concepts since 1970s. To check our assumption we have designed a study to explore whether using "The Corporation" documentary in classroom settings will raise the awareness of the students about the role that corporations play in ethical, social, and environmental issues which are essential for business decisions, and thus enable the students -the future business managers-, to understand the paradoxical behaviors of corporations. After the students watched “The Corporation”, a quantitative analysis has been conducted by comparing the written essays of the students as regards their interpretation of the film.