1.

Plot summary
The film The devil wears Prada is about Andrea (Andy), a girl who has just
graduated in journalism and hopes to find a career in publishing. Despite little
knowledge of fashion, Andy finnally lands a job as a personal assistant for Miranda, the
powerful chief editor of New York's most prestigious fashion magazine – Runway.
Miranda is famous for her strict, aggressive and haughty behaviors at work. She makes
her subordinates stressed and fear of disappointing her. Andy’s plan is to work at
Runway for a year to get a recommendation from Miranda, then she will get a job as a
reporter or writer at anywhere in journalism industry.
At first, Andy only deign to work in Runway. The way she dressed is awfully
and make Miranda very disappointed. After an incident, Andy changes her fashion style
and is gradually being recognized by Miranda and her colleagues. However, she quit the
job in the end because of the difference viewpoint between her and Miranda.
2. Organizational behavior concepts in the film
2.1. Leadership
At the morning scene, when employees were informed that Miranda was coming,
they hurriedly get into place. Female staffs started changing shoes, putting on lipstick,
becoming as groomed as possible. The Queen arrived and everyone must be in their
place. When the new employee, Andy, came in and dressed sloppily, she received an
unhappy look from Miranda. Miranda called Andy as “a fat silly girl”. In a meeting for
new collection, many employees gave new ideas but Miranda severely rejected all of
them without listening to their explanation. Miranda’s ideas were always the best and
all employees had to follow her orders. (Ron Thomas, 2011)
Throughout the film, Miranda showed the authoritarian leadership style by giving
her subordinates challenges and degrading them. When the staffs did right, they received
nothing but when they did wrong, they surely would be scolded, even fired. Miranda
would comment that they were inadequate, incompetent and stupid. (Amy Morin, 2019)
 Management by fear is the undercurrent at Runway. Miranda is an autocratic
leader who controls everything, makes decisions based on her opinions
without taking advice from followers. She does not care about her staffs’
feelings and always says hurtful words to them. Many scenes in the film
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 clearly show that Miranda is a person who loves giving orders, has little faith
in subordinates, encourages her staffs to work with threats and punishment.
o Lesson:
Autocratic leaders like Miranda could lead their staff to solve problems quickly.
In addition, this leadership style will certainly maintain the power of the leader. The
leaders will come up with the best plan and ask staffs to follow their instructions. As a
result, company could avoid slow progress due to low performance.
However, this style is scarcely applied nowadays because of its weakness. It
makes employees feel stressed and disrespected, which leads to conflicts between
employees and managers. Thereby, company’s productivity will reduce. Authoritative
management encourages employees to attain success within negative environment. Both
managers and employees are most likely to take harmful, aggressive, unethical actions
for attaining purposes at all costs.
2.2. Workplace relationship
2.2.1. Relationship between Andy and her colleagues
 Andy and Emily
Emily was the 1st and Any was the 2nd personal assistant of Miranda. Instead of
helping Andy be familiar to the new job, Emily and another colleague made fun of
Andy’s clothes and body. They said Andy was wearing her grandma’s skirt.
Moreover, Emily always dignified that she was a “high-end” assistant. She told
Andy that her job was totally different from Andy’s job. While she was in charge of
Miranda’s schedules and expenses, Andy just ran errands to get coffee, get breakfast.
Most importantly, she would honorably go to Paris with Miranda for fashion
week in the fall, which Andy couldn’t have chance to go. In the end, Emily broke her
leg a week before going to Paris and Andy was chosen to replace Emily. However,
Emily thought it wasn’t fair and Andy didn’t deserve. She told Andy to refuse to go.
 This is a toxic relationship in workplace which will decrease productivity at
work. Because of Emily’s arrogance, Andy always felt unconfident and
thought she wasn’t good enough. It was very selfish of Emily while
preventing Andy going to Paris.

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  Andy and Nigel
Another colleague of Andy was Nigel. Not arrogant like Emily, Nigel, who was
current Art Director, was very friendly to Andy. He helped Andy change her style after
Miranda offended Andy by saying she was fat and stupid. During the time working at
Runway, Nigel teached Andy a lot about fashion industry. Andy learned many tips from
Nigel to make Miranda more pleased with her.
 Nigel and Andy had a very good relationship. Nigel helped Andy become
more suitable for the job and encouraged her to overcome difficulties. Andy’s
attitudes are impacted positively, which makes she love the job more and do
unenjoyable tasks from Miranda more pleasantly.
2.2.2. Relationship between Andy and her superior Miranda
Andy and Miranda had a superior – subordinate relationship. Like other
colleagues, Andy didn’ have a good relationship with Miranda. Throughout the film,
Miranda not only kept on degrading Andy’s style and her performance but also
disrespected her. She gave Andy such impossible missions so that Andy really wanted
to kill her and quit job.
 This is a negative relationship in workplace. It causes stresses and leads to
high turnover rate. Nevertheless, it still have some good points. Thanks to
Miranda’s criticism, Andy changed her fashion style and her attitudes in a
positive way. Finally, Miranda accepted Andy as the best assistant ever.
o Lesson: Workplace relationship
In summary, workplace relationship can either help or hinder one’s success at
work. If employees are in a good relationship, their job satisfation, commitment and
performance will increase. On the other hand, a bad relationship might result in negative
feelings about workplace. Employees even suffer workplace loneliness, stress. But in
some particular cases, a bad relationship could change employees for the better to defeat
their rivals.
For that reason, employees should make a wise choice. In workplace, they can’t
choose their colleagues but they can choose the colleague they want to form relationship
with.

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 2.3. Motivation
2.3.1. The motivation of Miranda at work
 Miranda decided to divorce
Miranda shared with Andy that she was about to divorce because she could not
meet the requirements of her husband. She knew that people would call her by the name
like “Dragon Lady”, “Career Obsessed”. She felt bad and unfair for her twin daughters.
However, she did not care what people said about her. The most important thing was
that she needed to keep track of her work and did not want to waste a single second.
 Miranda betrayed her colleague Nigel
After coming to Paris, Nigel told Andy that he soon would be Creative Director
of fashion designer James Holt on Miranda's recommendation. Later, Andy learned that
Miranda was about to be replace by Jacqueline Follet as new Runway chief editor. Andy
tried to warn Miranda that she was going to be sacked but she did not take notice. At the
next day party, Miranda suddenly annouced that Jacqueline Follet would replace Nigel
to be Creative Director for James Holt. She sacrificed Nigel, her most loyal staff to retain
her position as chief editor.
 Through two scences, we can see that Miranda is at the fifth level of
Maslow’s hierarchy. She was a workaholic who just cared about job.
Although Miranda had power, respect of people, she still wanted to take best
use of her capacity and did her best at Runway magazine. At this level of
need, Miranda is self-aware, interested in fulfilling her potential, concerned
with personal growth and less care about people’ opinions. (Steven Gans,
2017)
2.3.2. The motivation of Andy at work
 Andy put less effort into the job
Andy was a recent graduate in journalism. She landed a job that "a millions girl
would die for it". Andy thought she could only "drag" on this job for a year because she
had no interest in fashion and she just wanted to get a recommendation from Miranda.
Therefore, she just listened to Miranda scoldings for lacking experience and faced many
challenges with the hope to get a good recommendation. At the beginning of the film,
despite being rediculed, she did not care about fashion news and did not want to change
her fashion style.
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  Miranda is at the fifth level of Maslow’s hierarchy but Andy is at the second
level. Andy only wanted good recommendation from Miranda so that she
would be able to apply for any job in journalism industry. Contrary to
Miranda, Andy was not obsessed by the career and not keen on fashion. She
put little effort and did not try to become suitable for fashion industry. So
many people would die to work in Runway but Andy only deigned to work.
 Andy left the job
As mentioned above, at Paris, after trying to warn Miranda and realizing that
Nigel was betrayed, Andy was very stunning. Later, on the way to a show, Miranda told
Andy that she already knew the plan to replace her. Miranda highly appreciated Andy’s
loyalty. Respond to Miranda’s compliment, Andy said she would never betray anyone.
When the car stopped, Andy got out, threw her phone into the foutain and left the job.
 Despite being recognized, Andy still quit the job regardless good or bad
recommendation from Miranda. This is the result of the difference between
Miranda and Andy’s needs. Now, Andy is at the third level of Maslow’s
hierarchy. She does not want to be another Miranda and live negatively like
her. She wants to freely do things she likes, have good relationships with
people around and does not want to hurt people she loves.
o Lesson
In an organization, the motivation of each person varies widely. These motivation
all exist to obtain targets, interests of oneself. In this movie, Miranda is in the need of
self – actualization. She did unacceptable things to retain her job as chief editor of
Runway. By contrast, Andy’s aim is to get a good recommendation and find a new job
and to be loved by people around. She tried her best at work but not care about being
promoted.
Each motivation has certainly affect on productivity, performance at work.
Employers need to see through their employees motivation and adjust these motivation
to suit organization’s goals.
2.4. Cognitive Dissonance
2.4.1. Cognitive dissonance of Miranda
 Miranda broke her rules and hired Andy

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 Miranda, chief editor of the most famous fashion magazine Runaway, was a
perfectionist, arbitrary ruler and successful woman. The standards to become her
personal assistant were girls with stylishness, slenderness, and worship to magazines.
She believed they would be the most appropriate people to work in fashion industry.
However, she still accepted Andy as her junior personal assistant – the girl who was not
qualified for the job.
 To reduce cognitive dissonance, Miranda changed her beliefs. She thought all
the previous assistants that met her requirements were usually stupid and
disappointing. Therefore, she told herself to go ahead and take a chance. She
belived Andy, a smart fat girl with an impressive CV would be different.
 Miranda hid her true feelings
Miranda did not like Jacqueline Follet, who was planned to replace Miranda as
new chief editor of Runway. However, at the party in Paris, she still gave Jacqueline a
very warm welcome.
 To solve cognitive dissonance, Miranda reduced the importance of elements
that create dissonance. She reassured herself Jacqueline was not fit to be her
opponent because of lacking skills. Moreover, a good relationship with
Jacqueline would help her negotiate for the chief editor position more easily.
2.4.2. Cognitive dissonance of Andy
 Andy changed her fashion style for the job
Andy was a plain woman and had little knowledge in fashion. She hated wearing
fashionable clothes and high heels that were over 8,5 cm. However, she had to change
the way she dressed due to the job.
 To solve cognitive dissonance, Andy aquired new information outweighing
the dissonant behavior. She learned from Nigel that she did not try enough in
her job. If she was willing to learn about fashion, change her style and her
attitudes, Miranda would be more pleased with her give her a good
recommendation. (Saul McLeod, 2018)
 Andy tried hard to find out the manuscript of Harry Potter
After Andy had changed her style, Miranda was nicer to her. But unfortunately,
Andy once again faced such most difficult challenge: find out the manuscript of Harry

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Potter upcoming part for Miranda’s daughters in 4 hours. At first, Andy wanted to kill
Miranda and continuously told herself to give up but in fact, she did her very best to
obtain the manuscript. Finally, she completed the mission excellently.
 To solve cognitive dissonance, Andy thought about the consequences of
giving up. Firstly, she knew she was gradually being recognized by Miranda.
If she gave up here, she would be sacked. All her efforts would go down the
drain and she could not get any recommendation from Miranda. Secondly,
she would prove everything Miranda said about her was true: a silly fat girl.
o Lesson
Applying cognitive dissonance theory to business or life could help us modify or
prevent unappropriate thoughts, behaviors and make right decisions.
In this movie, if Andy had solved problem by intuitively quitting her job,
Miranda would never have changed her bad impression of Andy: a fat silly girl. Then,
Miranda would not give Andy good recommendation she would struggle to find a good
job. As for Miranda, she did not miss a potential employee Andy thanks to her cognitive
dissonance.
3. Conclusion
The Devil Wears Prada movie provides clear illustration of various dynamics in
organizations. Within organizations, there are a multitude of motivations, attitudes and
behaviors.
These dynamics can lead to higher creativity, efficient teamwork, and attainment of
organization’s goals. By contrast, there is also the potential for risks, unethical practices
that affect not only the individual’s productivity and their performance but the
organization’s success as well. In order to understand and help organization develop,
each employee must carefully considerate both the positive and the negative results
before taking actions. For employers, they must create healthy workplace environment.