Office Space

Office space, a critically acclaimed film, although it may seem like this was a comically movie, it tells a much deeper story. Peter Giffins goes to work every day and really hates what he does until a hypnotist brakes the cycle of mundane and boring days . This movie sheds like on the stereo type of cubical America, in the 90s. My analysis will focus on emotional competency; the stress brought on to Peter and how he effectively dealt with it, identity management, listening responses, communication climate, and conflict management styles that take place in this movie.

Peter has quite the identity management crises over the course of the movie. Identity management (page 445) is the communication strategies people use to influence how others view them. Peter does this by changing his actions from when he is at work and when he is at home. When peter is at work he acts like a happy employee, but when he is at home all he can do is complain about work and think about work. He even at one point in the move told the hypnotist “Every day is worst then the last”. That doesn’t sound like a man who loves his job.

Peter also manages his identity by using nonverbal communications At one point in the movie, office space, peter uses his hands to communicate a strong gesture of hate as he pretends to shoot up his office building. The main actor peter also uses plenty of facile expressions to also help drive his hate in. Nonverbal communications do not even have to be gestures they can be as simple, as his boss, Lumbergh’s not making eye contact when he talks to his employees, or the way he stands when talking to petter.

Peter meets a lovely waitress, in the move, Joanna, who is played by Jennifer Anderson. Joanna’s boss communicates with her by using his, language illustrate concerns by using vague terms, abstractions and constructively. He does this by asking her about only having 16 pieces of “flair”. The minimum requirement for her job, at Chotckeys, as a waitress is 16 but the “over achiever” waiter has 36 pieces of “flair”. Her boss beats about the bush and basically states “ Brian has 36 pieces of “flair”. He could have used more sincere language and just asked her to put more “flair” on. Peters boss, Lumbergh, shows poor listening responses by not even looking a peter when he is talking to him. Lumbergh also does not even respond correctly to the rebuttals from peter about the cover letters. Peter told his boss at one point in the movie, office space, “I already have the cover sheet, right here. ” Lumbergh responds by saying “I’ll have a copy sent to you. ” Lumbergh’s shows a complete disregard for what peter told him.

Our book states(page 237) that mindless listing, occurs when we react to others’ messages automatically and routinely, without much mental investment. Lumbergh’s responses are all mindless responses thought out the movie, office space. In the movie office space the communication between managers and employees are disconfirming by the simple fact that no one lesions to any one or knows any one, one example of this is when another employee doesn’t even know the peters friends names when she hands back the mail.