Teams and Networks, Pitches and Lost People
Lost
In Lost we of course meet our leader Jack from the start. I think the reason he becomes the leader is because he knows that his knowledge and expertise is what is most valuable on the island — he is a physician and also has some knowledge about planes because he took a few courses in the field. He also rises as a leader naturally because of his personality, some physicians can be introverts so they might have a lot of knowledge but wouldn’t be able to start telling people what to do like Jack did. Jack is also very independent and serious. He doesn’t count on the fact that help will come soon like some of the other passengers. However in the whole drama of the situation Jack clearly needs some help as well because after the plane crash, he tore some skin on his back. Without being arrogant he asks a stranger, Kate, to help stich it up. Unlike in a professional setting, these people are in a dire situation and setting and so although Jack takes the lead, this doesn’t mean that everyone has automatically accepted him as a leader, but also he takes on this position in a humble manner rather than condescending. There are also moments when Jack, Kate, and Charlie (another fellow) are in a life-or-death situation and running away from an unknown beast. Charlie falls and gets his foot stuck, and instead of trying to save his own life, Jack runs back to save him, risking both their lives instead of just one life. This shows the ultimate form of selflessness and also the importance of the individual in a group setting. Any team can learn from this situation that even in the most disastrous of times, you cannot leave any team member behind for your own benefit, especially if you are a leader. You must show strength and a good example to the others (even though Kate was the only one to witness it). I would say that in Lost the group is still more of a network because no one really knows each other yet and are unorganized so the most that they have is a sense of communication with one leader slowly emerging but not officially accepted yet. They definitely seem to be well on their way to becoming a team, where everyone has a role to play in the fight to survive and fight the beast as well as find a way home.
Pitch Perfect
The Barden Bellas had a crisis after the last performance that they lost due to one of the singers throwing up during the competition. Their reputation dropped dramatically and they became desperate and brought down their standards from taking petite beautiful girls to sing to just any girl that can sing. Similar situations can happen in a company that has a fall through and has to bring down its prices or take what it can get in terms of workforce. At the same time with the new singers, The Bellas strict rules were loosened because the most important aspect was to keep all the singers and not lose anymore rather than kick them out for vows that they had made previously and broke. At the beginning of the movie it is obvious from the beginning that the group is grounded on a strict hierarchy, actually more so a monarchy, where the leader, Audrey makes all decisions and doesn’t even allow for any opinions from her head master, Chloe. The structure of the Bellas shows absolutely no democracy and therefore the group over time diminishes in uniqueness and performance. Later in the movie there seems to be some disagreement between a new member (Becca) and the team leader Aubrey. But because of the short staffing, Aubrey cannot kick out the revolting “Bella” and therefore must stand her ground for as long as she can. Speaking of the vow that the girls take to never sleep with or even date a guy from the Trebelmakers, this reminds me of when I was in a dance group where the dancers were not allowed to date each other. Naturally, people broke that rule behind the instructors back and eventually there were too many couples to deal with. A lot of them ended up getting married later in life too!
In the majority of the beginning of the movie, there is not much balance between consensus and conflict. Mostly there is conflict that is only resolved by the two heads, and really just Aubrey at the head with the support of Chloe. The rest of the Bellas seem to go with whatever the leader says because of fear of her. When Becca begins to start adding in her personality and opinions, the frame starts shifting, beginning with Chloe siding with her at times and then some of the girls expressing their opinions as well. It is still conflict however because Aubrey doesn’t allow for disagreement with her. Finally towards the end of the movie we see conflict convert to consensus.
There is a climax where the Bellas start revolting against Aubrey once Becca had quit and they admit to Aubrey that she is too controlling and go haywire. After the revolt, the Bellas realize that all along they were not getting along because they never really knew anything about each other because it was all about “business” and not really “camaraderie”. Once they start confessing things about themselves and let it all out, Aubrey finally lets go and lets Becca take the lead since this is clearly what the rest of the group hoped for the whole time. They completely switch gears after that and consensus is achieved.
In the beginning of the movie I would say that most of the a capella groups work mostly as networks rather than actual teams. There is a lot of hierarchy and control by the leader. There is communication between the members and a common goal, but no value set on individual members even when the groups are not so big. Later the Barden Bellas truly transform into a team where individuals are heard and their strengths are showcased leading them to ultimately win the nationals.
