ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOR II

Movie Review – Facing The Giants

Sakshi Tripathi

Masters in Organization Development, Change & Leadership

Pick up five best scenes from the movie that explains group cohesiveness.

• Scene 1: Coach Grant presents the new philosophy to the team

Coach Grant presents the new philosophy to the team by asking them what is the purpose of the
team. He conveys to the team that playing football is not only a means through which they serve
God, and unless they realize that, even winning all the games would amount to nothing as after a
few years, the trophies won will be covered in dust and lost, it’s the experience that matters.
They need to honor not just through football, but also through their relationships and their
respect to authority. Through this, the coach not just builds task cohesion by focusing them on
the common goal, but also emotional cohesion by making them go through the intense emotional
experience.

• Scene 2: Death crawl by Brock carrying Jeremy across the football field.

In the scene shown below, the coach pushes Brock to give his best shot and in return Brock
completes a death crawl across the entire football team. This happens after Brock remarks that
their team is not as strong as the opponents. The coach tries to instill the message that ‘your
actions will always follow your beliefs’ and until you have the right attitude and you believe in
yourself, you cannot succeed. This is a powerful scene where the coach tries to build collective
efficacy in the group.

• Scene 3: Campus revival sparked by the football team

After the coach presents the new philosophy to the football team, in the above scene, the bible
class was being conducted outside in the open where students started confessing their mistakes,
asking their friends for forgiveness and bonding with each other. The emotional reaction within
the group helped build emotional cohesiveness in not just the football team but other groups of
students in the school.

• Scene 4: Stone Wall

In the final match, during the time-out in the last few minutes, Brock comes up to the coach
stating that he was too tired, he can not do it and someone else needs to lead, but the coach says
that it was in these last difficult minutes when it matters the most and his team needs it.

Brock goes back and shouts out to his team with energy and intensity to build the ‘stone wall’ to
defend against their opponents – “Nothing gets by you as an individual and nothing gets by us as
a team”.

At a moment when Brock seemed to have given up, there is an identity fusion with the group,
where he does what is in the best interest of the team, without regards for himself.
 • Scene 5: The 59-yard field goal

With only a few seconds remaining, the coach sends David to hit the final goal, despite the facts
that this was David’s first season, and the maximum distance he had ever covered was thirty-nine
yards. The coach believed that the team deserves to win and not just David, but the team is
capable of winning the finals against the Giants. This is the belief that had been instilled in the
team, and the resultant group potency pushed the team to victory.

2. What promotes cohesiveness among the players?

The Shiloh Eagles had not had a winning season in six years. While team was not a close-knit
group and did not even believe that they could win the state football championship. Coach Grant
presented the new philosophy to the team, playing football as a way to serve God, and whether
or not they win a match, they praise the lord. The team underwent intense emotional experiences,
and social exchanges which strengthened their bond to an extent where they were in sync not just
in the game but even in their behavior. Thus, building emotional cohesiveness in the group.

The structural integrity, the role-clarity brought about in the team, made the players go beyond
their capabilities, to work for the team and deliver to their roles. The norm in the team were
created to focus on doing whatever was needed by the team. This was seen when Brock seemed
incapable of continuing the game, yet went back to lead the defense, as well as in the case when
David, overcame his fears to kick that fifty-nine-yard goal that finally brought their victory. The
strong structural cohesiveness was brought through strong interpersonal relationships in the
group.

Coach Grant challenged the attitude of the players and made them believe in themselves and
motivated them to work together to achieve the common goal. This helped in building group
efficacy, the belief in their conjoint capabilities to attain their goal, thus bringing task
cohesiveness in the group.

3. Any identity fusion theory that applies to the movie?

In a highly cohesive group, member’s identities are based less on their own individual attributes,
and more on the membership of the group. In the extreme case, when the individual’s sense of
self is fused with the identity of the group, it results in amplified identity of the group, such that
the individuals are willing to display extreme behavior for the benefit of the group.

Identity Fusion theory states that engage in such extreme behavior because of a sense of oneness
with the group, such that their own identity is not distinguishable from the identity of the group.
As seen in the movie, during the last few minutes the team captain, Brock Kelley, is tired and
incapable of carrying on, however, the need of the team makes him not just go back in the game
but also encourage his team members and ensure the four more downs needed to win. Similarly,
identity fusion theory can be seen in play when David Childers, the newcomer to the team, who
replaced another injured player, accomplishes what he had never done before because that is
what the group needed.

4. Implications of the movie for leadership behavior.

The movie is an exemplary example for leadership behavior. Even in the face of failure, Coach
Grant displayed the virtues of a great leader. The first and foremost lesson is to not give up. Even
in the situation where one of his best players transferred to another school, he did not let his team
lose hope. He motivated his team and made them believe in their capabilities.
In the circumstances where people were plotting to replace Coach Grant, he did not display anger
or aggression to the ones closest to him. Rather, he addressed the issue, and not the people which
is a true leadership behavior. He accepted his responsibility without blaming anyone else.
Another implication for leadership behavior can be seen as the ability to recognize talent and
give the right opportunity at the right time, as Coach Grant did with David.
The team captain, Brock Kelley, also displays commendable leadership behavior when he leads
from the front, in the most difficult and challenging time, and motivates his team to put their best
effort. As Coach Grant says, “It’s easy to lead when you’re strong”, but it is in the hardest of
times when it matters the most.