The situation on the HSM Bounty presents an excellent opportunity for studying organizational behavior, administration, and organizational decline. In particular, the film Mutiny on the bounty deals with issues such as attitudes towards leadership, toxic leadership, communication, ethics, and organizational culture. In the film, the HMS Bounty was commissioned by the English government on a mission to collect and transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to the West Indies. William Bligh served as captain, the first time he was holding that position on a ship. Fletcher Christian, a man from a distinguished and wealthy family, serves as his second-in-command. Before the voyage starts, Captain Bligh expresses his dis-preference for Christian as a second-in-command, and sternly warns him that he expects competence and hard work from him, his high birth notwithstanding. Already, one can see stark differences in the two men’s personalities and temperaments. In the following sections, an analysis of Bligh’s and Christian’s leadership styles is made, in the context of principles and theories of organizational behavior.
Comparison
Mutiny occurs when members of an organization feel that its leaders have violated shared values within the organization and lack the proper means to address their issues. On the HMS Bounty, the shared values that the mutineers felt had been violated were justice and dignity; men were punished severely for small infractions while the captain frequently violated naval law several times. For instance, Captain Bligh issues an illegal punishment that ends in the death of one of the sailors and rations the sailor’s food in a manner forbidden by the naval laws. Both Captain Bligh and Christian are leaders in a culture that encourages high levels of masculinity, which requires that they show their power and authority if it is challenged. In the film, both Captain Bligh and Christian face mutiny, but in quite different ways. Captain Bligh faces mutiny as a result of being overbearingly zealous in meting out punishment and disregard of the lives and well-being of the sailors. It is not quite clear what causes mutiny in Christian’s case, but the similarities in both cases are clear: it is an issue of trust. The mutineers burn the ship because they do not trust Christian, considering him too different from them to understand their perspective. The mutineers think that Christian has lost their shared value of freedom and is after honor instead, which does not appeal to them at the prospect of death. Later, while on his death bed, they explain to him that they believed he would force them to go to England against their will. Therefore, discordant shared values in an organization lead to the sabotage of leadership and possibly to organization decline.
Both Christian and Captain Bligh come from considerably different socio-economic backgrounds, which is a barrier in their social interaction with the common sailors. Apart from them being officers on the Bounty, they both come from a higher socio-economic class than the common sailors. One of the factors that leads to the deterioration of the relationship between Captain Bligh and Christian is the former’s belief that Christian is condescending of anyone who is not high-born, like he is. However, Christian, informs him that his personal opinion does not change how he does his duties. This cultural differences between the leadership and the rest of the organizations could account for the disorder and organizational decline. Such gaps introduce communication barriers. Christian asks the men why they burn the ship instead of just telling him, and asks why they fear him. He remarks that “Bligh has left his mark on us all”. However, I think that the men had nothing to fear from Bligh, and their reluctance to communicate is a sign of communication failure rather than fear of violence.
Both Bligh and Christian are very conscientious of the law; they have read the rules and they stick to them. Even when Bligh’s behavior goes overboard, Christian does not step out of character until Bligh kicks him, at which point he hits him, and immediately realizes the ramifications of his action. Bligh insists on honor and will not allow the mission to fail. Christian insists of honor even with the risk of injustice and death.
Contrast
Fletcher and Bligh have very different attitudes and beliefs about ethics. In terms of ethical theories, Bligh appears to be a consequentialist while Christian is subscribes to rule-based ethics. Bligh believes that the outcomes of behavior are what determine its morality. Notably, at one point, when Christian questions the appropriateness of the severity of punishment a man on the ship gets for a minor infraction, he states that “cruelty with purpose is not cruelty, it is efficiency”. On the other hand, Christian believes that while severe punishment may serve as a deterrent, punishment should be proportional to offense. Christian’s moral code is best summed up as humanistic: when a man who has been drinking sea water becomes delirious, Bligh refuses Christian permission to give the man water, which is needed if the man is to recover. As captain, Bligh has to balance the interest of the sailors with those of the government, which commissioned the voyage. By analogy, managers must balance the well-being, rights, and interests of the employees of an organization with those of the organization. For instance, managers must make decisions on matters such as free speech, layoffs, drug testing, and romantic involvements. Bligh repeatedly chooses the interests of the government over those of the sailors. For instance, he chooses to give the water al the water they need while limiting the sailors’ supply. On the other hand, Christian values human life invariably, and refuses to accept Bligh’s order to let the man die.
In terms of power distance, Bligh distances himself much more than Christian to his subordinate men. He has a low opinion of the common sailors, referring to them as “half-witted, wife-beating, perpetual drunkards”. When asked about the loneliness of his position as captain, he states that “command allows no intimacies”. He expects “unquestioning obedience” from his subordinates and is quick to point out his position and the power accorded to him whenever anyone questions his decisions. On the other hand, Christian discusses and debates much more freely with his subordinates. Bligh’s power distance reveals itself when he punishes one of his officers severely for laughing at the way he walks.
Charisma is sometimes an important feature to leaders, as it can be an element that diffuses tensions and distrust. Whereas Christian can be said to be charismatic, Captain Bligh is not. In his leadership, Christian puts the well-being of the sailors high in priority and interacts freely with the men, knowing many of them by name. He is able to command their cooperation and trust much more easily. On the other hand, Captain Bligh commands fear, which eventually turns out in his disfavor. Christian gains the support of the men through self-sacrifice and role-modeling, which is one of the ways in which charisma emerges. He comes from a wealthy family and has the most to lose in the mutiny, he therefore becomes a role model to the others mutineers.
Christian has a different temperament than Bligh, and does not take out his frustration on the sailor like Bligh does, which prompts the observation “he was no Bligh” from the narrator of the film. Bligh is very rude with the men, at one point telling an officer who had brought a native to whom he wanted to get married aboard to “get that whore off the ship”. Such excessively rude treatment is common-place from Bligh, but Christian takes a more compassionate style of leadership and comradeship toward his men. Bligh believes in leadership through fear and unquestioning obedience, whereas Christian believes in leadership based on respect and dignity.
References
Jackson, E. (2013, 16 July). Mutiny and Its Bounty. Retrieved from DePaul University: http://resources.depaul.edu/distinctions/words-and-deeds/Pages/mutiny-and-its-bounty.aspx
Milestone, L., & Reed, C. (Directors). (1962). Mutiny on the Bounty [Motion Picture].
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2013). Organizational Behavior: Science, The Real World, and You (8 ed.). Mason, OH: Thompson South-Western.
Yammarino, F. J., & Dansereau, F. (2009). Multi-Level Issues In Organizational Behavior And Leadership. Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing.
