The Boss of You: Recognizing Subpar Supervisors
The new movie "The Devil Wears Prada" has shown its staying power at top of the box office tallies as the nation's movie viewers can't get enough of Meryl Streep's withering portrayal of a bad boss. Demanding, sarcastic and worst of all, very talented, Streep's character, a high-fashion editor, is not only the Boss from Hell but she makes her employees imagine that hell would be a vacation compared to working for her.
Business professor Randy Rosenberger, who teaches Behavioral Analysis of Organizations, better known to Juniatians as HOBO, has agreed to identify a variety of bad boss archetypes.
- The Moe Howard: leader of The Three Stooges - He has great intentions, but run for cover any time he thinks...or picks up something pointy, for that matter.
- The Dean Wormer: The dean of fictional Faber College, the home of the "Animal House" fraternity - A hard liner, but where's his sense of humor? The Delta fellas became fine citizens...well, a few did.
- The Judge Smails: The head of the country club lampooned in the movie "Caddyshack" - A control freak and no stranger to harassment...and he thinks golf pants and hats are fashionable.
- The Eddie Haskell: Wally's devious friend from "Leave it to Beaver" - A wolf in sheep's clothing. Eddie would drop a very casual "Why Mrs. Cleaver, that's a lovely hairdo" right before heading upstairs to give the Beaver the mother of all wedgies.
- The Christopher Walken: Noted character actor seen most recently in "Wedding Crashers" and "Click" - Intense, but in every direction, and you're never sure of the direction du jour...and he smells funny.
- The Great Santini: The marine aviator and terrifying dad (played by Robert Duvall) in the movie of the same name - Thinks of you like a son/daughter...you might want to explore your "adoption" options.
- The Michael Corleone: (The Godfather) Can look you in the eye and tell you a bald-faced lie...even if you're married to him...very dangerous.
- The Chief Inspector Dreyfuss: Inspector Clouseau's nemesis in the Pink Panther movies - Plucks you for what appears to be a plum assignment, but his intentions are far less than pure, and as you achieve success with your assignment, becomes more sniper than manager.
- The Mortimer Duke: The morally bankrupt investment baker in "Trading Places" - Invites you to overachieve when there are no long-term plans for you with the organization, all for the sake of winning a dollar from brother Randolph...not to mention what happens to employees who are replaced.