The Apprentice, Essay Example

In their article, “Workplace Communication: What “The Apprentice” Teaches About Communication Skills”, authors Kateine Kinnick and Sabrena Parton offer a detailed content analysis of all fifteen episodes that make up the pilot season of this wildly popular reality television show.  Their analysis is specifically targeted at the question of what role communication skills play in this series and what its implications are, especially in regards to the use of “The Apprentice” as an educational tool for business students.

Relevance

When introducing this paper, Kinnick and Parton discuss the popularity of the show, positing the opinion that it is so successful because it “resonates with the ideals of America capitalism” and “is the first television show to use business savvy and business scenarios as the basis for competition” (Kinnick & Parton, 2005, p. 430).  They note that across the country, several business educators are using or planning on using episodes of “The Apprentice” as educational tools, specifically for teaching students about communication skills and their relevance to the business world.  In their literature review, they note that communication skills are seen as vital to success in business. The importance of these skills in business has been well known, and in its class on Business Communication Skills, the Arab British Academy for Higher Education notes, “Ultimately, good business communication practices assist the organization in achieving its objectives by informing, persuading, and building good will within both the internal and external environment” (Arab British Academy for Higher Education, 2012, p.2).  However, as the authors note, there is a gap between the need for business students who are well-practiced communicators and what the curriculum in business schools is actually offering.  Federation of Small Businesses Chairman Colin Wilman states, “The skills businesses need from school leavers are literacy, numeracy, punctuality, communication skills and the ability to be well-presented” and that the failure to meet these goals in school will, “leave young people on the scrap heap” (Lipsett, 2007, p. 1).  It is in this context that Kinnick and Parton analyze “The Apprentice” in reference to what it is saying about communication skills and whether or not this show could or should be used as an educational tool for communication in business.

Kinnick and Parton’s Analysis and Findings

Using a detailed coding instrument, Kinnick and Parton did an exhaustive content analysis of the pilot season of “The Apprentice”, looking particularly at the following factors: the degree to which the show emphasized communication skills, “Trumpisms” (direct advice from Donald Trump himself), communication-related praise and criticism of the competitors, communication skills as a factor in competitors winning or losing, the lessons learned from losing candidates.  What they found was that in thirteen of the fifteen episodes, “the ability to persuade through interpersonal communication or a coordinated campaign was critical to success” (Kinnick, K.  & Parton, S., 2005, p. 437).  They also found that all four of the “Trumpisms” dealt in some way with communication skills and that the communication skills which were most frequently praised (and criticized) were leadership and interpersonal skills. The authors note that in eight of the episodes, lack of good communication skills was cited as a reason for being eliminated from the competition, and that of the four lessons learned from losing competitors, two of them dealt directly with communication skills in some form or another.  In short, they noted, that communication skills did indeed play a strong role in the show.

Discussion of Findings

In their discussion of findings, Kinnick and Parton are sharply critical of the gender bias which is very evident throughout the corporate atmosphere of the apprentice.  They note that women’s interpersonal skills were twice as likely to be criticized in the show as men’s, and that men mostly came under criticism for showing poor leadership skills. In addition, men were also more likely to be praised for effective leadership.  (Kinnick, K. & Parton, S., 2005, p. 438).   Gender issues in the workplace are still important, as a recent article in the Administrative Issues Journal notes that “a recent study confirmed the hypothesis that it is perceived that a good manager exhibits “masculine” traits.  The study also confirmed that “feminine” traits are seen to be ineffective” (Miller, G. & Sisk, F., 2013, p. 16).  In other words, the show seems to be reinforcing an atmosphere in which women are prevented from taking active leadership positions.

The authors also criticize the fact that unethical communication/behavior in the show was largely ignored, citing many instances of dubious behavior among competitors in the first season. Kinnick and Parton seem concerned that this policy of looking the other way could reinforce the notion that business is a “win at all cost” proposition which leaves little room for ethics.  This is important, too, as unethical behavior in business is associated with harm to sales and stock prices, increased risk of employee fraud, and damages recruiting and retention (The Josephine Institute of Ethics, 2014, p. 1).

Conclusion

In spite of their criticisms of the gender biases and lax attitude towards ethical communication in “The Apprentice”, the exhaustive analysis of the importance of communication skills in this program lead to a certain grudging admiration from the authors. In light of the importance of teaching good communication skills to business students, they note that “The legacy of this television show for educators is that it is driving home the need for effective communication skills in vivid, memorable ways that business schools have failed to provide” (Kinnick, K. & Parton, 2005, p. 448).

References

Arab British Academy for Higher Education. (2012). Business Communication Skills. Arab British Academy for Higher Education Website. Retrieved from www.abahe.co.uk.

Josephine Institute for Ethics.  (2014). The Hidden Costs of Unethical Behavior. Josephine Institute for Ethics Website. Retrieved from www.josephineinstitute.org

Kinnick, K. & Parton, S.  (2005). Workplace Communication: What the Apprentice Teaches About Communication Skills.  Business Communication Quarterly. 68(4) 429-456

Lipsett, A. (2007). Employers Bemoan Lack of Students’ Skills.  The Guardian Online. Retrieved from www.theguardian.com/education/2007/aug/23/schools.uk

Miller, G. & Fisk, F.  Business Education and Gender Bias at the “C-Level”.  Administrative Issues Journal.  2 (1) p.16-26