The Office - Analysis Essay

Introduction

The Office is an American comedy series that depicts a typical workplace and the relationship between employees, their supervisors, and other people outside the office. The office in the series is a branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Throughout the series, one can see the communication that exists in the workplace, both formal and informal, as well as some communication barriers that often come to light in such environments. To adequately capture the various forms of communication in The Office, three characters, Michael Scott, Pam Beesly, and Jim Halpert, will be used.

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Analysis and Critique of the series The Office

Michael is the boss in the office, and all the employees in that particular branch answer to him. He is often seen making funny remarks to people who are sometimes offensive. His disregard for formal communication is visibly seen, especially during face-to-face meetings. For instance, when a lady comes to the office for a meeting to inform him about downsizing in the branch, Michael makes inappropriate remarks. He does not seem to concentrate on the details being provided. Some lessons that can be gathered from Michael include the importance of promoting good relations in a work environment, which is obtained by listening to the opinions of others and being courteous. These are traits that Michael falls short of, but he faces the consequences of having discontented and frustrated employees.

Another character, Pam, is the receptionist in The Office. Despite the offensive remarks that Michael often makes towards her, she remains quiet and does not talk back to him. For instance, in the meeting, when Michael was informed about downsizing, Michael is told that the agenda of the meeting was faxed to him. Michael feigns surprise then misplace anger towards Pam, when it was, he who threw the paper to the wastebasket. From Pam, the lessons of professional dedication, humility, and perseverance by subordinates can be deduced. Pam is committed to fulfilling her obligations in her job, even when Michael makes it difficult for her.

Lastly, Jim is a salesman in the office but rises to higher ranks as the seasons' progress. In the first episode of the first season, however, Jim does not seem enthusiastic about his job as a salesman. His communication is mostly with Dwight or Pam and is often informal. While he engages with formal communication with his clients, he also participates in office grapevine, like when there were rumors of downsizing in the office. The character of Jim promotes the importance of consistency and commitment to work, which enables him to rise to higher ranks in his line of work. In terms of resolving conflicts, unfortunately, he does the exact opposite by instigating conflicts between him and Dwight by playing pranks on him.

My Opinion of the Message of The Office and the Concluding Critique

The message that the series seems to communicate is the importance of co-existence in the workplace. In an office like the one presented in the series, there are many people, all performing different functions but aimed at a particular goal. While everyone is well aware of their roles, the regional manager is expected to monitor the work done and ensure that the output of the company is increased.

Based on communication, there exists a great deal of informal communication used in The Office even when formal communication is required, and that communicates the necessity of knowing the boundaries between the two forms of communication. When communicating in an office, it is essential to foster good relations between the people working there. It is essential to note that the important messages are passed horizontally, vertically, and diagonally to mention but a few.